Experts stunned as bold traffic plan transforms one of the world's busiest cities: 'Urban policy based on well-being'

The city of Paris began an audacious plan 20 years ago to reduce traffic and become less dependent on cars, potentially reducing pollution in the city, and a new study shows that those efforts are paying big dividends. 

According to the Washington Post, a report from Airparif, an independent organization that tracks air quality in and around the French capital, reported that the city has seen a 55% decrease in fine particulate matter (or FPM) and a 50% decrease in nitrogen dioxide, which the group credited to "regulations and public policies" around the use of cars. 

While nitrogen dioxide is not a gas that contributes to heating our planet, it contributes to many health and respiratory issues, such as asthma, according to NASA.

FPM is even more dangerous. According to the California Air Resources Board, exposure to PM 2.5 and PM 10, the two primary types of FPM found in car exhaust, has been linked to everything from bronchitis and asthma to premature death and heart problems. 

How did they do it?

In 2005, Paris began closing off segments of the city to cars, replacing automotive lanes with bike lanes, removing 500,000 parking spaces, and focusing on adding green spaces to the city. They prioritized people and efficient transit over cars, and within 10 years, they had seen significant dips in pollution around the city.

New York City has recently taken a stab at reducing traffic via congestion pricing. While the practice of making cars pay a fee to be on the road at certain times came with pushback from conservative politicians and suburban drivers, the program has shown fantastic results and has been widely celebrated as a success.

Denver, Colorado, has also started to implement pedestrian-friendly streets in parts of the city, and it has been well-received. 

However, many U.S. cities struggle with accessibility for pedestrians. They prioritize cars and often neglect pedestrian infrastructure, forcing people to drive more than they normally would. 

For their part, Parisians are looking to further restrict cars in their city. They recently voted to close another 500 roads to cars and increase parking fees for SUVs, while busy arteries along the Seine River and the Rue de Rivoli shopping boulevard have been turned into pedestrian-only spaces. 

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In other words, the people of Paris love the results of making their city less car-dependent and plan to keep pushing for even more people-friendly changes. 

Per the Washington Post, Carlos Moreno — a former adviser to the city and a professor at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University — said the city has developed "an urban policy based on well-being."

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