When talking about Paris, no one usually thinks “open to change” – this is a city with a proud, traditional image, embracing its procedures. No one has green spaces either – the popular image of the entire city consists of huge boulevards, gravel paths in parks and sloping roofs. So you might be surprised to find that the French capital is at the forefront when it comes to an environmental vision for urban life. Mayor Anne Hidalgo has put green policies at the forefront of her campaigns since she was first elected in 2014. But unlike other leaders around the world, it also sustains, not just promises.
Tactical bicycle infrastructure in Paris. Photo: Collectif Vélo ile-de-France
Take, for example, the roads. If you’ve been to Paris sometime in the last five years, it must have felt like one huge construction site to you. Nearly 1,500km of bike lanes have been paved around the city since skipping took office. Major roads, including the docks on the banks of the Seine, have been completely closed to vehicles. World-renowned squares – such as Madeleine Square and Bastille Square – have been redesigned From 2024, diesel vehicles will enter the city, and in 2030, vehicles will also enter on regular fuel.
These moves did not always go smoothly. Taxi drivers and other members of the drivers’ lobby held huge demonstrations against many of Hidalgo’s changes. But the city continued to mature, and even took advantage of the fact that the streets had been emptied for much of the last two years to lead to further changes. For example, during the first closure in 2020, the city turned 65 km of road into bicycle lanes, already known as “Corona lanes”, and banned vehicles from entering Rivoli Street, which stretches all the way from the Louvre to Bastille Square. 1-4 in the heart of Paris – about 7% of the city – will become car-free as early as next year.