As the countdown to the XXXIII Olympic Games in Paris ticks away, the city is making preparations that will completely shift its urban landscape and infrastructure. Set to be the largest event ever organized in France, the games will start on 26 July and continue till 11 August 2024. With only 200 days left, the Paris City Council has approved around 43 new initiatives acting as a catalyst for the city's transformation – aiming for a greener, healthier, and mobile Paris. From cleaning the Seine River to building a cycling lane, activating a transit line, and banning non-essential city traffic, the heart of the French capital is on a mission against time to revitalize its historic urban core.
Integral to Paris’s ambitious vision is its “Swimming Plan,” which aims to transform the Seine into a venue for aquatic Olympic events the city aims to implement new underground pipes, tanks, and pumps that are designed to clean up the river from harmful bacteria. Although the river has not been open for public swimming for over a century, the city plans to change that for the notorious games. In fact, “The goal is to have what is essentially a giant rainwater holding tank, measuring 50m wide and 34m deep, capable of storing up to 46m liters ready by spring.” However, according to experts, the billion-dollar effort to clean up the river may take much longer than planned to execute.
Regarding urban mobility, the French Capital is set to open up 55km of new bike paths that link Olympic venues in Paris to those in the country’s northeast. The plan outlines that visitors will be able to cycle throughout the city center and reach every Olympic sports site on the map by summertime. These bike lanes include 30km of routes inside the capital “that have been completed or are about to be finished,” said David Belliard of the city mayor’s office.
Related Article
The Reconstruction of Notre Dame’s Spire Nears CompletionAnother action the city is taking to prepare for the Olympic games is installing a new transit line from the east to the west of the city. According to CNN, the Paris Metro is about to get an upgrade with a new 200km system, adding four lines and 68 brand-new stations. Construction of the lines began in 2016, hoping to reduce transport time for suburb-suburb movement significantly. When announced by President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009, the original plan outlined the new network to be ready during 2024, but “numerous delays have stretched the time.” According to experts, only the line 14 extension to Orly Airport is expected to open in time for the games.
Finaltot to reduce car use, Mayor Hildago announced that the French capital would ban non-essential traffic from its city center. According to the plan, drivers using “road cuts” across the city will be obliged to detour instead of passing through the “Paris Zone.” According to Bloomberg, this action may considerably affect congestion and emissions. These changes are expected to be implemented before the summer Olympic Games commence.
At the close of 2023, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo was awarded the 2023 ULI Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development, a respected honor in global land use and community development. The award resulted from the Mayor’s vision for a more inclusive and sustainable Paris fast-tracked for the Olympic Games. In Los Angeles, officials have voted on a motion to implement the first Park Block, a pilot project that creates a car-free grid of city streets to open up public space for pedestrians and cyclists. Finally, New York City implemented a new law that changed how short-term apartment rentals operate in the city, effectively banning Airbnb and short-term rentals.
