A boulevard is a type of broad
avenue
Avenue or Avenues may refer to:
Roads
* Avenue (landscape), traditionally a straight path or road with a line of trees, in the shifted sense a tree line itself, or some of boulevards (also without trees)
* Avenue Road, Bangalore
* Avenue Road, ...
planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway.
Boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former
city walls
A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...
.
In American usage, boulevards may be wide, multi-
lane arterial thoroughfares, often divided with a central median, and perhaps with side-streets along each side designed as slow travel and parking lanes and for bicycle and pedestrian usage, often with an above-average quality of
landscaping and scenery.
Etymology
The word ''boulevard'' is borrowed from French. In French, it originally meant the flat surface of a
rampart, and later a
promenade taking the place of a demolished fortification. It is a borrowing from the Dutch word ' '
bulwark
Bulwark primarily refers to:
* Bulwark (nautical), a nautical term for the extension of a ship's side above the level of a weather deck
* Bastion, a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification
The Bulwark primarily refe ...
'.
Usage world-wide
Asia
Cambodia
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...
has numerous boulevards scattered throughout the city.
Norodom Boulevard,
Monivong Boulevard
Monivong Boulevard ( km, មហាវិថីព្រះមុនីវង្ស) is a central boulevard and thoroughfare of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.
It was named after King Monivong of Cambodia. Most streets in Phnom Penh have nu ...
,
Sihanouk Boulevard
Sihanouk Boulevard ( km, មហាវិថីព្រះសីហនុ) is a central boulevard of Phnom Penh which is the capital of Cambodia. The boulevard crosses the city in an east–west direction. It is named in honour of the late King N ...
, and
Kampuchea Krom Boulevard
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
are the most famous.
India
*
Bengaluru
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
's
Mahatma Gandhi Raste (South Parade Road and Queens Road) is an important boulevard that connects Bengaluru's downtown at Minsk Square (Queens Road Circle/M G Road Circle) to Trinity Circle in East Bengaluru where it meets Swami Vivekananda Raste (Old Madras Road), Old Airport Road (Trinity Church Road) and Kensington Road. It is named after freedom fighter
Mahatma Gandhi. Second one is Rashtreeya Vidyalaya Road connecting South End Circle in
Jayanagara to Marenahalli Road in
Jayaprakash Narayan Nagara. This boulevard is lined with parks on both the sides. Third one is Chord Road lined with parks on both sides passes through the localities of
Mahalakshmi Layout,
Rajajinagara
Rajajinagar, officially Rajajinagara is a residential neighborhood and business hub in the west of Bangalore. It is one of the zones of BBMP. It is bordered by Basaveshwaranagara, Malleshwara, Mahalakshmipura alias West of Chord road second st ...
,
Basaveshwaranagara and
Vijayanagara. It connects Tumakuru Road to Mysuru Road. Fourth one is a section of
Dr. Puneeth Rajkumar Vartula Raste (Outer Ring Road) in
Horamavu. This road is named after
Dr. Puneeth Rajkumar. A fifth one is under construction is the upcoming Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout connecting Magadi Road to Mysuru Road. This is expected to be one of the widest boulevards in Bengaluru. Apart from these major roads there are many minor avenues and boulevard in Bengaluru. This makes Bengaluru one of the few cities in India with so many boulevards mainly due to its title as the "Garden City".
*
Chennai's
Anna Salai (Mount Road) is a major road that connects Chennai's downtown
Fort St. George
Fort St. George (or historically, White Town) is a fortress in the coastal city of Chennai, India. Founded in 1639, it was the first English (later British) fortress in India. The construction of the fort provided the impetus for further ...
near
Cooum Creek to the then suburbs of
Parangimalai
Parangimalai (known in English as St. Thomas Mount) is a small hillock in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, near the neighbourhood of Guindy and very close to Chennai International Airport.
The ancient Syrian Christian community of India trace the ...
(St. Thomas Mount). It ends at
Kathipara Junction in
Guindy. It is named after former chief minister of Tamil Nadu
C. N. Annadurai. Another important boulevard is Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai (Cathedral Road). which connects Kamarajar Promenade (South Beach Road) along the
Marina Beach in
Mylapore to
Anna Flyover
Anna Flyover, also known as Gemini Flyover, is a dual-armed grade separator in the central business district of Chennai, India. Built in 1973 and dubbed one of the top-rated flyovers in the country, it is Asia's First Grade Separator, the first ...
(Gemini Circle) where it meets Anna Salai, Mahatma Gandhi Salai (Nungambakkam High Road) and Gopathi Narayanaswamy Chetty Road. It is named after former President
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (; 5 September 1888 – 17 April 1975), natively Radhakrishnayya, was an Indian philosopher and statesman. He served as the 2nd President of India from 1962 to 1967. He also 1st Vice President of India from 1952 ...
.
*
Kolkata's
Indira Gandhi Sarani
Indira Gandhi Sarani, formerly Red Road, is a road in Central Kolkata that runs from Eden Gardens (Rashmoni Avenue-Gostho Paul Sarani Junction) to Fort William West Gate (Dufferin Road-Outram Road Junction). South of Fort William West Gate, R ...
(Red Road), is a road that runs from
Raj Bhavan to
Fort William. The road, a wide boulevard, was built in 1820 and bisects the historic
Maidan
Maidan is an originally Persian word for a town square or public gathering place, adopted by various other languages: Urdu (''maidān''); Arabic (''maydān''); Turkish ; Bangla ময়দান, meaning field, and Crimean Tatar, from which ...
. The British authorities during the colonial era intended for the road to be able to host large parades. The name 'Red Road' was given due to its surfacing. During the Second World War, the road, in the heart of Kolkata, served as a landing strip for fighter aircraft. The annual
Kolkata Marathon
The Kolkata Marathon (officially IDBI Federal Life Insurance Kolkata Full Marathon) is a marathon held annually in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It was launched in 2008. The marathon is the largest in Eastern India and the only full marathon held ...
starts from outside the Rangers Club on the road. The name Indira Gandhi Sarani was officially adopted in 1985 after former Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (; Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was elected as third prime minister of India in 1966 ...
.
*
Mumbai's
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Marg (Marine Drive) is a -long
crescent-shaped coastal road located in
South Mumbai along the
Arabian Sea. It is also called the Queen's Necklace because if the stretch is viewed from an elevated point, the lamp posts along the road seem like pearls and thus in continuation look like a necklace. A
promenade lies parallel to the road. It is one of the major tourist attractions in Mumbai. The
Gateway of India
The Gateway of India is an arch-monument built in the early 20th century in the city of Mumbai (Bombay), India. It was erected to commemorate the landing of King-Emperor George V, the first British monarch to visit India, in December 1911 at ...
is located just away from this road. Local residents use it for morning exercises as well. It is also popular among youths who come here to enjoy the splash of water during high tide. It is named after the freedom fighter and founder of the Indian National Army
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
*
Mysuru's
Krishnaraja Boulevard is Asia's first boulevard. It was built in 1799, by the
Krishnaraja Wadiyar III
Krishnaraja Wadiyar III (14 July 1794 – 27 March 1868) was the twenty-second maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore. Also known as Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, the maharaja belonged to the Wadiyar dynasty and ruled the kingdom for nearly seventy ...
, taking inspiration from his France tour. The road runs almost a kilometre from Balla Circle to Hunsuru Road. Many landmarks are located on it.
*
New Delhi's
Kartavya Path (Rajpath/Kingsways), which is also a thoroughfare. New Delhi being the national capital, many such thoroughfares were built widely to sustain the exploding traffic growth that New Delhi and most Indian metro cities have seen in recent decades. Kartavya path, a tree-lined road with ponds and fountains, was designed, along with
Janpath
Janpath (meaning People's Path, formerly known as Queensway), is one of the main roads in New Delhi. It starts out as Radial Road 1 in Connaught Place, adjacent to Palika Bazaar, and runs north–south perpendicular to, and past Rajpath ...
(Queensway), by British architect
Edwin Lutyens
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens ( ; 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many English country houses, war memori ...
during the
British Raj. Various national events such as
Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
parades and
Republic Day parades among many others take place over here annually.
*
Hyderabad's
P. V. Narasimha Rao Marg (Necklace Road) is a boulevard adjoining
Hussain Sagar lake. It is named after former Prime Minister
P. V. Narasimha Rao
Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (28 June 1921 – 23 December 2004) was an Indian lawyer, statesman and politician who served as the 9th prime minister of India from 1991 to 1996. He is known for introducing various liberal reforms to Indi ...
.
*
Vijayawada's
Mahatma Gandhi Road
This is a list of roads across the world named after the Indian anti-colonial nationalist and lawyer, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Mahatma Gandhi), known for his nonviolent resistance to lead a successful campaign for India's independence from ...
(Bandar Road) is a 4 km long major road and boulevard which connects
Benz Circle, the busiest traffic circle in the city to Avatar Park. It runs almost parallel to the Bandar Canal.
*
Srinagar
Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natu ...
's
Foreshore Road is also famous.
Indonesia
*Some of the most important thoroughfares in
Jakarta
Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
are not named as a boulevard while do in fact follow the boulevard configuration of multiple lanes and/or landscaping. Examples of these are
Jalan Jenderal Sudirman
Jalan Jenderal Sudirman or Jalan Sudirman (Sudirman Road) is a major thoroughfare in Jakarta, Indonesia. Named after Indonesian national hero Sudirman, the road runs from Patung Pemuda Membangun at the south end to the bridge of the West Flood Can ...
,
Jalan M.H. Thamrin
Jalan M.H. Thamrin or Jalan Thamrin (M.H. Thamrin Road or Thamrin Road) is a major thoroughfare in Jakarta, Indonesia. The road is located at the center of Jakarta, running from the north end of Jalan Jenderal Sudirman at West Flood Canal at the ...
,
Jalan Jenderal Gatot Subroto
Jalan Jenderal Gatot Subroto (Gatot Subroto Avenue) is one of the major road in Jakarta, Indonesia. The road starts from Dirgantara statue in South Jakarta, which crosses 14 administrative villages and ends at Slipi, Central Jakarta. The road is ...
,
Jalan H.R. Rasuna Said
Jalan H.R. Rasuna Said or Jalan Rasuna Said is one of the main avenues of Jakarta, Indonesia. It was constructed during the 1970s. It is located in the Golden Triangle of Jakarta. The road was named after Rasuna Said, Hajjah Rangkayo Rasuna Said, ...
,
Jalan Gajah Mada
Jalan Gajah Mada and Jalan Hayam Wuruk (Gajah Mada and Hayam Wuruk Streets), formerly Molenvliet West and Molenvliet Oost respectively, is a major thoroughfare located in Jakarta, Indonesia. The two streets with its canal, the Batang Hari (formerl ...
/
Jalan Hayam Wuruk
Jalan Gajah Mada and Jalan Hayam Wuruk (Gajah Mada and Hayam Wuruk Streets), formerly Molenvliet West and Molenvliet Oost respectively, is a major thoroughfare located in Jakarta, Indonesia. The two streets with its canal, the Batang Hari (former ...
,
Jalan Haji Benyamin Sueb
''Jalan'' ( ur, , lit=Jealousy) is a Pakistani television series premiered on ARY Digital on 17 June 2020. It is directed by Aabis Raza and produced by Fahad Mustafa and Dr. Ali Kazmi under Big Bang Entertainment. It stars Minal Khan, Areeba Ha ...
, Jalan Teuku Umar (formerly Van Heutszboulevard), and
Jalan Prof. Dr. Satrio
Jalan Prof. Dr. Satrio or ''Jalan Satrio'' is one of main streets of Jakarta, Indonesia. The road has many important commercial buildings and shopping centers. It is named after former Minister for Health of Indonesia, Major General (Ret.) Prof ...
. The term boulevard - sometimes under its Indonesian translation "bulevar" - is however commonly used for thoroughfares in integrated urban centers as developed by private developers, such as Jalan Boulevard Raya in
Kelapa Gading
Kelapa Gading or also known as KG, Gading, is a district ( Indonesian: ''kecamatan'') of North Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia. Kelapa Gading neighborhood is known to the local population as a city within a city, due to the integrated residentia ...
, Jalan Boulevard BSD Timur in
Bumi Serpong Damai
BSD City, formerly referred to Bumi Serpong Damai is a planned community located within Greater Jakarta in Indonesia. The project was initiated in 1984 by a group of private developers and started in 1989. The town is currently managed by the ho ...
and Jalan Boulevard Gading Serpong in
Gading Serpong. Note that the term "Jalan" (Indonesian word for
Street
A street is a public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, ...
or
Road) is still officially used despite the use of the term "Boulevard".
*Examples of boulevards in other Indonesian cities are Jalan Dago (Jalan Ir. H. Juanda) in
Bandung
Bandung ( su, ᮘᮔ᮪ᮓᮥᮀ, Bandung, ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of West Java. It has a population of 2,452,943 within its city limits according to the official estimates as at mid 2021, making it the fourth most ...
, Jalan Pahlawan in
Semarang
Semarang ( jv, ꦏꦸꦛꦯꦼꦩꦫꦁ , Pegon: سماراڠ) is the capital and largest city of Central Java province in Indonesia. It was a major port during the Dutch colonial era, and is still an important regional center and port today. ...
, and Jalan Mayjen Sungkono and Jalan Raya Darmo in
Surabaya
Surabaya ( jv, ꦱꦸꦫꦧꦪ or jv, ꦯꦹꦫꦨꦪ; ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Indonesia, Indonesian province of East Java and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. L ...
.
Iran
In Iran, ''"Boulevard"'' is generally defined as a wide road surrounded by trees in sides and divided by a green space line including grass, trees or buxuses in the middle. There are many boulevards in Iran. One of the most famous Boulevard in
Tehran,
Keshavarz Boulevard
Keshavarz Boulevard (Blvd.) ( fa, بلوار کشاورز ''Bolvār e Keshāvarz'') or simply ''Bolvār'' (the Boulevard) is a central Boulevard in Tehran, Iran. It is a 2.2 km long, East-West boulevard which connects Valiasr Street and Val ...
,conclusively defines how Boulevards are designed in iran.
From the
Safavid
Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...
era onward, with the growth of the city out of the old part of town road was also sorted out as an urban designing elements. During this period, wide and long streets such as
Chaharbagh
Chaharbagh ( fa, چهارباغ; formerly, Chahar Dangeh (Persian: چهار دانگه), also Romanized as Chahār Dāngeh) is a city and capital of Chaharbagh District, in Savojbolagh County, Alborz Province, Iran
Iran, officially ...
Street in Isfahan were built.
Charbagh (which seems to be a concept originated in Persian gardens) is one of the symbolic elements in the history of Safavid urban planning, which has been one of the main elements of the development and improvement of cities in this era.
According to an Iranian historian “In the Safavid period (about 400 years ago), in lieu of the beyaban (desert path), the concept of the kheyaban (street/Boulevard) has been formed, which either leads to the main square of the city or runs parallel to it. these streets has countless trees on its sides, and are called Chaharbagh or Chenarestan (a place where planes trees are) based on their geographical location”
Habibi, 1995:93
This axe (Charbagh) has become the main backbone of the city and by having dominant buildings at the ends, guaranteed the development of the city linearly in this direction.
Due to the temporal precedence of Iranian Charbags, over the boulevards of Paris, and the existence of accurate drawings of it by European tourists, some experts assume Iranian Charbags as the precursor of the contemporary boulevards formation.
Israel
Tel Aviv, was originally designed along the guidelines set out by
architect Sir
Patrick Geddes. Geddes designed a green or garden ring of boulevards surrounding the central city, which still exists today and continues to characterize Tel Aviv. One of the most famous and busy streets in the city is
Rothschild Boulevard.
Philippines
Roxas Boulevard is a major boulevard in
Metro Manila,
Philippines. The boulevard, which runs along the shores of
Manila Bay, is popular for its view of Manila's famous sunsets and stretch of
coconut trees
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
. The boulevard is an eight-lane major arterial road designated as Radial Road 1 that connects the center of
Manila with
Pasay and
Parañaque
Parañaque, officially the City of Parañaque ( fil, Lungsod ng Parañaque, ), is a first class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to t ...
.
Other boulevards in Metro Manila include the
Shaw Boulevard,
España Boulevard
España Boulevard is an eight–lane major thoroughfare in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, named after Spain, the country that formerly held the Philippines as an overseas territory. True to its name, several Spanish names abound the ...
,
Pedro Tuazon Boulevard and
Quezon Boulevard
Quezon Boulevard is a short stretch of highway in Manila, Philippines running north–south through the district of Quiapo. It is a six- to ten-lane divided boulevard designated as a component of National Route 170 (N170) of the Philippine hi ...
. Not all boulevards in the Philippines have ornamentation, or slow lanes, like the
Aurora Boulevard and E. Rodriguez Sr. Boulevard, which have no ornamentation at all.
Osmeña Boulevard
Osmeña Boulevard is a major arterial thoroughfare in Cebu City, Philippines. It is the city's "main street" which travels in a generally northwest–southeast orientation linking the old downtown district of San Roque near the harbor with the mod ...
is a boulevard in
Cebu City, the Philippines' second city. It is Cebu's most important street and is its primary ceremonial avenue, the conventional route of the city's civic and cultural parades. Measuring six to ten lanes wide with 3-5 meter-wide sidewalks on both sides and a landscaped central median, the boulevard is lined with
narra trees. Midway is the park and
roundabout
A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford En ...
of Fuente Osmeña.
Europe
Austria
The Ring Road (German: Ringstraße) is a circular ring road surrounding the Innere Stadt district of Vienna, Austria and is one of its main sights. Constructed in the mid-19th century after the dismantling of the city fortification walls, its architecture is typical of the eclectic, historicist style called Ringstraßenstil (Ring Road Style) of the 1860s to s.
Known for its unique architectural beauty and history, it has also been called the "Lord of the ring roads", and is inscribed by UNESCO as part of Vienna's World Heritage Site.
The Ringstraße is 5.2 kilometers (3.2 miles) long and has several sections. It surrounds the central area of Vienna on all sides, except for the northeast, where its place is taken by the Franz-Josephs-Kai, the street going along the
Donaukanal (a branch of the
Danube). Starting from the
Ringturm
Ringturm (Ring Tower) is a prominent skyscraper in Vienna, Austria, and is the headquarters of the Vienna Insurance Group. It was built from 1953 to 1955 after a design by Erich Boltenstern at the Schottenring. The tower is tall, with of office ...
at the northern end of the Franz-Josephs-Kai, the sections are:
* Schottenring (named after the Schottenstift)
* Universitätsring (
university)
* Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring (named after
Karl Renner), formerly called "Parlamentsring"
* Burgring (near the
Hofburg
The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. Located in the centre of Vienna, it was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards. It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrunn ...
)
* Opernring (near the
Vienna State Opera)
* Kärntner Ring (named after Kärntner Straße, the road that led south to
Carinthia
Carinthia (german: Kärnten ; sl, Koroška ) is the southernmost States of Austria, Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The main language is German language, German. Its regional dialects belong to t ...
)
* Schubertring (named after
Franz Schubert)
* Parkring (near the
Stadtpark)
* Stubenring (named after the ''Stubenbastei'' fortification, part of Vienna's city walls since 1156)
Azerbaijan
Neftchiler Avenue (Azerbaijani: Neftçilər Prospekti) is an arterial road in Baku, Azerbaijan. It begins at the west end of the Bayil district of Baku and continues east until terminating at Javanshir Bridge (formerly Gagarin Bridge) intersecting Uzeyir Hajibeyov Street. It is used as part of the Baku City Circuit, including the Start-Finish straight located next to Government House
Previous names of Neftchilar Avenue were Alexander II Quay, Gubanov Quay, and Stalin Avenue. The street was named Neftchilar Avenue in 1961 in honour of workers of oil industry in Azerbaijan. The larger section of the avenue runs along
Baku Boulevard.
Denmark
In
Copenhagen, a Boulevard Ring, consisting of a
North Boulevard (Danish: Nørre Boulevard) and a
West Boulevard
West Boulevard is a neighborhood on the West Side of Cleveland, Ohio. It borders the suburbs of Brooklyn and Linndale to the south, Interstate 90 and the neighborhoods of Cudell and Detroit–Shoreway to the north, Stockyards to the east, and ...
(Danish: Vestre Boulevard), emerged on the site of the city's former
Bastioned Fortification Ring in the second half of the 19th century. It lends its name to the underground
Boulevard Line
The Boulevard Line ( da, Boulevardbanen) is a long partly underground railway between Copenhagen Central Station and Østerport Station in Copenhagen, Denmark. The quadruple track railway carries today one dual track for the Copenhagen S-train s ...
. The North Boulevard is now known as
Nørre Voldgade
Nørre Voldgade ( lit. "North Rampart Street") is a street in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It runs north-east from Jarmers Plads for approximately 600 metres to Gothersgade where it turns into Øster Voldgade. The succession of Nørre Voldgade, ...
and the West Boulevard was renamed
H. C. Andersens Boulevard
H. C. Andersens Boulevard is the most densely trafficked artery in central Copenhagen, Denmark. The 1.3 km long six-lane street passes City Hall Square on its way from Jarmers Plads, a junction just north of Vesterport station, to Lange Bridge wh ...
in honour of the writer
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales.
Andersen's fairy tales, consisti ...
in 1955. The first part of
Vesterbrogade, then known as Vesterbro Passage, was also laid out as a boulevard. A
South Boulevard (Danish: Sønder Boulevard) was established in the grounds of a defunct railway in the
Vesterbro district in 1905. Other streets that incorporate 'Boulevard' in their names include
Dalgas Boulevard in
Frederiksberg and
Strandboulevarden
Strandboulevarden (literally "Beach Boulevard") is a major street in the Østerbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It runs from Fridtjof Nansens Plads as in the south to Østerbrogade in the north, linking Kristianiagade with Jagtvej.
History
Dec ...
(The Beach Boulevard) in
Østerbro. Another street that meets the criteria for being described as a boulevard is
Frederiksberg Allé
Frederiksberg Allé is a tree-lined avenue which runs through the southernmost part of the Frederiksberg district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It connects Vesterbrogade at Værnedamsvej to Frederiksberg Runddel in front of the main entrance to Frederik ...
. A more recent example of a boulevard in Copenhagen is Ørestad Boulevard, the principal artery of the new
Ørestad
Ørestad () is a developing city area in Copenhagen, Denmark, on the island of Amager.
The area was developed using the new town concept, closely linked with the M1 line of the Copenhagen Metro. Economically, income for the plan would be generate ...
district.
France
The Grands Boulevards of Paris were first built in the 17th and 18th centuries. They are: the boulevards
Beaumarchais,
des Filles-du-Calvaire,
du Temple,
Saint-Martin,
Saint-Denis,
de Bonne-Nouvelle,
Poissonnière,
Montmartre,
des Italiens,
des Capucines and the
de la Madeleine.
Baron Haussmann created many boulevards in his
renovation of Paris during the
Second Empire. from
1859 to 1869.
Germany
;Berlin
The historically most famous boulevard in
Berlin and arguably in all of Germany is
Unter den Linden: location of the
Berlin State Opera
The (), also known as the Berlin State Opera (german: Staatsoper Berlin), is a listed building on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic center of Berlin, Germany. The opera house was built by order of Prussian king Frederick the Great from ...
,
Berlin Cathedral, the former
royal palace
This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent.
Africa
* Abdin Palace, Cairo
* Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo
* Koubbeh Palace, Cairo
* Tahra Palace, Cairo
* Menelik Palace
* Jubilee Palace
* Guenete Leul Palace
* Imperial Palace- Massa ...
,
Humboldt University, the
Neue Wache state memorial, the Germany Historical Museum housed in the
old arsenal and
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate (german: Brandenburger Tor ) is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after restoring the Orangist power by suppressing the Dutch popular unrest. One ...
being the boulevard's focal point. Most famed for its classy shopping facilities is Berlin's
Kurfürstendamm.
In the 1920s it was considered one of the most cosmopolitan places in Europe, being not only an elegant residential area but also a major centre of nightlife and leisure. Ku'damm retained this air throughout the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
becoming the hub of free
West-Berlin
West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...
. It is still the city's most frequented shopping district.
A notable boulevard in Berlin's East is
Karl-Marx-Allee, which was built primarily in the 1950s in
Stalinist Classicism
Stalinist architecture, mostly known in the former Eastern Bloc as Stalinist style () or Socialist Classicism, is the architecture of the Soviet Union under the leadership of Joseph Stalin, between 1933 (when Boris Iofan's draft for the Palace ...
architecture with decorative buildings. One section of the boulevard is more decorative while the other is more modern. In the center of the boulevard is the Strausberger Platz, which has buildings in
wedding-cake style
In architecture, a wedding-cake style is an informal reference to buildings with many distinct tiers, each set back from the one below, resulting in a shape like a wedding cake, and may also apply to buildings that are richly ornamented, as if ma ...
. The boulevard is divided into various blocks. Between 1949 and 1989, it was the main center of
East Berlin
East Berlin was the ''de facto'' capital city of East Germany from 1949 to 1990. Formally, it was the Allied occupation zones in Germany, Soviet sector of Berlin, established in 1945. The American, British, and French sectors were known as ...
. The
Königsallee in
Düsseldorf is known for its many famous fashion stores and showrooms.
The (Boulevard der Stars) was unveiled in 2010, with the first of 40 stars devoted to actors and filmmakers of the
German-speaking film and TV industry. First to be honoured in the Boulevard was German-American actress
Marlene Dietrich.
;Other cities
Munich is well known for its four royal avenues constructed by the Bavarian monarchs of the 19th century, which can also be classified as boulevards:
Brienner Straße,
Leopoldstraße,
Maximilianstraße, and
Prinzregentenstraße.
Hungary
The
Hungarian capital
Budapest is also known for its well planned street system with wide
avenue
Avenue or Avenues may refer to:
Roads
* Avenue (landscape), traditionally a straight path or road with a line of trees, in the shifted sense a tree line itself, or some of boulevards (also without trees)
* Avenue Road, Bangalore
* Avenue Road, ...
s and boulevards, running through the city. There are three main boulevards, named
Little Boulevard,
Grand Boulevard and
Hungária Boulevard
Hungária körgyűrű (lit. ''Hungary beltway'' or ''Hungary boulevard'') is the longest and busiest boulevard, also the widest city street in Budapest, Hungary. It's 13 km long and has 6-10 traffic lanes with a rapid tram line on the media ...
. Little Boulevard was built on the demolished
medieval city
walls of
Pest
Pest or The Pest may refer to:
Science and medicine
* Pest (organism), an animal or plant deemed to be detrimental to humans or human concerns
** Weed, a plant considered undesirable
* Infectious disease, an illness resulting from an infection
** ...
in the late 19th century. Grand Boulevard, the most prominent, was built for the 1000th anniversary of the
Hungarian conquest Hungarian may refer to:
* Hungary, a country in Central Europe
* Kingdom of Hungary, state of Hungary, existing between 1000 and 1946
* Hungarians, ethnic groups in Hungary
* Hungarian algorithm, a polynomial time algorithm for solving the assignm ...
in 1896. It has a uniform
facade, and the busiest
tram line in
Europe.
Hungária Boulevard was built from 1980 to 2000 and it is the widest (70 meters, like
Champs-Élysées) and longest (13 kilometers) boulevard in Budapest with six to ten
traffic lanes and a rapid tram line. Although the construction of the boulevard was finished in 2000, the facade is still incomplete, as there are many empty parcels due to
demolition
Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a ...
of old
apartment
An apartment (American English), or flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that occupies part of a building, generally on a single story. There are ma ...
s and
factories.
Ireland
Ireland has relatively few boulevards, but
O'Connell Street in Dublin is one of Europe's widest streets and resembles a Victorian boulevard. In recent housing developments in Dublin, the boulevard is becoming more and more common in addresses (e.g. Tyrellstown Blvd, Park Blvd, Bayside Blvd), and a boulevard was opened in
Gorey,
County Wexford
County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí Ceinns ...
in early 2015.
Italy
Florence's historic centre, for example, is surrounded by the
Viali di Circonvallazione
The Viali di Circonvallazione are a series of 6-lane boulevards surrounding the north part of the historic centre of Florence.
History
The boulevards follow the outline of the ancient walls of Florence, that were demolished in 1865 according t ...
, a series of six-lane streets; the boulevards follow the outline of the ancient walls of Florence, that were demolished since 1865 to make Florence, then the capital of Italy (for five years, 1865–1870), a modern and big city like the other European capitals. The Viali were inspired by the similar Parisian boulevards.
The first boulevard in Italy was constructed in Parma in 1759.
Ennemond Alexandre Petitot (1727-1801) was a French-born architect, mainly active in the Duchy of Parma. He was recruited by the Prime Minister
Guillaume du Tillot to become the architect of the recently installed Bourbon Dukes in Parma. He was the architect of the first Italian boulevard-promenade (1759-1763), based on the French promenades publiques, along what is now Stradone Martiri della Liberta (at the time, the name had changed from the Stradone Farnese to Stradone Borbone).
Antonio Gaidon Antonio Gaidon (1738–1829), was an architect, urban planner and naturalist.
Early life and training
Antonio Gaidon was born in Castione di Brentonico (Trentino) in 1738. His parents were Salvatore and Barbara Burma, residents of Bassano del G ...
(1738 – 1829), an architect, civil engineer and town planner from
Bassano del Grappa built a boulevard in the town (1791 – 1794), now known as the Viale delle Fosse. The large central avenue, flanked in turn by two pedestrian avenues, was adorned with a double row of lime trees and numerous statues that, starting from the Porta delle Grazie, reached the Parolini Garden. This new road was called the "''Passeggio pubblico di Belvedere o Fosse''". (In English: "Belvedere or Fosse public walk".)
Spain
Barcelona has several impressive boulevards, notably Gran Via de les Corts Catalans / Avinguda de la Granvia and Avinguda Diagonal. The infamous pedestrian tourist promenade, Las Ramblas, might be described as such, although the vehicular lanes to the sides are relatively insignificant.
Portugal
In Lisbon,
Avenida da Liberdade
Avenida da Liberdade (Portuguese for ''"Avenue of Liberty"'') is a boulevard in central Lisbon, Portugal, known for being one of the most expensive shopping streets in Europe. Originating in the '' Passeio Público'', an 18th-century park built ...
with extensive side gardens and Avenida da República. In Porto and Setúbal, Avenida dos Aliados and Avenida Luísa Todi have oval gardens in the center of the street, separating the two directions.
Poland
Boulevards are representative places in cities situated near big rivers and usually parts of their centres, for example in
Kraków,
Warsaw,
Toruń,
Bydgoszcz
Bydgoszcz ( , , ; german: Bromberg) is a city in northern Poland, straddling the meeting of the River Vistula with its left-bank tributary, the Brda. With a city population of 339,053 as of December 2021 and an urban agglomeration with more ...
,
Gdańsk
Gdańsk ( , also ; ; csb, Gduńsk;Stefan Ramułt, ''Słownik języka pomorskiego, czyli kaszubskiego'', Kraków 1893, Gdańsk 2003, ISBN 83-87408-64-6. , Johann Georg Theodor Grässe, ''Orbis latinus oder Verzeichniss der lateinischen Benen ...
,
Gorzów Wielkopolski
Gorzów Wielkopolski (; german: Landsberg an der Warthe) often abbreviated to Gorzów Wlkp. or simply Gorzów, is a city in western Poland, on the Warta river. It is the second largest city in the Lubusz Voivodeship with 120,087 inhabitants (Decemb ...
,
Wrocław and
Świnoujście.
One of the most famous boulevards in Poland is the street named Wały Chrobrego (former German name: Hakenterrasse) in
Szczecin
Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major s ...
, where the final events of The
Tall Ships' Races took place in 2007 and 2013. This is a street complex, about 100 years old, at the river bank of
Oder
The Oder ( , ; Czech, Lower Sorbian and ; ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river in total length and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows thr ...
with some connections to
the harbour in Szczecin and the
Baltic Sea. There are many tourist attractions e.g.
National Museum in Szczecin, the Contemporary Theater (Teatr Współczesny), Statue of Hercules fighting the Centaur and the waterfront for ships, including
harbour
A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...
cruise ships and hydrofoil to
Świnoujście. In the area there are more historic buildings situated, for instance
The Ducal Castle.
Some tourist towns and villages are known among others for their boulevards and
esplanades. There are many localities situated by the
sea
The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is the body of salty water that covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface. The word sea is also used to denote second-order sections of the sea, such as the Mediterranean Sea, ...
, for example
Sopot,
Gdynia,
Kołobrzeg
Kołobrzeg ( ; csb, Kòlbrzég; german: Kolberg, ), ; csb, Kòlbrzég , is a port city in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in north-western Poland with about 47,000 inhabitants (). Kołobrzeg is located on the Parsęta River on the south coast o ...
,
Misdroy and
Świnoujście, or other types of big water areas as
Trzebież lying on the
Szczecin Lagoon.
Feliks Nowowiejski
Feliks Nowowiejski (7 February 1877 – 18 January 1946) was a Polish composer, conductor, concert organist, and music teacher. Nowowiejski was born in Wartenburg (today Barczewo) in Warmia in the Prussian Partition of Poland (then admini ...
Seaside Boulevard in
Gdynia was the first stage of the
Tour de Pologne in 2003. Boulevards are also representative places in
Gryfino (district town in Poland) and German village
Mescherin
Mescherin is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in the Uckermark district, in Brandenburg, in north-eastern Germany. It is located on the western shore of the Oder river and the German-Polish border.
Overview
A road bridge links Mescherin ...
localized by both sides of the valley of
Oder river
The Oder ( , ; Czech, Lower Sorbian and ; ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river in total length and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows thr ...
protected with
Lower Odra Valley Landscape Park
Lower Odra Valley Landscape Park (''Park Krajobrazowy Dolina Dolnej Odry'') is a designated Polish Landscape Park protected area, located in West Pomeranian Voivodeship of northwestern Poland.
Geography
The Landscape Park is on the eastern banks ...
.
There are also many boulevards by lakes and small rivers, mainly in harbours areas, as in
Giżycko, and in
urban parks, for example in
Łobez
Łobez (german: Labes) is a town on the river Rega in northwestern Poland, within the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is the capital of Łobez County, and has a population of 10,066 (2019).
The name
The name Łobez comes from the Old Polish ...
,
Piotrków Trybunalski,
Poznań and the oldest Polish urban park in
Kalisz founded in 1798. Boulevards and paths in
Łazienki Park
Łazienki Park or Royal Baths Park ( pl, Park Łazienkowski, Łazienki Królewskie) is the largest park in Warsaw, Poland, occupying 76 hectares of the city center.
The park-and-palace complex lies in Warsaw's central district ('' Śródmieście ...
in
Warsaw surround
Palace on the Water
The Palace on the Isle ( pl, Pałac Na Wyspie), also known as Baths Palace ( pl, Pałac Łazienkowski), is a classicist palace in Warsaw's Royal Baths Park, the city's largest park, occupying over 76 hectares of the city center.
From 1674 the pro ...
. The medieval port crane, called ''Żuraw'', over
Motława
Motława (; csb, Mòtława) is a river in Pomerelia, Eastern Pomerania in Poland. The source is in Szpęgawskie Lake, northeast from the town of Starogard Gdański. It goes through Rokickie Lake to Martwa Wisła, a branch of the Vistula. The to ...
river, the junction of two boulevards - Długie Pobrzeże and Rybackie Pobrzeże - is the symbol of the medieval harbour of
Gdańsk
Gdańsk ( , also ; ; csb, Gduńsk;Stefan Ramułt, ''Słownik języka pomorskiego, czyli kaszubskiego'', Kraków 1893, Gdańsk 2003, ISBN 83-87408-64-6. , Johann Georg Theodor Grässe, ''Orbis latinus oder Verzeichniss der lateinischen Benen ...
. The Old Town Promenade (Promenada Staromiejska) in
Wrocław was built on the former on the former defensive fortifications along the City Moat and a small section along the
Oder
The Oder ( , ; Czech, Lower Sorbian and ; ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river in total length and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows thr ...
river. The boulevard in Kasprowicz Park in
Szczecin
Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major s ...
leads along Rusałka Lake from the City Hall area to The Summer Theater (Teatr Letni) and then to
Różanka Rose Garden
The Różanka Rose Garden (in German Staudengarten, Rosengarten), is a two-hectare botanical garden in the Łękno area of Szczecin, Poland.
The Różanka Rose garden was established in 1928 to commemorate the World Gardening Exhibition. In 19 ...
and the forest of
Puszcza Wkrzańska Puszcza is a Polish term for a large forest. It may also refer to the following villages:
*Puszcza, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-central Poland)
*Puszcza, Łódź Voivodeship (central Poland)
*Puszcza, Lublin Voivodeship (east Poland)
*Pus ...
. The scenic above ground promenade in
Augustów
Augustów (; lt, Augustavas, formerly known in English as ''Augustovo'' or ''Augustowo'')" is a city in north-eastern Poland with 29,729 inhabitants as of December 2021. It lies on the Netta River and the Augustów Canal. It is situated in the ...
enables the observation of the
Augustów Canal
be, Аўгустоўскі канал
, image = Bulwar w Augustowie.JPG
, image_caption = Augustów Canal in Augustów
, original_owner =
, engineer = Ignacy Prądzyński
, other_engineer = Jan Chrzciciel de Grandvill ...
and
national roads 8 and 16.
Russia
The dictionary defines ''boulevard'' as a wide green strip in the middle of a city street or on the
embankment
Embankment may refer to:
Geology and geography
* A levee, an artificial bank raised above the immediately surrounding land to redirect or prevent flooding by a river, lake or sea
* Embankment (earthworks), a raised bank to carry a road, railwa ...
. The historic
Boulevard Ring in
Moscow emerged on the site of the former
White City White City may refer to:
Places Australia
* White City, Perth, an amusement park on the Perth foreshore
* White City railway station, a former railway station
* White City Stadium (Sydney), a tennis centre in Sydney
* White City FC, a football clu ...
walls (demolished in the 1760s and 1770s) before the
Fire of 1812, starting with
Tverskoy Boulevard in 1796.
The whole ring was replanted and rebuilt after the fire, in the 1820s; together with the embankments of
Moskva River
The Moskva (russian: река Москва, Москва-река, ''Moskva-reka'') is a river running through western Russia. It rises about west of Moscow and flows roughly east through the Smolensk and Moscow Oblasts, passing through centra ...
the boulevards form the second centremost city ring.
Green boulevards of that period were terminated with corner hotel and shop buildings, most of them eventually demolished to make way for street traffic.
Garden Ring, developed in the middle of the 19th century, had traditional median boulevards in its western part and side gardens in the east (streets with side strips of green, even those separating main traffic and
frontage roads, are not usually considered boulevards).
Street names of
Saint Petersburg evolved differently: median greens of major avenues were called ''boulevards'', but the avenues themselves typically were and still are called ''prospekts'' (i.e. Bolshoy Prospekt of
Vasilievsky Island).
United Kingdom
Owing to the lack of modern-era walled cities and the price of urban land, the UK has only a few boulevards. Glasgow's Mosspark Boulevard, a wide road along Bellahouston Park with former segregated lanes for trams and cars, and Great Western Road, colloquially known as 'The Boulevard', north of the river Clyde, is a good example, a mostly dual carriageway road running to the outer suburbs passing through the fashionable West End district, with many shops and bars dotted along the route. The Almondvale Boulevard is a major road in
Livingston, West Lothian.
After the
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Thursday 6 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past the ...
,
London was planned to be rebuilt with straight boulevards, squares and plazas, as seen in
mainland Europe, but due to land ownership issues these plans never came to fruition. Boulevards in London are rare.
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes ( ) is a city and the largest settlement in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of its urban area was over . The River Great Ouse forms its northern boundary; a tributary ...
,
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...
, is one of only a handful of examples where boulevards are a key feature. This is due to Milton Keynes being built as a modern
new town
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
in the 1960s.
Nottingham, and to a lesser extent
Leicester
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands.
The city l ...
, also have extensive networks of boulevards, although some lower-capacity streets are named boulevards; these include Asquith Way/Boulevard in
West Knighton and Hungarton Boulevard in
Humberstone Humberstone may refer to:
Place-names
* Humberstone, Leicestershire, now part of the City of Leicester, England
** Humberstone & Hamilton, an electoral ward and administrative division of the City of Leicester, comprising in part the suburb Humbe ...
, both of which form part of Leicester's outer
ring road
A ring road (also known as circular road, beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop, bypass or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city, or country. The most common purpose of a ring road is to assist i ...
. Gilbert Boulevard in
Arnold
Arnold may refer to:
People
* Arnold (given name), a masculine given name
* Arnold (surname), a German and English surname
Places Australia
* Arnold, Victoria, a small town in the Australian state of Victoria
Canada
* Arnold, Nova Scotia
Uni ...
is an example of a low-capacity highway named a boulevard.
The town of
Warrington in
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
has a large number of boulevards, some more recent than others. Lining the Gemini Retail Park in Warrington is Europa Boulevard with the traditional tree-lined pavements and two-lane traffic. In Chapelford, a recent housing development built on the old Burtonwood Airbase site, are a number of boulevards such as Boston and Santa Rosa Boulevard, named in reference to the American history associated with World War II on the site.
Another rare example of a road named as a "boulevard" is Bourges Boulevard in
Peterborough.
Birmingham, known as the UK's Second City, has many
dual-carriageway boulevards. Roads such as the A4040 (Outer Ring Road) and various other sections of dual-carriageway often have great amounts of trees, grass and scenery on both sides, as well as part of the wide central reservation.
Other towns and cities have sections of roadway which could be described as boulevards where central tramways have been abandoned.
Turkey
Barbaros Boulevard is opened in 1958 due to new city planning in Istanbul. Ankara also has a lot of boulevards.
North America
Canada
Lake Shore Boulevard, a six-lane thoroughfare, runs along the lakefront in
Toronto from Woodbine Avenue in the east to the city limits in the west. The section between
Jameson Avenue
Jameson Avenue is a multi-lane arterial road in the Parkdale neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a north-south roadway from Lake Shore Boulevard to Queen Street. Originally laid out in the 19th century as a two-lane residential s ...
and the
Humber River (the original section), as an example of urban planning, was laid out to provide a pleasant drive with a view of
Humber Bay
Humber Bay is a bay of Lake Ontario south of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located between Ontario Place on the east and Mimico Creek to the west. The bay gives its name to Etobicoke's Humber Bay neighbourhood.
History
Prior to 1809 the bay ...
on
Lake Ontario and easy access to the park lands by automobile. It was later expanded for commuting.
Dominican Republic
In the Dominican Republic, more specifically in
Greater Santo Domingo there is the Winston Churchill and 27 de Febrero Boulevard in
Downtown Santo Domingo and Las Americas Boulevard in
Santo Domingo Este
Santo Domingo Este is a municipality and the provincial capital of the Santo Domingo province in the Dominican Republic. It has one municipal district (''distrito municipal''), San Luis.
Santo Domingo Este is across the Ozama River which divides ...
.
Jamaica
The most notable boulevards in Jamaica are the Washington Boulevard in
Kingston
Kingston may refer to:
Places
* List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated:
** Kingston, Jamaica
** Kingston upon Hull, England
** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia
** Kingston, Ontario, Canada
** Kingston upon Thames, ...
and the Jimmy Cliff Boulevard in
Montego Bay
Montego Bay is the capital of the Parishes of Jamaica, parish of Saint James Parish, Jamaica, St. James in Jamaica. The city is the fourth-largest urban area in the country by population, after Kingston, Jamaica, Kingston, Spanish Town, and Por ...
.
Mexico
Paseo de la Reforma (English: "Reform Promenade") is a 12-kilometer-long boulevard in
Mexico City,
Mexico that runs in a straight line, cutting diagonally across the city. It runs from
Chapultepec Park, then passes alongside the
Torre Mayor (currently Latin America's tallest building), continues through the fashionable
Zona Rosa and then to the
Zócalo by Juárez Avenue and
Francisco I. Madero Street
Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''.
Nicknames
In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed "Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comunitatis'' (father of ...
. One of the most famous monuments of the Paseo is
El Ángel de la Independencia
The Angel of Independence, most commonly known by the shortened name ''El Ángel'' and officially known as ''Monumento a la Independencia'' ("Monument to Independence"), is a victory column on a roundabout on the major thoroughfare of Paseo de ...
– a tall column with a gilded statue of a
Winged Victory
The ''Winged Victory of Samothrace'', or the ''Nike of Samothrace'', is a votive monument originally found on the island of Samothrace, north of the Aegean Sea. It is a masterpiece of Greek sculpture from the Hellenistic era, dating from the beg ...
on its top and marble statues at its base depicting the heroes of the
Mexican War of Independence.
The Paseo de la Reforma was designed in the 1860s during the
Second Mexican Empire
The Second Mexican Empire (), officially the Mexican Empire (), was a constitutional monarchy established in Mexico by Mexican monarchists in conjunction with the Second French Empire. The period is sometimes referred to as the Second French i ...
by the Austrian military officer and engineer
Ferdinand von Rosenzweig
Ferdinand Freiherr Rosenzweig von Drauwehr (July 11, 1812 – September 4, 1892) was an Austrian military officer and architect.
Biography
Rosenzweig was born in Eisenstadt in the Austrian Empire. He served first under Kaiser Franz Joseph I of Aus ...
on the orders of
Maximilian I of Mexico
Maximilian I (german: Ferdinand Maximilian Josef Maria von Habsburg-Lothringen, link=no, es, Fernando Maximiliano José María de Habsburgo-Lorena, link=no; 6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867) was an Austrian archduke who reigned as the only Emperor ...
. He wanted to connect his imperial residence,
Chapultepec Castle, to the
Palacio Nacional in the city's center. When it was inaugurated, it was named the ''Paseo de la Emperatriz'' (The Empress's Promenade), after his consort, Empress
Carlota of Mexico. The name now commemorates the liberal reforms of 19th-century president
Benito Juárez.
United States
In many places in the
United States,
municipalities and
developers have adapted the term to refer to arterial roads, not necessarily boulevards in the traditional sense. In California, many so-called "boulevards" extend into the mountains as narrow, winding road segments only two lanes in width. However, boulevards can be any divided highway with at-grade intersections to local streets. They are commonly abbreviated Blvd. Some celebrated examples in California include:
*
Sunset Boulevard in
San Francisco, which has rows of trees on both sides of the thoroughfare, and is bisected by a tree-filled median. It connects local streets throughout the
Sunset District
The Sunset District is a neighborhood located in the southwest quadrant of San Francisco, California, United States.
Location
The Sunset District is the largest neighborhood within the city and county of San Francisco. Golden Gate Park forms the ...
.
*The
Los Angeles area's more famous
Sunset Boulevard;
Santa Monica Boulevard;
Wilshire Boulevard; and
Hollywood Boulevard. Many important thoroughfares in Los Angeles are boulevards.
In
Chicago, the
boulevard system is a network of wide, planted-median boulevards that winds through the south, west, and north sides of the city and includes a ring of parks. Most of the boulevards and parks are 3–6 miles from
The Loop. Trucks are not allowed on boulevards in Chicago.
Seattle also features a network of boulevards that connect most of the city's public parks to each other, a design recommended by the
Olmsted Brothers.
In
Philadelphia, the boulevard system includes the length of the
Benjamin Franklin Parkway known as the Museum District. It also includes the arterial roadway of the
Roosevelt Boulevard and the
Southern Boulevard Park
image:Broad St1.JPG, upright=1.2, The Northern terminus of Broad Street on the border of Philadelphia and Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Cheltenham Township
Broad Street is a major arterial street in Philadelphia, P ...
way built as a connecting median of two urban parks, but now also serves as the west roadway entrance of the world class centralized
Philadelphia Sports Complex
The South Philadelphia Sports Complex is the home of most major Philadelphia professional sports teams. The complex is located in South Philadelphia and is the site of the Wells Fargo Center, home arena for the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphi ...
and gatehouse entrance of the
Philadelphia Navy Yard in
South Philadelphia.
Pittsburgh has "The Boulevard of the Allies". Atlanta contains a roadway simply called "
Boulevard.
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
and
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
are famous for having more boulevards and avenues in the world than any city (if the term is used lightly). In
Charlotte, North Carolina,
Independence Boulevard
U.S. Route 74 (US 74) is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Primarily in North Carolina, it serves as an important highway from the mountains to the ...
connects
Uptown
Uptown may refer to:
Neighborhoods or regions in several cities
United States
* Uptown, entertainment district east of Downtown and Midtown Albuquerque, New Mexico
* Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina
* Uptown, area surrounding the University of C ...
to the southeastern section of the city, although the westernmost segment is actually a freeway.
Nineteenth-century
parkway
A parkway is a landscaped thoroughfare.''"parkway."''Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (14 Apr. 2007). The term is particularly used for a roadway in a park or ...
s, such as Brooklyn's
Ocean Parkway, were often built in the form of boulevards but do not use the word in their name. Likewise, the northern section of
Broadway in Manhattan, New York City is designed as a boulevard.
A famous American example is
Las Vegas Boulevard in
Las Vegas,
Nevada.
Oceania
Australia
Melbourne has at least four roads named "the Boulevard". These are, generally, long roads with many curves which wind alongside the
Yarra River (
Yarra Scenic Drive
Yarra Scenic Drive is a tourist drive following the Yarra River, in Victoria, Australia. The route traverses approximately 60 km from Williamstown - where the Yarra empties into Port Phillip Bay - to Warrandyte - Melbourne's first goldfi ...
) or
Maribyrnong River. In addition, the spelling of boulevard with an extra 'e' is common, for example the Southlands Boulevarde shopping centre in southern Perth. Australia post officially abbreviates boulevard as "BVD".
Several Melbourne thoroughfares not named as a boulevard do in fact follow the boulevard configuration of multiple lanes and landscaping. These include
St Kilda Road
St Kilda Road is a street in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is part of the locality of Melbourne which has the postcode of 3004, and along with Swanston Street forms a major spine of the city.
St Kilda Road begins at Flinders Street, in ...
,
Royal Parade Royal Parade may refer to:
* Royal Parade – street in Melbourne
* Royal Parade (patience), an old English patience game
{{Disambiguation ...
,
Victoria Parade,
Flemington Road, and the outer section of
Mount Alexander Road
Mount Alexander Road (and its northern section as Bulla Road) is a major road in Melbourne's inner northern suburbs, connecting the northern edges of the city district to just south of Essendon Airport. It was named after its original destina ...
.
Boulevards in Sydney include:
*Norwest Boulevard in the
Hills Shire
The Hills Shire (from 1906–2008 as Baulkham Hills Shire) is a local government area in the Greater Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The suburb is north-west of the Sydney central business district, and encompasses stretchi ...
, which runs through
Norwest and
Bella Vista,
*The Boulevard in the
City of Canterbury
The City of Canterbury () is a local government district with city status in Kent, England. As well as Canterbury itself, the district extends north to the coastal towns of Whistable and Herne Bay.
History
The district was formed on 1 April 1 ...
, which runs through
Punchbowl Punchbowl is an alternative spelling of punch bowl, a large bowl for serving drinks, or may refer to:
Topography
*Punchbowl, a type of waterfall
Places
* Punchbowl, Korea, valley and site of 1950s battles
*Punchbowl, New South Wales, suburb of Sy ...
,
Wiley Park and
Lakemba
*The Boulevard in the
City of Fairfield
The Fairfield City Council is a local government area in the west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The council was first incorporated as the "Municipal District of Smithfield and Fairfield" on 8 December 1888, and the coun ...
, which runs through
Canley Vale
Canley Vale is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Canley Vale is located 30 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Fairfield and is part of the South ...
,
Fairfield,
Fairfield West
Fairfield West is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Fairfield West is located 27 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Fairfield. Fairfield West is ...
,
Fairfield Heights
Fairfield Heights is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Fairfield Heights is located 25 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Fairfield. Fairfield Heights ...
and
Smithfield.
*The Boulevarde in
Inner West Council
Inner West Council is a local government area located in the inner western region of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The council makes up the eastern part of this wider region, and was formed on 12 May 2016 from the merger o ...
, which runs through
Dulwich Hill
Dulwich Hill is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 7.5 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Inner West Council. Dulwich Hill stretche ...
,
Lewisham and
Petersham.
*The Boulevarde in the
Sutherland Shire, which runs through
Sutherland
Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire (later ...
,
Kirrawee
Kirrawee is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kirrawee is located 25 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire. Kirrawee lies between Sutherland, to the west, and ...
,
Gymea,
Miranda and
Caringbah
Caringbah is a suburb in Southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Caringbah is south of the Sydney central business district in the Local government in Australia, local government area of Sutherland Shire.
Caringbah once st ...
.
Additionally, single-suburb boulevards are situated in
Brighton-le-Sands,
Cammeray
Cammeray is a residential suburb located five kilometres north of the Sydney Central Business District (CBD) and is part of the North Sydney Council local government area. Cammeray is part of the Lower North Shore region of Northern Sydney.
His ...
,
Cheltenham
Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...
,
Epping Epping may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Epping, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
** Epping railway station, Sydney
* Electoral district of Epping, the corresponding seat in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
* Epping Forest, Kearns, a he ...
,
Lidcombe,
Lilyfield
Lilyfield is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lilyfield is located 6 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Inner West Council.
Lilyfield is ...
,
Malabar
Malabar may refer to the following:
People
* Malabars, people originating from the Malabar region of India
* Malbars or Malabars, people of Tamil origin in Réunion
Places
* Malabar Coast, or Malabar, a region of the southwestern shoreline o ...
,
Newport
Newport most commonly refers to:
*Newport, Wales
*Newport, Rhode Island, US
Newport or New Port may also refer to:
Places Asia
*Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay
Europe
Ireland
*Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...
,
Sans Souci,
Strathfield and
Yagoona.
New Zealand
Construction began on the
Orewa
Orewa is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. It lies on the Hibiscus Coast, just north of the base of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, Whangaparāoa Peninsula and 40 kilometres north of central Auckland. It is a popular holiday destin ...
Boulevard in March 2009, the works are expected to be complete by February 2010. This boulevard will be approximately 400 m long with
Pohutukawa and palm lined footpaths, a wide cycleway will be constructed on the beach side of the road and carparks on the business side. The Orewa Boulevard is a project commissioned by the
Rodney District Council
Rodney District was a local government area in the northernmost part of New Zealand's Auckland Region from 1989 to 2010. It included Kawau Island. It was created from the amalgamation of Helensville Borough and Rodney County in 1989. The seat ...
with the vision of connecting the
CBD to Orewa Beach.
Central
Christchurch is surrounded and connected by a series of large boulevards (usually called "avenues" in New Zealand). These include four which surround the central city, Bealey Avenue, Fitzgerald Avenue, Deans Avenue, and Moorhouse Avenue, and also Riccarton Avenue, which traverses the large central city park,
Hagley Park. The centre of the city is often described locally as being "within the
Four Avenues".
[For example: (1)]
Reduced traffic capacity on key routes within the Four Avenues from next week
, ''Transport of Christchurch.'' 19 April 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2013; (2) Wagner, Nicky
Within the Cordon - living inside the Four Avenues
, ''RebuildChristchurch''. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
South America
Argentina
Avenida 9 de Julio
July 9 Avenue (Spanish: ''Avenida 9 de Julio'') is a major thoroughfare in the city centre of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Its name honors Argentina's Independence Day, July 9, 1816.
The avenue runs around to the west of the Río de la Plata water ...
in the heart of
Buenos Aires, which is the capital city of
Argentina, is as wide as seven lanes in each direction, with four further lanes flanking the main boulevard in parallel roads on either side.
Colombia
In
Bogotá
Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...
, La Soledad Park Way Boulevard is a 1 kilometer important boulevard, in the Locality of
Teusaquillo located in Bogotá's City Center and it crosses from the street 35 to street 45.
In the boulevard you can see several monuments and restaurants including
Crepes & Waffles, Kokoriko,
Subway
Subway, Subways, The Subway, or The Subways may refer to:
Transportation
* Subway, a term for underground rapid transit rail systems
* Subway (underpass), a type of walkway that passes underneath an obstacle
* Subway (George Bush Interconti ...
,
The Cheesecake Factory, and the historical hotel ''Hotel Park Way Boulevard''
Uruguay
In
Montevideo
Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
,
Artigas Boulevard is an important avenue ( wide) that encloses the central area.
References
Books
*
*
*
External links
*
Boulevards in Vietnam
{{Authority control
Types of roads
Types of streets