Destinations across Europe are upping their game when it comes to lowering emissions – Norway will soon become the first country to solely use electric vehicles, Amsterdam is taking huge steps towards exclusively having e-boats operate on its canals, and the Dutch capital – plus 13 other cities – have recently implemented zero-emission zones.
Next up? It’s Paris’s turn. In a referendum held on Sunday, March 23, 66 percent of Parisians voted in favour of a measure to create more car-free zones in the French capital.
It’s worth noting turnout was only around four percent – but even so, referendums in the city over the last couple of years have resulted in bans being implemented. Both the 2023 decision to ban e-scooters and the 2024 move to increase parking fees for ‘bulky, polluting cars’ weighing more than 1.6 tonnes were based on a public vote.
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And while this decision might sound rather drastic, it’s only following a trend towards lowering emissions across Paris. Since 2020, 10,000 parking spaces in the city have been eliminated, and when this measure goes ahead, it will eliminate 10,000 more. These ‘green lungs’ (pedestrianised streets) will amount to almost 10 percent of the city’s streets.
That’s on top of the 84km of cycle lanes outlined since 2020 and a 71 percent increase in bike usage since the end of the pandemic to 2023, all under Mayor Anne Hidalgo, according to the Independent. The city has promised to become ‘100% cyclable’ by 2026 – looks like it’s well on its way.
So, which streets will be pedestrianised, exactly? That’s up to Parisians. City officials have said they plan to consult the city’s two million residents to determine which roads will become car-free.
Stay tuned for updates, and in the meantime, check out the very best things to do in Paris.
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