If you are planning a business trip or a holiday in Paris, be prepared for a surprise: you will find a city that is less and less dependent on cars. In the last twenty years, Paris has undergone a real urban revolution. That’s why today the city landscape is crossed by more and more bikes and pedestrians, green spaces and bicycles. Paris is becoming a literal car-free city.
In recent years the city has decided to focus on a different future, with fewer cars, more trees, more bikes and more space for people. Roads that were once congested by traffic are now quieter and crossed by cyclists, families and children playing.
A bike-friendly city
Paris has invested a lot in bike paths. Today you can cycle all over the city, safely and with pleasure. Public bicycles are found on every corner, and for many Parisians cycling is now the preferred alternative to cars. Even tourists are discovering it: cycling along the Seine, crossing the boulevards between trees and outdoor cafes is a wonderful way to experience the city.
Goodbye urban traffic: roads that return to people
Many roads have been closed to cars or turned into pedestrian and green zones over the last 20 years. In some, cars can only drive at very low speeds. And for drivers of polluting SUVs or cars, parking has become much more expensive: a clever way to discourage the use of private cars and give more space to those who move in a sustainable way. The result is that Paris today is a car-free city, less chaotic and quieter, with cleaner air and fewer accidents, in fact even taking a walk is a pleasant, relaxing and human-sized experience.
An example for all cities
The change in Paris is not only aesthetic, but also a message: rethinking urban space is possible. Reducing cars and returning the streets to people makes cities more livable, healthier and also more beautiful. It is a direction that many other European cities are beginning to follow.
Paris shows us that change is possible, and that doing so makes the life better for everyone: residents, travelers, children, cyclists and even sustainable tourists. The next time you visit the Ville Lumiere, forget about taxis and traffic. Walk, pedal, get lost in the green alleys: you will discover a city that never ceases to surprise.
Cover image: Photo by San Nguyen from Unsplash
