"It was a tough battle. Very tough. But I strongly believed the roads had to be pedestrianised so that people could enjoy the riverbanks, and that once they were pedestrianised and people had that experience, they wouldn't want to go back."
"Today there are generations of children who have not known cars there. People say Wow!' when you tell them."
The Voie Georges-Pompidou, once a busy expressway in Paris, has been transformed into a pedestrian-friendly area filled with joggers, cyclists, and families. This change, led by Anne Hidalgo, faced significant opposition but ultimately resulted in the popular Paris Plages summer event. The closure of the road has allowed generations to enjoy the riverbanks without cars, fostering a new appreciation for public spaces. Hidalgo's efforts to reduce car presence in central Paris have reshaped urban life and transportation habits.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]