How Paris has transformed itself into a 'post-car' city

"There's still some way to go and no-one is claiming that Paris is perfect, but the city has seen a radical shift in the past 25 years, as successive leaders have moved to end the dominance of the car and instead prioritise walking, cycling and public transport - while also increasing the amount of green space. From being a notoriously traffic-chocked nightmare, these days the French capital is regularly compared to Amsterdam or Copenhagen for its cycle-friendly policies."

"It was intended to reverse an earlier 20-year policy to bring the car into the heart of the city - sometimes known as the plan Pompidou - which saw the Paris ring road move off the drawing board in 1954 and into reality by 1973, and included proposals for eight motorways crossing the capital and two key routes along the Seine."

More than 20 years of legal and political battles reduced the car's influence across Paris. Successive municipal leaders prioritized walking, cycling, and public transport while expanding green space. In 2001, mayor Bertrand Delanoë introduced dedicated bus lanes, cycle lanes, and a tram system to reverse decades of car-first planning. The earlier plan Pompidou promoted ring roads and motorways, but costs, opposition, and the 1974 oil crisis halted many proposals. Sustained policy shifts moved Paris away from private-car supremacy toward active travel and public transit, producing a city frequently compared with Amsterdam and Copenhagen for cycle-friendliness.

Read at The Local France