Paris votes on making 500 streets car-free, replace with trees

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1. Parisians cast their ballots Sunday over an ambitious proposal floated by the mayor that would block 500 streets to road traffic and replace miles of asphalt with plants and trees, in a poll that will serve as a key test of people’s willingness to support climate policies even if they might have a disruptive impact on daily life.

   While the proposal’s supporters say the program will make the city more livable and help combat climate change, critics say the changes will make the city more difficult to navigate and further fuel the divide between Parisians and those who live in the suburbs.

   “With this vote, Parisians have the choice of whether or not to accelerate Paris’s adaptation to climate change, the fight against pollution and the improvement of the living environment within 300 meters of their homes,” [Mayor Anne Hidalgo said in an Instagram post](https://www.instagram.com/p/DGLq88MtejR/?igsh=MWcxN3BzeHZmdXA4)[.](https://www.instagram.com/p/DGLq88MtejR/?igsh=MWcxN3BzeHZmdXA4)

   It could also be a last chance for Hidalgo, who has been mayor of Paris since 2014 and said she will not seek reelection next year, to advance major plans for the city. That’s particularly true of her vision for a “[15-minute city](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/03/03/15-minute-cities-faq/),” in which residents can reach essential resources by foot, bicycle or public transport within a quarter of an hour. These plans have grown in popularity worldwide — [and especially in Europe](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2025/03/12/europe-wants-healthier-cities-that-means-fewer-cars/) — as more cities struggle with rising temperatures and air pollution tied to climate change.

   Read more here: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/23/paris-car-free-vote-anne-hidalgo/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/23/paris-car-free-vote-anne-hidalgo/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com)

2. #NotJustBikes

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