An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of esplanade was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide clear fields of fire for the fortress's guns. In modern usage, the space allows the area to be paved as a pedestrian walk; esplanades are often on sea fronts and allow walking whatever the state of the tide, without having to walk on the beach.

History

In the 19th century, the razing of city fortifications and the relocation of port facilities made it possible in many cities to create promenade paths on the former fortresses and ramparts. The parts of the former fortifications, such as hills, viewpoints, ditches, waterways and lakes have now been included in these promenades, making them popular excursion destinations as well as the location of cultural institutions. The rapid development of artificial street lighting in the 19th century also enabled safe use in the evening. One example of this is Vienna's Ringstrasse.

Esplanades became popular in Victorian times, when it was fashionable to visit seaside resorts. A promenade, often abbreviated to '(the) prom', was an area where people – couples and families especially – would go to walk for a while in order to 'be seen' and be considered part of 'society'. Beach promenades such as the Promenade de la Croisette in Cannes, the famous Promenade des Anglais on the Mediterranean coast in Nice or the Lungomare of Barcola in Trieste still play a central role in city life and in the real estate market.

In the United States, esplanade has another meaning, being also a median (strip of raised land) or berm dividing a roadway or boulevard. Sometimes they are just strips of grass, or some may have gardens and trees. Some roadway esplanades may be used as parks with a walking/jogging trail and benches.

Esplanade and promenade are sometimes used interchangeably. The derivation of "promenade" indicates a place specifically intended for walking, though many modern promenades and esplanades also allow bicycles and other nonmotorized transport.Tony Russell, Cycling England , January 2010 Some esplanades also include large boulevards or avenues where cars are permitted.

A similar term with the same meaning in the eastern coastal region of Spain is alameda Alameda de Hercules, Seville, o rambla, such as La Rambla in Barcelona, but more widely used terms in the rest of the Hispanic world are ("esplanade"), ("promenade") or ("esplanade").

Examples Asia India Esplanade, also known as the Central Business District in Kolkata Kamarajar Salai, Chennai in Chennai Marine Drive, Kochi in Kochi Marine Drive in Mumbai Bandstand Promenade in Mumbai Promenade Beach in Pondicherry

Malaysia Esplanade, Kuantan, Pahang Esplanade, George Town, Penang Gurney Drive, George Town, Penang Karpal Singh Drive, George Town, Penang

Philippines Baywalk, Manila Dipolog Boulevard, Dipolog Iloilo River Esplanade, Iloilo City Paseo del Mar, Zamboanga City Pasig River Esplanade

United Arab Emirates Al Seef Corniche (Abu Dhabi) Deira Corniche Fujairah Corniche

Others Tsim Sha Tsui East, Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade, West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong Tel Aviv Promenade, Tel Aviv, Israel Corniche Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon The Esplanade, Singapore Galle Face Green, Colombo, Sri Lanka Doha Corniche, Doha, Qatar The Bund, Shanghai, China Jehangir Kothari Parade, Pakistan Jeddah Corniche, Saudi Arabia

Americas United States Ala Wai Promenade, Honolulu, Hawaii Charles River Esplanade, Boston, Massachusetts Eastern Promenade, Portland, Maine The Esplanade, Redondo Beach, California Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California Eastbank Esplanade, Portland, Oregon East River Greenway, New York, New York

Others Bulevar Marítimo Patricio Peralta Ramos, Mar del Plata, Argentina Calçadão de Copacabana and Calçadão de Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Malecón, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Malecón, Havana, Cuba Paseo del Morro, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico Paseo de la Princesa, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico Rambla de Montevideo, Uruguay Terrasse Dufferin, Quebec City, Canada

Europe

Barcola, Trieste, Italy Esplanaden, Copenhagen, Denmark La Promenade des Anglais, in Nice, France Esplanade de La Defense, France Paseo Marítimo de Pontevedra, in Pontevedra, Spain Usedom Beach Promenade, Western Pomerania, Germany (Europe's longest beach promenade)Europe's longest beach promenade from Bansin to Świnoujście (12 km) Świnoujście, by the Baltic Sea, Poland Trzebież, by the Szczecin Lagoon, Poland The Esplanade, in Weymouth, England Esplanadi, in Helsinki, Finland Valletta Waterfront, in Floriana, Malta Spianada, in Corfu town, Greece Brighton Promenade, England Port Solent in Paulsgrove, Portsmouth, England

Others St Clair Esplanade in Dunedin, New Zealand The Golden Mile, Durban, South Africa Sea Point, Cape Town, South Africa

Inland

Esplanade of the European Parliament, in Brussels, Belgium Ministries Esplanade, in Brasília, Brazil The Esplanade (Toronto), in Toronto, Canada Thames Embankment, in London, England Brühl's Terrace, Dresden, Germany The Danube Promenade in Budapest, Hungary Esplanade, in Calcutta, India Iloilo River Esplanade in Iloilo City, Philippines Błonia, Kraków, Poland L'Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., United States Charles River Reservation, in Boston, Massachusetts, United States The Eastbank Esplanade, in Portland, Oregon, United States

Gallery

See also Boardwalk Foreshoreway Malecón Oceanway Processional walkway Similar areas inland: Boulevard, mall

References