Place du Colonel-Fabien, Square and pedestrian zone in the 10th and 19th arrondissements of Paris, France
Place du Colonel-Fabien is a pedestrian square and public space on the border of the 10th and 19th arrondissements of Paris, between Canal Saint-Martin and Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. It is about 148 ft (45 m) wide and 617 ft (188 m) long, with a tree-filled center, shrubs, footpaths, and cycling lanes.
The site once stood at the edge of Paris and was home to the Montfaucon gibbet, a gallows structure built in the 13th century and used for executions until 1630. It later became an entry point to the city with a customs gate designed by the architect Ledoux, before taking its current name after World War II.
The square takes its name from Pierre Georges, a World War II resistance fighter known as Colonel Fabien, who was a member of the French Communist Party. The Oscar Niemeyer building on the square, home to the party headquarters since 1971, is now a listed historic monument.
The square is freely accessible on foot and well connected to the surrounding streets, sitting on the boundary between two arrondissements. Cyclists have dedicated lanes, and benches under the trees make it easy to stop and rest during a walk.
The green center of the square was created as part of a participatory budget voted by Paris residents in 2016, making it one of the few public spaces in the city shaped directly by a citizen vote. Over 1,400 sq m are planted with a dense mix of trees, ferns, and ivy, designed to work as a small urban forest.
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