Coulée verte René-Dumont

The or Promenade plantée René-Dumont (French for 'Template:Interlanguage link [of] René Dumont') is a elevated linear park built on top of obsolete railway infrastructure in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was inaugurated in 1993.

Description

File:Coulée Verte René-Dumont @ Paris (28980190410).jpg

A view of the in summer

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Another view of the Coulée verte.

This in Paris is an extensive green belt that follows the old railway line. Beginning just east of the with the elevated , it follows a path eastward that ends at a spiral staircase leading to the beltway. At its west end near the Bastille, the parkway rises above the surrounding area and forms the , over a line of shops featuring the work of specialized craftsmen. The shops are located in the arches of the former elevated railway viaduct, with the parkway being supported atop the viaduct. This portion of the parkway runs parallel to the . The parkway crosses the near the and descends to street level. At that point, it becomes a grassy mall and then follows the old railway direction below street level towards the east, passing through several tunnels. As it reaches the , it splits, with one portion continuing to the beltway, and the other terminating in the along the former path of a branch line that once linked to the railway.

File:Coulée Verte René-Dumont @ Paris (29268197565).jpg

The passes between two buildings at rue Montgallet

File:Vue prise de la rue Montgallet de l’escalier qui donne accès au Jardin de Reuilly.jpg

A stairway leading up to the from the bottom of rue Montgallet

The elevated part of the route, on the viaduct, has some enclosed sections, as when it passes between modern buildings, and some open sections with expansive views. In addition to the and the square , the also includes the , with its preserved but repurposed railway station, and the . The western portion of the parkway may be accessed via stairways and elevators leading up to the elevated viaduct. This portion is reserved for pedestrians. The eastern portion of the parkway is accessible via ramps and stairways and is open to both pedestrians and cyclists. The west end can be reached from Bastille by walking south on , then left on . The staircase entrance is immediately on the left where enters .

History

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The Gare de Vincennes at Place de la Bastille, the starting point of the original train line

This Promenade Plantée is built on the former tracks of the Vincennes railway line, which, beginning in 1859, linked the Gare de la Bastille train station to Verneuil-l'Étang, after passing through Vincennes. It ceased operation on December 14, 1969; part of the line beyond Vincennes was integrated into Line A of the RER, while the Paris-Vincennes section was completely abandoned.

File:Train sur viaduc de la lignes de Vincennes Paris 12 19eme siecle.jpg

Train on a bridge over avenue Ledru Rollin, late 19th century

Beginning in the 1980s, the area was renovated. In 1984, the Bastille station was demolished to make way for the Opéra Bastille. The Reuilly section was designed in 1986; it incorporates the old commercial rail depot of Reuilly into a group of park areas. The Promenade Plantée was put into place at the same time in order to reuse the rest of the abandoned line between the Bastille and the old Montempoivre gate to the city. Landscape architect Jacques Vergely and architect Philippe Mathieux designed the parkway, which was inaugurated in 1993. The arcades of the Viaduc des Arts were renovated in 1989 by architect Patrick Berger, as was the new square Charles-Péguy.

Paris' promenade was the first project in the world to repurpose elevated old railway lines into urban gardens. Other repurposing projects have now been completed or are underway. The first phase of the High Line, a similar park on an old railway viaduct in the West Side of Manhattan in New York City, was completed in 2009. The second phase was completed in 2011, bringing the total length of the High Line to 1.6 kilometres (1 mi); the third phase opened in September 2014, completing the park. In 2015 Chicago opened the nearly Bloomingdale Trail, which runs through several city neighborhoods and allows bicycles.

In popular culture

The Promenade Plantée appears in the film Before Sunset, directed by Richard Linklater in 2004 with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. It is also mentioned in the science fiction novel Olympos, by Dan Simmons.

Gallery

• View from the Coulée verte onto Avenue Daumesnil
  View from the Coulée verte onto Avenue Daumesnil
• A reflecting pool on the Coulée verte
  A reflecting pool on the Coulée verte
• Access stairway at rue Montgallet
  Access stairway at rue Montgallet
• Part of the Jardin de Reuilly, as seen from a pedestrian bridge on the Coulée verte
  Part of the Jardin de Reuilly, as seen from a pedestrian bridge on the Coulée verte
• A view of the eastern section of the Coulée verte
  A view of the eastern section of the Coulée verte
• One of the Coulée verte's pedestrian bridges
  One of the Coulée verte's pedestrian bridges
• Entrance to the Jardin de Reuilly on Avenue Daumesnil
  Entrance to the Jardin de Reuilly on Avenue Daumesnil
• Artificial rocks in one of the Coulée verte’s tunnels
  Artificial rocks in one of the Coulée verte’s tunnels

See also

• List of parks and gardens in Paris
• Rotterdam Hofplein railway station, similar former railway in Rotterdam
• High Line, elevated park in Manhattan, New York City
• Bloomingdale Trail, similar elevated park in Chicago
• Lowline, planned underground park in Manhattan, New York City
• Harsimus Stem Embankment, planned rail trail in Jersey City, New Jersey
• Maidashi ryokuchi, a park in Fukuoka, Japan
• Queensway, planned rail trail in Queens, New York City
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC)
• Reading Viaduct, planned rail trail in Philadelphia
• Greenway, London
• The Atlanta Beltline, Atlanta, Georgia

External links

• Promenade Plantée's unofficial website
• Viaduc des Arts
• Atelier Le Tallec websiteTemplate:Category handler
• Jardin de Reuilly, a park crossed by the Promenade Plantée