Revegetation and redevelopment of Avenue du Mail

A large-scale project is scheduled with a view to revegetating and redeveloping Avenue du Mail. This new landscape redevelopment is part of the strategy for combating global warming, with the aim of reducing heat islands and encouraging soft mobility and the use of public transport.

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Avenue Mail - projet

At the beginning of 2019, the joint City and Canton cycle task force identified Avenue du Mail as a priority cycle route connecting Cornavin to Uni-Mail. This unbroken cycle route was temporarily implemented at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic by removing one traffic lane previously intended for motorised private transport.

Avenue du Mail will be fully redeveloped from Place du Cirque to the Vingt-Trois-Cantons intersection. Particular attention will be paid to revegetation and mobility.

Traffic speed will be reduced to 30 km/h, thereby improving the safety and comfort of pedestrians while making it easier to cross the road to and from the Plaine de Plainpalais, with the addition of an additional pedestrian crossing.

A priority cycle route

To ensure a high-quality redevelopment of this avenue, the entire allocation of public space has been reviewed. The unbroken cycle route will thus be retained in the form of a cycle path running parallel to the pavement, except in certain sections where it will be combined with the bus lane.

Maintaining a single lane for private transport and eliminating parking spaces will allow more space to be allocated to pedestrians. 

The aim is also to recover rainwater in order to revegetate the area, in particular by directing run-off to the green areas and fostering infiltration into permeable soil. A large part of the avenue will be “de-impermeabilised”, thereby contributing to the fight against heat islands.

A “garden pavement”

The concept proposed for future developments is that of a garden pavement: an area with numerous plants, different sized trees and a range of shrubs, low vegetation, flowers, urban furniture such as benches, drinking fountains, bike shelters and parking stations and bus shelters.

The aim is to create a new, warm and welcoming area opposite the Plaine de Plainpalais. The future linear public garden will offer local inhabitants a new experience of their street, reflecting numerous streets around Geneva where private gardens in front of ground floor apartments can be found at the foot of the buildings.

This innovative project also aims to meet the current need for biodiversity and nature in the city, encouraging numerous species to flourish and in particular insects. The lighting along the avenue will also be completely refurbished in order to reduce light pollution in line with the recommendations of the Light Plan.

This re-characterisation will transform Avenue du Mail and play a key role as an interface between the districts and the Plaine de Plainpalais. The project will take account of the intersections between Avenue du Mail and the perpendicular streets: at the level of Rue de l’Ecole-de-Médecine and Rue Marguerite-Dellenbach, the current intersection will be transformed into a mini green square.

Climate emergency and improved quality of life

This development is part of the strategy addressing the adaptation to global warming and improving the quality of life in the city in order to achieve the following objectives:

  • implement qualitative improvements in a dense urban fabric by prioritising soft mobility and enhancing the lower building facades and the attractiveness of the shops;
     
  • reduce sound emissions, in particular by lowering traffic speed to 30km/h and installing a new sound-absorbing surface; reduce light pollution by providing healthier and more pleasant living conditions for all living beings;
     
  • reduce heat islands by creating extensive permeable and green areas as well as planting trees and plants;
     
  • introduce differentiated rainwater management by directing rainwater towards the future green areas.

Schedule

The request for a building permit will be submitted in April 2022, with the work scheduled to start in March 2023. Major sanitation work will be carried out at the same time as the redevelopment of the avenue.

Contact

Catherine Armand

Direction du département de l’aménagement, des constructions et de la mobilité (DACM)

Collaboratrice personnelle

Tél. 022 418 20 32

Por. 076 375 69 44

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Article modifié le 22.08.2022 à 13:45