Petite ceinture 2.0
Gaspard Baudrin (CRI), Olivia Chen (Harvard), Cécile Crapart (CRI), Alexander Kaufman (Harvard)
Petite Ceinture 2.0 is a renewed infrastructure for green transportation and a connection point for Parisians of different backgrounds and classes. We hope to target Paris’s most pressing issues today by repurposing la Petite Ceinture – a 32-kilometer abandoned railroad that encircles the city – into a green bikeway with community gardens and social programming.
This project was inspired by the process of angiogenesis, how the body builds new blood vessels to target wounds or low-oxygen areas. Similarly, Petite Ceinture 2.0 would bring “oxygen” into the city and suburbs, easing the daily commute, increasing central Parisians’ interaction with nature, offering a platform for those seeking more social connection.
The bikeway’s design and activities will be tailored to interests and needs of every arrondissement through which it passes, acknowledging diversity within the city. If it becomes a meaningful addition of the city, Petite Ceinture 2.0 can be expanded into adjacent streets and beyond, connecting more of the city and suburbs, and consequentially more people.
