Paris to Clear Streets of Cars for a Day

Bogota has its Ciclovia and Los Angeles has its CicLAvia, among many other cities that sponsor temporary car-free events. But few, if any cities, have attempted to clear as many cars from as many streets as Paris will September 27. An attempt to reduce pollution and increase pedestrianism in the one of the world's most walkable cities, "Une Journée Sans Voiture" is part of European Mobility Week, which promotes active transportation across the Continent. 

"As Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced in March: 'Paris will be completely transformed for a day. This is an opportunity for Parisians and tourists to enjoy the city without noise, pollution and therefore without stress.'"

"The areas without traffic include the 1st, 2nd, 3^th, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 10^thand 11th arrondissements (neighborhoods), the Champs Élysées, Place Stalingrad, Place de la Republique, the Left Bank, the Place de la Bastille, the area around the Eiffel Tower and the Bois de Vincennes and Boulogne."

"Our city has to establish an exemplary signal responding to global issues,” the non-profit environmental group Paris Sans Voiture says, supporting the initiative. “But it also has to respond to local issues after record peaks of pollution and climate challenges that are more than ever at the heart of everyday life. The car-free day, by its magnitude, will also leave a lasting mark on the collective imagination: Everyone can project a city more livable, adopt sustainable behaviors, particularly in terms of mobility and the sharing of public spaces."