The French farmer’s protested their financial plight in a charmingly French manner by greening the Champ-Elysee.
Another unusual example of the trend towards green is the Lost House of Paris. The occupants literally live within a greenery covered house. To travel green in the city of romance you simply phone a ‘Vectrix’ taxi.
As Pierre Patel’s 1688 painting of Versailles (below) shows, axes can be green and they can be canals. And canals can be used for transport. Civic leaders need courage, imagination, wisdom – and a wealth of ideas from the design professions.
It is so beautiful and so peaceful that it should be made permanent. The Parisians are inventive people and would adjust to the change soon enough. I have walked or cycled on the great urban axes in Beijing, Paris, Washington DC and New Delhi – and I think Paris is much the best of them. So they should regard it as a World Heritage Monument which must be treasured. There are rail lines underneath to carry the traffic.
Another thought is that cities can and should be planned for for temporary events. Trafalgar Square was grassed in 2007 http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden_design/shows_festivals/chelsea_flower_show/trafalgar_square_turf_grass
I like the idea of temporary ‘greenings’ for spaces like the Champ-Eylsee and Trafalgar Square.
However, the experience of the delight of the urban crowds could inspire and give Dutch courage to landscape architects to convince their civic clients to design incredible green urban axes, squares etc.
The red and green land axis to the War Memorial in Canberra provides a ceremonial space for people and cars.[ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canberra_-_War_Memorial_1.jpg ]
Transport engineers often get bad press so this series of photographs contextualises their task!
[ http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/engineering/architecture/4338387 ]
There are many ways to travel in a straight line…[ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canal_in_Amsterdam_01_977.PNG ]
Once again the French inspiration of Le Notre’s gardens at Versailles
[ http://www.idealcity.org.au/pic-1-versailes.htm ] is worth considering as a template for civic design.
Why keep the garden in the villa? Why not make the city a garden?
Singapore has the best line on gardens and cities:
http://www.unescap.org/DRPAD/VC/conference/ex_sg_14_gcm.htm
http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=78&Itemid=66
The foreground of London is quite green however the skyline of London does not give a cohesive appearance (from this angle).
[ http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/8822012skyline_pic1.jpg ]
Also the atmosphere around the city seems quite smoggy/polluted?
This photograph has red/green qualities which could be enhanced to provide a cohesive vision for London’s green sky.
[ http://media.photobucket.com/image/skyline%20in%20london/TyePics/DSC00154.jpg?o=143 ]