PARIS: Pedestrianizing the settings of the Eiffel Tower
Published 29 October 2021 by Quitterie d’Harcourt
The problematic pollution levels in Paris are a matter that is commonly mentioned. Every year, pollution levels reach hazardous levels, necessitating action, particularly in transportation. According to studies, air pollution kills between 48,000 and 67,000 people prematurely in France each year (Blondeau, 2019, pp.68). Air pollution has thus become one of the three leading causes of mortality in France, along with cigarettes and alcohol. In Île-de-France, around one million people live in areas where nitrogen dioxide levels surpass legal limits. If one uses the World Health Organisation’s standards as a benchmark, practically the whole French population is subjected to hazardous air (WHO, as cited in Blondeau, 2019, pp.67).
Hidalgo’s Strategy
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, has opted to address the French capital’s air pollution crisis by collaborating with Michael R. Bloomberg, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions. Their aim is to establish numerous new measures and a public awareness campaign (Wang, 2021). More information about these initiatives can be found on Blomberg Philanthropies’ website. Hidalgo also unveiled a more drastic plan, which calls for the elimination of vehicles in the heart of Paris. This strategy intends to promote sustainable commuting by giving cyclists, pedestrians, and public transportation systems more prominence.
The intervention entails the addition of more green infrastructure around the Eiffel Tower’s surroundings. The site stretches from the Place du Trocadéro to the Champs de Mars, encircling the Iéna Bridge that crosses the Seine.
According to the Bilan du Garant, the project’s goals are:
– to improve the tourist experience while also improving the comfort of locals;
– to provide a new place for people to wander and relax by revitalising the gardens of the Trocadéro and the Champs de Mars;
– to improve permeability by minimising asphalt surfaces, allowing more room for pedestrians and vegetation (CNDP, 2019, pp.6).
Challenges & Opportunities for Paris
Although these changes may be beneficial to the health and wellbeing of residents and tourists using these spaces, many have fought back against this plan. Some residents who worry about traffic congestion and the inability to travel freely from one arrondissement to another (particularly between the 15th and the 16th) are alarmed by the new prospective traffic layout. This plan triggered numerous debates, with some in favour of a substantial pedestrianization of the site and others sceptical of the viability of the proposed schemes.
Still, it is important to consider the effects of air pollution on people’s health. During the COVID-19 pandemic for instance, some studies found that “long-term exposure to NO2, which largely arises from urban combustion sources such as traffic, may enhance susceptibility to severe COVID-19 outcomes” (Liang et al., 2020, pp.1). The redesigning of urban spaces to limit air pollution may therefore be deemed crucial for the development of pandemic-resilient cities, especially at a time when epidemic-prone diseases are on the rise as, according to Connolly et al. (2020), climate change, as well as human intrusions into native fauna natural habitats, may increase the frequency of epidemics in the future.
References
– Blondeau, O (2019) “Pollution de l’air: ce que veulent les associations” in F.E.E. (ed.) Annales des Mines – Responsabilité et environnement. 96, no. 4. F.E.E., pp.68-71.
– CNDP (Comission National du Débat Public) (2019) Bilan du garant. CNDP, pp.1-8.
– Connolly, C., Ali, S., & Keil, R. (2020) “On the relationships between COVID-19 and extended urbanization” in The Author(s) (ed.) Dialogues in Human Geography. Sage Journals, vol. 10(2), pp.213-216.
– Liang, D. et al. (2020) Urban Air Pollution May Enhance COVID-19 Case-Fatality and Mortality Rates in the United States. The Innovation, vol. 1, Issue 3, pp.1-8.
– Wang, D., 2021. Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and U.N. Special Envoy Michael R. Bloomberg Announce Extension of Partnership to Improve Air Quality in Paris | Bloomberg Philanthropies. Bloomberg Philanthropies. Available at: <https://www.bloomberg.org/press/mayor-of-paris-anne-hidalgo-and-u-n-special-envoy-michael-r-bloomberg-announce-extension-of-partnership-to-improve-air-quality-in-paris/> [Accessed 26 October 2021].
