After the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, half of the Place de la Concorde will no longer be accessible to motorists. The space will be redeveloped as a promenade, just like the Trocadero and the Champ-de-Mars.
The
post-Olympic urban transformation in Paris is shaping up to be radical, according to statements made by Mayor Anne Hidalgo last January. After the 2024 Olympics,
half of Place de la Concorde "will not be given back to motorists", marking a major step in the mayor's strategy to
reduce the presence of cars in the capital. The city's largest square will be
dedicated to strolling, offering Parisians and visitors a pedestrian area from the Tuileries to the obelisk.
In La
Tribune Dimanche, Anne Hidalgo stresses that this decision will contribute to a smoother flow of traffic, asserting that
"the place given to the car in this emblematic place will have been no more than a parenthesis in history". With this transformation,
"the Place de la Concorde, the Trocadéro and Iéna (...) the Champ-de-Mars constitute 50 hectares of pedestrian and planted areas for strolling", accompanied by "60 km of additional cycle paths". These changes are in line with the mayor's desire to promote sustainable modes of transport and create
green spaces accessible to all.
Despite the temporary constraints for Parisians, the installation of the Olympic venues was a resounding success, bringing residents and tourists together in the capital's most beautiful squares.
