Paris continues its transition to become a greener city. Freshly re-elected as the French capital mayor, Anne Hidalgo intends to concretize a pharaonic project that will transform the city: the creation of four urban forests in the heart of Paris. It will help Paris restore its green image.
These urban forests are said to be planted by the end of 2020 in different areas of Paris. All in all, an extra 12.5 hectares of green spaces are about to take over Paris with the planting of about 170,000 trees. But where will they be?
After betting on life-size nature by late 2020, Paris mayor has reconsidered her position and changes the map of sites likely to house these urban forest, without giving further details as for the schedule. At the beginning, four projects were planned in front of the City Hall, Opéra, the Seine Riverbanks and last but not least in front of the Gare de Lyon railway station.
Ultimately, sites which forests were "too intricate" to set up have not been kept. As Anne Hidalgo's deputy entrusted with making the urban place greener and green spaces, Christophe Najdovski to Le Parisien, the "soil" urban forest planned for the Place de l'Opéra will never be planted. It is mostly because of the underground grids underneath the opera house the idea has been swept away. Same problem by the Seine Riverbanks since it is not deep enough for the forest to grow.
But in the heart of the capital, in front of the City Hall, nature is said to take over the square. As for the northern square of the Gare de Lyon railway station, the Place Henry Frenay will be filled with plants. By the way, to these two confirmed projects are added sites of the Place de la Bourse, Place de la Catalogne and rue Curial which underground-use is still virgin. Therefore, these last two plant projects could be "delivered first" the deputy says. So far, no precise date has been announced by the city.
