Three streets in transition: pedestrianisation and revegetation of three streets in the district of Rive

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Situated close to the lake, these three shopping and residential streets currently hold no attraction for tourists or anyone taking a walk. They are cluttered with parking spaces for cars and motorbikes which hide the shop windows and terraces.

Narrow pavements pass in front of the building façades, with no amenities or furniture. What’s more, they form heat islands due to their mineral, impermeable nature with no trees or vegetation.

Convivial, green developments

The aim of these new developments is to take back the street area to provide convivial amenities to showcase these three streets and make them more vibrant by turning them into pedestrian streets. Local residents, shoppers, passers-by, employees and tourists will therefore be able to make these redeveloped areas their own.

Description of the redevelopment work

The surface of the road is covered with a light surface, home to comfortable metal chairs similar to those that can be found on Quai des Bergues. Planters will be installed in several locations. In Rue du Port, the chairs already installed have proved to be a resounding success.

The parking spaces will be removed in these sections of the streets and replaced by spaces in the nearby car parks. Traffic will be eliminated, except for deliveries and pass holders. It will thus be possible to walk from one side of the street to the other, whereas it was previously impossible to change pavements without taking a large detour, as the parked vehicles – and in particular the motorbikes – represented an impenetrable barrier to pedestrians.

By freeing up the space in the street to make the shop windows visible, this redevelopment work will also allow the cafés and restaurants to make full use of their terraces while promoting the products on sale. The bottom of the building façades are left clear to facilitate access to the shops and residential buildings and to make it easier for everyone to move around freely, in particular people with reduced mobility.

The main work begins on Wednesday 5 July and will last for about 7 days, focussing primarily on laying the new surfaces. The planters and urban furniture (chairs, benches) will be installed gradually over the subsequent days.

Trial redevelopments

These “temporary” redevelopments are being implemented until permanent work is carried out linked to the transformation of the Rive sector. The projects were presented to the residents and traders in January 2023 before being implemented. They will be appraised at the end of 2023 with these same people in order to assess them and introduce improvements.

The study of public areas in the Rive district continues

Alongside the short-term development work in the sector, the redevelopment project of public areas in the Rive district is continuing, with no car park and in line with current climate challenges.

In 2015, the City of Geneva organised a competition relating to the redevelopment of the public areas around the Rive roundabout. The aim was to present a redevelopment plan for this sector in relation to the construction of a new underground car park. A referendum was launched against the construction of the car park, with a vote held in March 2021. The initiative “in favour of a vibrant, green, pedestrian city centre” was submitted and accepted by the Municipal Council in December 2021.

The winners of the competition are now working on creating a new image for the sector, presenting a revised and revamped project with no car park or associated equipment (ramps, exits, etc.). The project is also being brought into line with current public policies, such as climate emergency issues.

Other short-term developments in the sector

On Rue de la Rôtisserie, planters will be installed from 4 July 2023 in the gaps available along this road. The subsequent aim is to launch a competition for the full redevelopment of this road.