
In Paris, Plans for a Seine Reinvention (2015) - rch
http://www.citylab.com/design/2015/05/in-paris-plans-for-a-river-seine-reinvention/392639/
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stephenhuey
The article is from over a year ago in May 2015. This BBC article from a few
months ago in May of 2016 confirmed that by the end of this summer they are
still planning to reserve a portion of the Right Bank only for pedestrians and
there is also a map to mark the area that will be blocked off from cars.

[http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36169815](http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36169815)

I don't see any more recent updates and this August 15th article with quotes
from Mayor Anne Hidalgo is the most recent confirmation I've found that the
work is ongoing:

[http://pejnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article...](http://pejnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10579:mayor-
of-paris-remains-committed-to-the-struggle-to-reclaim-her-city-from-the-car-
hume&catid=74:ijustice-news&Itemid=216)

~~~
programLyrique
There have been some updates today: a commission has just finished to
investigate the outcomes and given a negative assessment, but the mayor of
Paris has stated that she will not follow the advice of the commission and
carry on implementing the plan to reserve a portion for pedestrians.

Source (in French): [http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2016/08/22/la-
commissi...](http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2016/08/22/la-commission-d-
enquete-sur-la-pietonisation-des-voies-sur-berge-a-paris-rend-un-avis-
defavorable_4986504_3224.html)

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kweks
The sections on Rive Gauche that they have turned into pedestrian areas are
really quite pleasant - and traffic hasn't suffered so much.

Also slated is turning place de la bastille into pedestrian only square, and
potentially opening the monument to public visit - amongst seven other pro-
pedestrian plans: [http://www.la-croix.com/France/Sept-places-parisiennes-
parti...](http://www.la-croix.com/France/Sept-places-parisiennes-
partiellement-rendues-aux-pietons-2016-03-25-1200749124)

There is some public criticism, after Place de la Republique was 'transformed'
recently - the traffic was reduced, but the entire square is now a tree-less
concrete block.

~~~
ghaff
>the entire square is now a tree-less concrete block

There need to be reasons for people to come into an area--often cafes, etc.

In Boston, City Hall Plaza is notorious. It's a barren wind-swept brickyard
for much of the year. At one point, there was a part-time farmers' market
around the fringes in the summer but it's generally very underutilized space.

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cm2187
For those who are unfamiliar with the city of Paris' strategy on transport,
what they are trying to achieve is to create the maximum amount of traffic jam
so that people stop using cars out of frustration. Other means include
multiplying bus lanes, bicycle lanes, etc. The outcome is an over-congested
and polluted Paris.

~~~
eyeinthepyramid
Are you suggesting that reducing the number of cars in Paris will somehow
increase pollution?

~~~
cm2187
It's actually the outcome. The same car will take a lot more time to make the
same distance, polluting a lot more than if it was flowing quickly.

~~~
lhopki01
No it's not. Study after study has shown that building more roads doesn't
speed up cars it just increases the number of cards and reducing roads doesn't
slow down cars it just decreases the total number.

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bsaul
Paris main problem is population density and no high buildings. but you have
to see this plan as a part of the "great paris" project aimed at making Paris
merge better with its suburb. And hopefully have people not travel theough
Paris if they don't need to stop inside.

~~~
_delirium
Paris is a high-density city by Western standards. It's either the highest-
density city in Europe or close, depending on how exactly you demarcate
cities. We often have discussions here about how San Francisco needs to
densify, but Paris has 3x the population density of SF, so is nowhere near in
the same league of low-density cities. It's 50% denser than Brooklyn. Of
American cities / sub-city regions, only Manhattan edges it out (Manhattan is
30% more dense).

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tezza
They'll still be a prime location for action movie scenes I hope.

You can't have a Paris car chase and gun battles without zooming along the
Seine sans traffic

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otoburb
This is partly in response to Paris briefly being one of the most polluted
cities in the world[1] by some measures last year. But generally, it seems
Paris fares slight better than Los Angeles & Amsterdam and slightly worse than
London and NYC[2].

[1] [http://www.france24.com/en/20150320-paris-city-smog-
pollutio...](http://www.france24.com/en/20150320-paris-city-smog-pollution-
plume-labs-hidalgo-public-transport-diesel)

[2] [https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/dec/02/where-
world-m...](https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/dec/02/where-world-most-
polluted-city-air-pollution)

~~~
yardie
Paris is built in a valley with Montmartre to the north and Montparnasse to
the south. When the winds die down for more than a few days being in the city
really sucks. All the diesel particulates just sit their. Like you can feel
the smog and particulates accumulating on your skin.

~~~
Rexxar
You can't reasonably say that Paris is in a valley because of two small hills
(altitude 130m, only 100m above the lowest point of Paris). When there is no
wind pollution accumulate everywhere.

Paris is in a very good position for pollution: in a middle of a plain, not
very far from sea with a regular wind from west.

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gbersac
A parisian enthousiast for every non-car policy !!!

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ocschwar
You can expect measures like this to intensify around Europe, thanks to the
software engineers at WV and Audi.

If cities can't trust carmakers to be honest about the emissions their
products make, then they're going to work harder to kick cars out altogether.

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sylvinus
FYI, this is from 2015.

