Paris’s Champs-Élysées Is Undergoing Massive Changes

1 ~~~ Paris’s Champs-Élysées Is Undergoing Massive Changes ~ Conde Nast ~~~ 26

Ask Parisians how regularly they amble along the Champs-Élysées, often called “the most beautiful avenue in the world,” and you’re likely to be met with a shrug and the answer, “rarely, if ever.” The cinematic sheen that has long lifted up this landmark avenue has worn thin over time.

Built in the 17th century for the French royal family, the once-regal promenade stretching from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe now finds its sidewalks cracked and uneven, littered with forsaken Lime scooters. Nearly 64,000 cars choke the eight-lane thoroughfare each day, making the area among the city’s most polluted. And despite playing host to flagships of tony French brands like Louis Vuitton, its retail offerings have long been dominated by mass-market international brands, making it feel more like a street that could exist in London, Tokyo, or New York. 

www.cntraveler.com/story/pariss-champs-elysees-is-undergoing-massive-changes ~ 22 January 2021 ~