Car Free Visions: Place de la Concorde
In Autumn 2022, we held a workshop to re-imagine the Place de la Concorde in a future free from car dependency. We polled Parisians and found overwhelming support for our visions!
The Place de la Concorde is the largest square in Paris. It is iconic for it’s history - it attracts lots of tourists and lots of cars!
It was originally a large French garden. It has undergone many changes over the years until it became a huge crossroad in the 20th century, clearly dedicated to car traffic.
Today people who are walking and cycling are in danger - anyone wishing to cross its 8.5 hectares on foot will have to cross 20 lanes of traffic without finding a single tree; this square between two gardens is totally barren!
Located on the right bank in the 8th arrondissement, it links : the Champs-Élysées, the Tuileries Gardens, and the rue Royale to the banks of the Seine.
Our workshop at the Académie du Climat brought together 15 Parisians who were committed to the climate, cycling, urban agriculture and citizenship, and specialists from MDB (Mieux se Déplacer à Bicyclette), Rue de l'avenir and of course Paris sans Voiture.
Three themes were worked on by different groups: moving around, rewilding, living and making a living. To our great surprise, when we all came together, the common vision was quite easy to lay out.
Here is our Concorde:
The square is largely given back to pedestrians, bicycles (yellow paths) and civic activities. Vegetation and water are predominant.
Motorised traffic is restricted to the edges of the square to maintain a north-south crossing via the wide side street (in white on the plan).
The lower part of the Champs-Elysées is pedestrianised, as well as the quay of the Seine, creating a direct access to the river.
A new metro exit provides access to the centre of the square, which houses small pop-up shops, quality fast-food restaurants, and a picnic area with numerous tables freely available.
Four large areas, linked by wide grassy paving paths, cover the whole square.
At the top right, an area of spontaneous grassland with ponds for phytoremediation is accessible to all.
At the bottom right, a wooded area, a sanctuary for biodiversity and agroforestry, with an urban cooperative farm and its point of sale and learning of ancestral techniques.
Bottom left: a wooded area for cultural relaxation (book boxes, games, hammocks) with a mini beach on the banks of the Seine and a citizens' agora to host free expression and various shows.
Top left: A space to be invested in according to citizens' projects (bicycle learning and repair circuit, outdoor games, a market)
A meadow slopes gently down to the Seine and a small port with floating pontoons.
The underground car park, open to artists, has been transformed into a mushroom house and a discotheque.
The rooves of the surrounding buildings are planted.
Our Concorde is a lively and welcoming square for both residents and urban biodiversity - it’s a fresh island in the heart of the capital. Motorised traffic is now a thing of the past. Our Concorde is ready to face the climate challenges that lie ahead.
In November 2022, we polled 1095 adults living in Paris on the idea of transforming the Place de la Concorde to reduce cars and develop spaces for people and nature - 58% supported the idea, 28% opposed, and 14% did not know.
But support shot up to 69% when people saw our vision and were then asked for their views again - this shows the importance of visuals to help raise support for a car free future.
Want to see our visions for London and New York City?
In Autumn 2022, we held workshops in our megacities to re-imagine iconic places - the Place de la Concorde in Paris, the Grand Army Plaza in New York, and Hyde Park Corner in London - in a future free from car dependency.
What you can do to support a car free future
For those in the UK:
Sign up to our mailing list for further actions and to stay up to date with the campaign.
Read about our traffic filter survey and show your local council that the public support them.
Find out all about parklets and ask your local council to support parklets.
Use our map to send a letter to your councillor calling for school streets to reduce children’s exposure to toxic air pollution.
Take on our 30-day car free challenge!
For those anywhere in the world:
Turning our visions into reality means having tough conversations about taking cars out of cities. Download our guide on "How to talk about car free cities" so you can help people get past their concerns and respond to common criticisms.
Explore our stories of change map showcasing traffic reduction measures from all around the world and share your own story with us by filling out this form.