Indeed, lately, the capital is stepping up its game when it comes to going green. After the inauguration of the first urban forest in Paris in June 2024, the opening to the public of a section of the Petite Ceinture, the development of the Aretha Franklin garden, the plantings on the forecourt of the Hôtel de Ville, and even the expansion of the already huge La Villette park, a new green lung is set to emerge. And this time, it’s happening on the side of Colonel Fabien square, with the creation of a third...Urban forest!
A more accessible and airy space
In 2019, Anne Hidalgo announced the creation of 6 new urban forest spaces in the heart of Paris. Although some of these projects have been delayed or altered since then, the one planned for Place du Colonel Fabien is set to break ground very soon! Indeed, this Parisian square is about to transform into a true construction site for the next 12 months. It's a massive greening process that is expected to wrap up by early 2026 – delays included.
Place du Colonel Fabien, on change tout en 2025 ! Adieu le rond-point ! 60% de l'espace dédié aujourd'hui à la voiture va être rendu aux piétons, aux vélos et à la nature, avec une forêt urbaine. Une transformation à la hauteur de la révolution que nous menons à Paris 👏 pic.twitter.com/CUX3uTI3hl
— David Belliard (@David_Belliard) January 25, 2023
The goal of this project is to create a balanced space to give more room for gentle mobility, with plenty of pedestrian zones (980 m² of pedestrian areas) and over 400 m of bike lanes. The best news is that these bike lanes will be secure, one-way, and will measure more than 2 meters wide. This is a dream come true for cycling enthusiasts who know that, for now, crossing this square is a life-threatening experience.
Plenty of greenery
More than just encouraging eco-friendly travel, the project can be summed up in one key word: green, green, and more green. During the renovations, 43 new trees, already tall, will be planted.
The trees will be planted and will be accompanied by 75 groups of plants. In total, there will be 1760 m² of greenery coming to life, including 1460 m² of forest and 300 m² of planted strips.La place du Colonel Fabien se transforme ! Aujourd'hui rond point routier, elle va devenir une place accessible et végétalisée avec une forêt urbaine, des trottoirs élargis, et une piste cyclable bidirectionnelle sur tout le pourtour de la place. 🌳🌱🚶🚴https://t.co/cTVAN5n46V pic.twitter.com/Tm9GCBP0WN
— Christophe Najdovski (@C_Najdovski) January 25, 2023
This Thursday marks the start of the preliminary work, which includes: widening the sidewalks, modernizing the lighting, improving drainage, and creating trenches for planting. This first phase is set to wrap up in April 2025, before the greening of the square begins. That will last until February 2026, and even though the project sounds exciting, we want to give you a heads up: it’s going to be a year of challenges to navigate through the square. Let’s hope that the end result is worth it!