paris

NEW YORK CITY

The high Line

The 1.45-mile-long High Line, created on the abandoned viaduct section of a New York Central Railroad on the west side of Manhattan, immediately became an icon of modern landscape architecture. Around 5 millions visitors annually visit the site to enjoy the landscaping, outdoor art and some of the best views in NYC. The new greenway inspired a worldwide trend of elevated parks.

The Coulée verte René-Dumont or Promenade plantée (tree lined walkway) 

At times 10 metres above street level, the Promenade plantée was the world’s first elevated park. A spectacular three-mile walkway stretches from the Bastille to the Bois de Vincennes along the former elevated railway viaduct. At its west end, the green parkway forms the Viaduc des Art, over a line of shops featuring arts and crafts. 

Parc Rives de Seine
Paris Plages (Paris Beaches)

For one month every summer, the Georges Pompidou Expressway along the Right Bank, normally one of the busiest highways in Paris, becomes car-free and transforms into a beach with floating pools, cafes, fountains and features activities including a climbing wall, dance lessons, and nighttime shows. The plan allows for the highway to be reopened in emergencies.

Times Square Redesign

In 2017, architecture firm Snøhetta completed the redesign of Times Square, almost doubling the amount of pedestrian space in one of the busiest squares in the US. The project involved the urban reconfiguration and landscaping of 5.18 acres at the ‘bowtie’-shaped intersection of Broadway and 7th Avenue, pedestrianising a large section of Broadway, widening the sidewalks along 7th Avenue, and creating five plazas between each of the cross streets. photography: michael GRimm

PROPOSED RIGHT RIVER BANK

After dangerous spikes in pollution, the mayor Anne Hidalgo has pledged to remove traffic from the whole city centre in order to halve the number of private cars in Paris. City authorities announced plans to pedestrianise a 1km stretch of road along the Seine as well as two main roads running from east to west. Hidalgo also plans a new electric tramway and more bicycle lanes to “reconquer the public space” for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-polluting transport. Images: LUXIGON

Summer Streets NYC

On three Saturdays in August, nearly seven miles of NYC’s streets become traffic-free providing space for healthy recreation and non-motorised forms of transportation. During the 2016 Summer Streets festival, nearly 300,000 people took part in its multiple activities. The event is similar to the city’s Museum Mile, an annual tradition of closing Fifth Avenue to traffic and allowing pedestrians to visit museums at a discounted rate. photography: New York City Department of Transportation