The promenade plantée (="walk with trees") also known as the Coulée verte is a 4.5 km long (2.8 mile) elevated park in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, France. It is a rail trail, constructed on an abandoned 19th century railway viaduct, which connected the Bastille area to the eastern suburbs of Paris, and ceased operation on December 14, 1969. Conversion to park took place between 1987 and 2000. The parkway runs from the Opéra Bastille (near the junction of Rue de Lyon and Avenue Daumensil) to the eastern city limits, ending up only a short distance from the Bois de Vincennes. As of 2010, the promenade plantée access under Boulevard Peripherique is closed, though Bois de Vincennes can be accessed through the bustling streets of the Saint Mandé district. The Promenade was designed by Jacques Vergely (landscape architect) and Philippe Mathieux (architect). Pedestrians have a garden environment for their high level walk and cyclists have a route at ground level. Then, 4.5 km from the start, the routes come together at ground level and proceed to the Bois de Vincennes. The high level route has some enclosed sections, as when it passes between modern buildings, and some open sections with expansive views. The arcades beneath the viaduct have been transformed into arts and crafts workshops (such as the Atelier Camille Le Tallec). This section is called the "Viaduc des Arts". It was for a long time the only elevated park in the world, but recently the first phase of the High Line, a similar park on an old railway viaduct in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, has finished its first phase with projected completion in 2011. Also there are plans for the Bloomingdale Trail in Chicago and on old Reading Viaduct elevated rail in the Callowhill section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promenade_plant%C3%A9e
