Paris

Name – Paris Plages/Paris Respire
When it started – July, 2002
Kilometres of road open – Over 3 km
Participants – From 2002 to 2007 it has attracted over 4 million people
Organizers – Mairie de Paris
Unique features – The city brings in 1350 tonnes of recycled sand, hundreds of chairs, umbrellas, chaise lounges, and hammocks for public use.  It also provides water based activities such as floating swimming pools, canoe-kayaks, rowing boats and pedal boats.

Paris Plages (Paris Beaches) was launched in July 2002 by Mayor Bertrand Delanoe. It is an annual event, in the month of July, where Parisians can experience a beach vacation without having to leave the city. The city brings in sand, palm trees, umbrellas, lounge chairs, and hammocks and transforms the street along the bank of the Seine River into a beach paradise, open to people and closed to cars.

No matter your age, gender, ability, social, economic or ethnic background Paris Plages has something for everyone. People can lie on the ‘beach’, rock climb, take art classes, kayak, and even take a book out on loan.

While Paris Plages runs for 1 month in the summer, for the other 11 months, Parisians can also enjoy a new program called Paris Respire, or Paris Breathes. Paris Respire is a year long program that targets several streets and avenues and opens them to the public and closes them to traffic every Sunday and public holiday of the year. Paris Respire, in addition to the 314 kilometres of bike paths currently available make Sundays in Paris an excellent day for residents to come out and enjoy the streets and get more healthy and active.

 Videos:

 
Paris Plages


 
Paris Plages Pastiche