Parisian voters approved the referendum, which aims to reduce the presence of “heavy, bulky, and polluting” vehicles in the city center by making it more expensive to park them.

This week, Parisians passed a referendum that will charge large vehicles €18 (around $19.40) per hour to park in the center of Paris and €12 (around $12.90) per hour in the rest of the city — three times the cost to park a smaller vehicle — reports the Verge’s Jess Weatherbed.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, a proponent of the referendum, said at a recent campaign event, “We’re doing this to reduce pollution and to make our children safer because these cars are dangerous.”
However, low voter turnout (5.7 percent) and a razor-thin vote margin (54.6 percent of participants voted in favor of the measure) suggest locals aren’t strongly passionate about the issue. However, only three in 10 Parisians even own cars and the measure contains exemptions for taxis and city residents, so the new fees will mostly impact people traveling into Paris from outside the city.
“The increase in SUV parking rates is the latest measure Hidalgo has pursued to make Paris more friendly to the environment, pedestrians, and cyclists,” and other cities that face similar challenges with safety and pollution issues caused by popular SUV-type vehicles are watching, Weatherbed writes. London Mayor Sadiq Khan told The Guardian: “We always examine policies around the globe. I’m a firm believer in stealing good policies. Rather than inventing [new policies] badly, if other cities are doing stuff that works, we will copy them.”
The new pricing will go into effect on September 1.
FULL STORY: Paris votes to crack down on SUVs

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents
The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie