Paris' inner city streets plan to be devoted to bike and pedestrian traffic after lockdowns. Photo / Juan Ordonez, Unsplash
When Paris was plunged into lockdown, the city's mayor Anne Hidalgo was adamant about one thing; when restrictions lifted, they wouldn't return to streets packed with traffic.
"I say in all firmness that it is out of the question that we allow ourselves to be invaded by cars, and by
pollution," said Hidalgo during a session of the Paris City Council in April 2020.
It seems the Mayor is keeping her promise with an announcement last week revealing the latest bold benchmark; banning most vehicles from the city centre in 2022.
The scheme, called the "15-minute city" uses a number of tactics to transform urban environments into multi-use spaces where residents can access schools, shops and services, by foot or bicycle, in a quarter of an hour.
The resulting low-traffic zones creating a "less polluted, greener, more peaceful and safer city", according to the Paris city council.
