On 15th April 2019, Notre-Dame Cathedral was ravaged by a fire. The reconstruction work carried out under the auspices of the Notre-Dame Conservation and Restoration Public Establishment (EPRND) is today well underway with the plan to reopen the cathedral in 2024. Alongside this, the City of Paris, wishing to improve the reception of visitors and the quality of public space, launched a study on the redevelopment of the forecourt Parvis Notre-Dame, the crypt and areas surrounding the cathedral.
While the fire triggered thoughts on the future of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral and its surrounding areas, it happened during a period of reflection on how Île de la Cité could evolve.
Renewal of the heart of Paris began in the early 2000s. This took the form of numerous projects involving the renovation of often heritage buildings and the profound transformation of public space and greened areas, with for example the creation of the Rives de Seine Park on the old Seine embankment road, the transformation of Les Halles and its gardens and the creation of a great number of cycle paths.
Although Île de la Cité has not yet changed greatly, the work which has begun to save the cathedral and to rebuild the roof and spire, is part of the development process of the entire island.
This document describes the present situation and should facilitate future thought on planning the areas surrounding the cathedral while taking into consideration the urban issues that concern the island as a whole.
