mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, has said there are ambitious plans to transform Paris' famous street Champs-Elysees. She said she wants to turn 1.9km avenue into "extraordinary garden". The Champs-Elysees is in heart of the French capital. It joins Place de la Concorde with the Arc de Triomphe. It is often called " most beautiful avenue in the world". However, many Parisians believe it looks old. They want it to look more modern. Ms Hidalgo said she wants to reduce amount of traffic on avenue. She wants to cut number of car lanes to make more room for pedestrians. She also wants to plant more trees to make it greener and more attractive.
The Champs-Elysees once showed how sophisticated and elegant Paris was. There were many car showrooms full of luxury cars, and chic designer fashion stores. It was magnet for rich people who wanted to buy latest brands. Today, it looks like many other streets in world. It is full of international chain stores, fast food restaurants and coffee shops. It will take decade to beautify Champs Elysees. Work will start on it after the 2024 Paris Olympics. Ms Hidalgo said: "We will redo Place de la Concorde before the Olympic Games, then full length of avenue afterwards. It will be extraordinary garden." The budget for project is around $305 million.
