The promenade has historic movie theaters and architecture from the Belle Époque era, as well as an Art Deco theater that opened in 1913, which hosted performances by Ella Fitzgerald. Hopefully, it can return to being a chic cultural hub. “Fifty years ago, Parisians came here to see a movie, dine, have ice cream, meet friends and family,” says Holder. “Now, it’s a place for tourists.”
Jean-Noël Reinhardt, president of the nonprofit Champs Élysées Committee, says that could change. “It has always been a cutting-edge place, one on the edge of the moment,” says Reinhardt. “But we have lost this sensibility. Now, it’s too many cars, overtourism, and pollution, but we hope it will become a quieter place in the future with beautiful gardens, less cars. We have to reinvent it as a beautiful promenade in the heart of Paris.”
The proposed plan would bring an abundance of new vegetation to the urban space.
Photo: Courtesy of PCA-STREAMThe promenade faces the Arc de Triomphe, a war monument built in 1806. Tourists have typically stood in the middle of the street to take selfies. Chiambaretta’s plans include raised planks adjacent to the monument, like selfie platforms, so people can stay safe from traffic while taking photos.
This renovation will bring much-needed foot traffic postpandemic. Out of the 120 businesses on the street, 44 are currently closed. Foot traffic has dropped from 100,000 people a day to 30,000. “It will recover,” says Reinhardt.
The plan would also allow for smaller, kiosk-like pop-ups to be built.
Photo: Courtesy of PCA-STREAMTo French chef Yannick Alléno, who runs the L’Abysse au Pavillon Ledoyen restaurant in the Jardin des Champs-Elysées, it’s a chance for the promenade to reinvent itself.
“I think it is important to think about how art could be more integrated in the Champs-Élysées territory,” said Alléno, in a statement. “It would be an opportunity to give work to young French artists, to enhance our cultural know-how. Cooking itself is a living art, which is logically part of the vegetable haven of these gardens too.”
While the amount of traffic would be limited, cars would still be able to drive through the Champs-Élysées.
Photo: Courtesy of PCA-STREAMThe goal is to reduce carbon emissions by 2030, with a continuous green space that makes room for more cyclists and pedestrians in the heart of the city.
Chris Dercon, the director of the nearby Grand Palais, sees the opportunity. “I hope that we will soon have an overall vision bringing together all the establishments at the bottom of the Champs-Élysées, reconnecting them with the Invalides and thus creating a real cultural district,” he said in a statement.
