We'll Always Have Paris

Anne Hidalgo, currently into her second term as mayor of Paris after re-election in June with a large majority, has announced some of her proposed measures and plans for the future of the city: notably, diesel vehicles will be completely excluded from circulation in the French capital from 2024. The ban will also be extended to all fossil fuel vehicles in 2030. Additionally, she will to electrify the French capital’s entire cab fleet within a short time.

Paris has always been a very green city, with plenty of parks and gardens. But as Hidalgo very well says, this is about public health, which is also fundamental in a city whose economy relies heavily on tourism: dirty air is no longer acceptable. Every year, an estimated seven million people around the world die prematurely due to the poor quality of the air they breathe. Think about it: if the coronavirus pandemic is shocking and troubling because it has so far killed one million people worldwide, what are we going to do about a problem that is seven times that magnitude?

Anne Hidalgo’s decision is not only very brave, but simple: she wants a city where you can live and breathe without having to pay for it with your health. An ambitious plan to change traffic has already succeeded in filling the French capital with bicycle lanes, while the largest fleet of electric bicycles can now be rented out on long-term rental basis to residents. The electric bicycle is increasingly at the center of plans to rethink cities, and bicycle lanes, which are widely used and do not cause traffic jams, are fundamental in ensuring that bicycles can move safely around in cities full of cars.

Stealing space from cars in cities to give it to public transport and micro-mobility vehicles is the way forward. Designing cities around the needs of the automobile was a historic mistake that we must correct in order to make them healthier, something Anne Hidalgo understands. In a few years, a smoke-free Paris will welcome its citizens and tourists with an infinitely healthier environment, making it the envy of many other capitals.

Naturally, the implications of a measure like this must be evaluated: if you live in Paris and know that in the year 2024 you will no longer be able to drive around your city with a diesel vehicle, you’re not going to buy one. You could opt for gasoline, but the announcement that a ban by 2030 makes it clear that if you want to move around your city you’re going to have to use public transport, micro-mobility, or an electric vehicle. As Tesla has been adjusting the nuts and bolts of the automotive market, there are already many options available at very competitive prices if we factor in total ownership costs, such as fuel, maintenance and the durability of electric motors.

The lockdown has shown us how quickly the air in cities can be cleaned if we abandon our decades-long toxic automobile culture. In a few years, Paris will be a much cleaner, more breathable, pleasant and accessible place. Also less expensive for its citizens, since automobiles make cities more expensive even if you don’t haveone. Traveling to Paris will not only be an opportunity to see a beautiful city, but also to see one that could be a model for our own.

Thank you, Anne Hidalgo. You are becoming a great example that all other cities should follow. In the meantime… we’ll always have Paris