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

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie