Until recently, one of the largest city squares, the Place de la Republik, was almost completely given over to transport: cars went around it around the perimeter and turned around in a circle in the center. Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe included its transformation into a public space in his election program for 2008, and now, on the eve of the new elections, his promise has been fulfilled.
Of the available 3.4 hectares, pedestrians received 2 hectares: the roundabout was removed, cars were allowed along three sides, and the fourth was given to cyclists, buses and taxis (they were obliged to move slowly along a 7 m wide lane). It is there that public transport stops are located: on the Place de la Republic there is a metro station of the same name, which unites five lines. In addition, the borders of three districts converge on the square, and it is part of a chain of boulevards: all this makes it an important transport hub.
However, the architects focused specifically on the boulevards, giving pedestrians 2/3 of the space of the Place de la Republic. It is paved with light-colored concrete slabs in three different sizes and has two terraces with wide steps to sit on. Also for this purpose, there are benches and chairs, a plank platform and a convenient side of a small reservoir that bends around the pedestal of the statue of Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic: earlier this main building of the square was surrounded by a sea of traffic, but now you can come very close to it.
In addition, a playground, a glass pavilion of a cafe, and a small mirror pond (276 m2) are arranged on the Place de la Republic. The number of trees has increased, and they are now evenly distributed over the area, providing it with shade: mainly plane trees, but there are also gleditsia and one wild cherry.
