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The principality of Monaco – playground of the rich and famous – has a tiny population, and it’s crammed into the smallest of spaces.

Now Prince Albert II is trying to ease that overcrowding with an ambitious plan to reclaim about 12.5 acres of land from the Mediterranean.

The £10 billion ($16 billion) project was first proposed last year, but put on hold because of the financial crisis and the Prince’s concerns that it would damage the marine environment.

He’s very much a ‘green’ head of state – driving an electric car and travelling to the North Pole to measure the effects of global warming. He wants this project to be an eco-showcase that sets an example to the world.

So his idea is that the mixture of luxury property, offices and public buildings be built on stilts so as not to disturb the marine life underneath.

The Prince has asked three groups of international environmental experts to study sedimentology and currentology, marine bio-diversity and the creation of false reefs to support a wealth of marine life. They will hand in their conclusions in the next few months.

Major names from the world of architecture will then be asked to come up with new designs, with construction not expected to start before 2015.

by Andy Moreton, with Henry Samuel

If you fancy an up-market holiday experience like no other, Luxique offers six of the best luxury hotels in Monte Carlo, Monaco. They include the Hotel de Paris, of which one recent guest from London commented: “If you want to feel like a film star, this is the place to be.”

Fast on the heels (or should that be wheels?) of Paris’s successful Velib cheap bicycle rental scheme (see earlier blog) comes Autolib – pay-as-you-go electric cars.

It’s hoped the scheme will begin in late 2009 or early 2010 with a fleet of 4,000 electric cars – 2,000 for the city centre and 2,000 for the suburbs. Autolib would enable drivers to pick up a car from one of 700 designated points and drop it off at any other point, paying only for minutes spent behind the wheel.

Officials in Paris believe it will cut down on pollution by encouraging people not to bring their own cars into the city. They particularly want to target those who are considering buying their first car in the hope of persuading them not to buy a polluting one.

There’s already been a lively debate about the proposal. Some drivers are delighted, others see it as a step backwards, fearing it will produce more traffic and dependence on cars in an already congested city.

Many issues still have to be worked out, including rental costs, insurance and whether tourists will be able to make use of the scheme. There’s also the question of security – some of Velib’s bicycles have been stolen and spotted as far away as Australia.

by Andy Moreton

Luxique has an unrivalled selection of luxury hotels in Paris and a Paris city guide.