Boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former city walls.
In North American usage, boulevards may be wide, multi-lane thoroughfares divided with only a central median.
Etymology
The word boulevard is borrowed from French. In France, 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 bolwerk 'bulwark'.[1]
Pastega, Agostino Brotto (2010). Antonio Gaidon 1738-1829. Un professionista ante litteram dal rilievo mappale al boulevard. Bassano: Associazione Interprofessionale Bassanese.
External links
The dictionary definition of boulevard at Wiktionary