On March 23, people in the capital Paris (France) voted in favor of establishing 500 more streets here as pedestrian cities, adding momentum to the Paris government's efforts to limit car use and improve air quality.
The results of the public consultation showed that about 65.96% of Parisians who participated in the vote supported the above plan, while 34.04% opposed it.
This is the third referendum in Paris in three years, following a 2023 vote to ban scooters and a decision to triple parking fees for large SUVs last year.
The addition of 500 pedestrian streets will eliminate another 10,000 parking spaces in Paris, bringing the total number of spaces cut to 20,000 since 2020. The city government will continue to consult with residents on which streets will become pedestrian zones.
The expansion of pedestrian zones will bring the total number of pedestrian-only streets to nearly 700, accounting for more than one-tenth of the capital's total streets.
Data from Paris City Hall shows that car traffic in the city has fallen by more than 50% since the Socialists came to power at the beginning of this century.
Despite recent improvements, Paris still lags behind other European capitals in green infrastructure – including private gardens, parks, tree-lined streets, water and wetlands – covering just 26% of the city compared to an average of 41% for other European capitals, according to the European Environment Agency./.
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