Under a new initiative proposed by City Hall, Paris could give its image a makeover: residents can report a damaged street sign throughout the municipality and get the chance to get a personalised plaque.
The initiative is timed to coincide with the 2024 Olympic Games. The project, called “À vos plaques, prêts, partez” (“On your plaques, ready, go!”), will run from 18 December to 4 February.
Those wishing to take part in the competition and help the city council will have to download and register on the DansMaRue app, which has been specially designed to allow residents to report any anomalies they notice in the urban environment.
Street signs in Paris are considered part of the local heritage, so the authorities take their preservation seriously. The current project has two aims.
On the one hand, preservation is an important policy of the Parisian administration, which extends not only to preserving the facades of historic buildings, but also to things like street signs and metro entrance signs. In fact, even street names are not haphazardly changed as part of the policy of preserving the city’s brand, which remains recognisable from generation to generation.
On the other hand, Paris wants to refresh its image in the run-up to the Olympic Games this summer, when the city will be overflowing with tourists. This is where street signs will help them better navigate in unfamiliar surroundings.
The city is offering three rewards, each of which will be personalised street signs. It is not yet specified what the authorities mean by the word “personalised”, but it is likely that they will allow the winner to decide for themselves what will be inscribed on the sign. The winner will be the participant who sends the most legitimate messages through the app. The other two winners will be determined by random draw.
