Paris referendum backs pedestrianising and greening 500 streets

The Paris City Council has taken another step in its strategy to cut car traffic. Last Sunday, 23 March, residents backed a new scheme in a referendum to pedestrianise and green 500 streets across the city.

Under the plan, these streets - whose exact locations have not yet been announced - would be closed to vehicles, and 10,000 parking spaces would be removed. The long-term aim is bold: the council wants to reduce by around 60% the amount of space set aside for car parking, which currently takes up 95% of public road space.

This is not the first policy of its kind introduced by the authority. Since 2020, Paris has already removed 10,000 parking spaces.

Referendum result and low turnout

The proposal passed with 65.96% voting in favour. Turnout, however, was exceptionally low: only 4.06% of voters went to the polls. Even so, the result strengthens the approach championed by the mayor, Anne Hidalgo.

Lamia El Aaraje, the councillor responsible for urban planning, stressed that pedestrianisation and the creation of green spaces are essential to prepare Paris for climate change.

Green space levels in Paris

Despite these measures, the French capital’s green infrastructure (parks, gardens and similar areas) still falls below the average for European capitals - 26% versus 41% - according to the European Environment Agency.

Opposition

The referendum did not pass without criticism. Aurélien Véron, a councillor from the “Change Paris” group, argued that the way the referendum question was phrased was ambiguous and could mislead voters. The question was: “are you for or against planting vegetation and pedestrianising a further 500 streets in Paris, in all neighbourhoods?”.

In addition, Véron warned about the impact of such an urban transformation, pointing out that pedestrianising so many streets could make getting around more difficult, particularly for people with reduced mobility.

Another criticism was the alleged lack of maintenance of existing green areas. For the right-wing opposition, the council’s priority should be protecting the city’s natural spaces rather than creating new ones.

So far, the Paris City Council has not released details on how the project will be implemented, Reuters reports.