Currently, the city lags behind in green spaces, with only 9.5% of land dedicated to gardens. To change this, Paris plans to add over 170,000 trees and transform iconic locations.
The Champs-Élysées, famous but plagued by pollution and congestion, will become an urban garden. Other projects aim to create public green spaces around the Eiffel Tower and urban forests throughout the city. Paris also pursues car-free zones and parking reductions.
These efforts, though praised for improving the city's image, face opposition from motorists. The city's initiatives align with its hosting of the 2024 Olympics and the symbolic signing of the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2015.
Vocabulary:
• Congestion (noun) - Heavy traffic or overcrowding.
• Pedestrianise (verb) - To make an area accessible only to pedestrians.
• Amphitheatre (noun) - A round or oval building with tiers of seats around a central open area.
• Renaissance (noun) - A revival or rebirth.
• Motorist (noun) - A person who drives a motor vehicle.
• Symbolic (adjective) - Representing something with significance.
Source: Tomorrow's Build