Photo: madras91 |Wikimedia Commons
A disused rail route, the Petite Ceinture, offers solitude in Paris not far from the eight-lane Boulevard Périphérique, which is used by more than a million cars a day. The 20-mile (32km) railway line was the city’s first metropolitan railway service. Together with the city of Paris, the line’s owner, SNCF Réseau has worked to regreen 4.5 miles of the track in small sections around the city since 2006 – and by 2026 a further 2.5 miles will be opened. Several community-focused projects thrive on its undeveloped land and abandoned infrastructure, including La REcyclerie, an urban farm and eco-centre focusing on repairs and recycling, and La Ferme du Rail, which provides accommodation for students and people who are re-entering the workforce. Raised beds line the tracks, residents work on vegetables and plants, and produce travels meters to the farm’s restaurant, Le Passage à Niveau.
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