Paris to make 500 more streets car-free zones

Just over four per cent of voters participated in Sunday's referendum, which was organised by the municipality.

It was the third such referendum in Paris in as many years, following a 2023 vote that approved a ban on e-scooters and a decision last year to triple parking charges for large SUVs.

The result means 10,000 more parking spots in Paris will be eliminated, adding to the 10,000 removed since 2020. 

The city's two million residents will be consulted on which streets will become pedestrian areas.

Paris town hall data shows car traffic in the city has more than halved since the Socialists took power in the capital at the turn of the century.

The 500 additional streets to be pedestrianised will bring the total number of these so-called "green lungs" to nearly 700, just over one-tenth of the capital's streets.

Despite recent changes, Paris lags other European capitals in terms of green infrastructure - which include private gardens, parks, tree-lined streets, water and wetlands - making up only 26 per cent of the city area versus a European capitals average of 41 per cent, according to the European Environment Agency.