VIRTUAL: Livable Cities – New York

Abstract

The riverside lanes which cross Paris from east to west were inaugurated in 1967 and presented to Parisians as a “Christmas present” and a symbol of modernity. However, they attracted a high volume of traffic and separated the city from its river. A Sunday closure to car traffic in 1995 paved the way for the pedestrianisation of the expressways, first in the summer of 2002 with the start of the annual urban beach festival Paris Plages, then in 2013 with the permanent closure to car traffic on the left bank of the river, and finally in 2016 with the transformation of the right bank into an urban park. The reclamation of the banks of the Seine made it possible to reconnect the historic city of Paris with its river and offers public space to Parisians and tourists alike. It also became part of the city’s strategy to reduce air and noise pollution and promote soft modes of transport. This can be seen as the first and crucial step in an ongoing paradigm shift from car-oriented urban planning to a more integrated approach to mobility, with a particular focus on cycling and walking. This paper challenges the underlying paradigms of this process and argues that the pedestrianisation of the Paris riverbanks is a perfect example for tactical urbanism that can serve as a model for urban transformation for other cities facing similar challenges. It will examine the actions taken by the city of Paris and highlight the challenges and limitations that persist with this type of approach. It will also show how the successful transformation of the riverbanks over the past two decades relates to the current debate on the transformation of the Paris ring road and the integration of the 15-minute city concept.