The Paris mayor’s office has abandoned plans for new buildings—including a cafe, shops, and baggage drop—around the base of the Eiffel Tower following months of protests from environmentalists and a petition signed by nearly 150,000 people. Protestors were mainly incensed by the prospect of cutting down around 20 mature trees.
A decision to save the trees had been made in May 2022 following protests and objections from local residents. The landscaping is part of a much larger plan to re-organize the space around the famous tourist attraction, which will see roads and public areas planted with grass and shrubs in advance of the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.
An estimated 150,000 people visit the tower site every day during the summer high season and seven million people visit the tower every year.
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