KarunaNews Story

Parisians have voted in a referendum to pedestrians a further 500 streets, giving fresh momentum to efforts by the French capital's town hall to curb car usage and improve air quality. This was the third such referendum in Paris in as many years, following a 2023 vote that approved a ban on e-scooters, and a decision last year to triple parking charges for large SUVs. It will eliminate 10,000 more parking spots and bring the total number of "green lungs" to nearly 700, just over one-tenth of the streets. The city's two million residents will be consulted on which streets will become pedestrian areas. Paris still lags other European capitals in green infrastructure, making up only 26% of the city area versus a European capitals average of 41%.