Paris will have 500 new car-free streets transformed into green spaces
Mobility — di Simone Santi
Paris has voted in favour of 500 new "garden streets": they will be completed by 2029 and will join those already in existence.
Paris will have 500 new car-free streets transformed into green spaces
Paris has voted in favour of 500 new "garden streets": they will be completed by 2029 and will join those already in existence.
- The citizens of Paris have voted to pedestrianise and transform 500 streets into green spaces.
- Turnout was very low, at just 4.06 per cent, but the decision carries enormous significance.
- Work is expected to be completed within 4 years.
On Sunday 23 March 2025, the citizens of Paris voted in favour of the pedestrianisation and transformation of 500 new streets into green spaces, as part of a public consultation promoted by the City Council. The aim of this initiative is to improve urban quality of life, reduce air pollution and counter the effects of climate change.
📰 Passionnante itw de @mathieu_delorme, directeur de l'#EnsaParisEst 👏
💬 "Aujourd'hui, la ville-jardin dépasse largement les questions végétales, pour prendre en compte la qualité de l'air, de l'eau, des sols." ⤵️
sciencesetavenir.fr/nature-environ…
💬 "Aujourd'hui, la ville-jardin dépasse largement les questions végétales, pour prendre en compte la qualité de l'air, de l'eau, des sols." ⤵️
sciencesetavenir.fr/nature-environ…
Admittedly, turnout was far from high — quite the contrary: the consultation saw participation of just 4.06 per cent, with a mere 56,500 voters out of 1.391 million eligible. Of these, however, around 66 per cent expressed support for the proposal. What's more, for the first time, the vote was also open to young people between the ages of 16 and 18.
What are the "garden streets"
The plan calls for the creation of 500 new rues-jardin (garden streets), which will be added to the 300 already in existence since 2020. These streets will be pedestrianised and enriched with green spaces, with the goal of having a green, pedestrian street within 300 metres of every resident. Starting in April, consultations will be launched in each arrondissement to identify which streets are to be transformed. Work is expected to be completed within a maximum of four years, at an estimated average cost of 500,000 euros per street, bringing the total to 250 million.
Despite the approval, the low turnout itself drew criticism from the opposition, which called into question the legitimacy of the decision-making process. In addition, some residents opposed to the initiative expressed concern about the reduction in parking spaces and the impact on local businesses.
La création de 500 nouvelles « rues-jardin » à Paris approuvée par la votation citoyenne ift.tt/hlxqe7K
This initiative is part of a broader programme by the City of Paris aimed at reducing car use and improving air quality. Previous measures include the ban on shared electric scooters in 2023 and the increase in parking charges for large SUVs.