Sunday is the second round of an election that is unprecedented to say the least, since it was marked by the Covid-19 health crisis.
A few hours before the vote, we questioned the candidates vying for mayor of Paris-Centre on a controversial subject: pedestrianization.
For Ariel Weil (Anne Hidalgo's lead candidate), the idea of "no parking, no business" (no parking spaces, no business) must be abandoned. The era of pedestrianization with its crowds of casual visitors who spend too little to support local businesses is over.
Better Ariel Weil, mayor of the 4th arrondissement and head of the Paris Center en commun list, considers that we must put a brake on noise pollution and air pollution caused by cars.
For him, giving the city back to its inhabitants, by increasing the number of soft mobility options, is more than ever demanded by city dwellers in all major cities in the world.
While Pacôme Rupin, the candidate of La République en Marche , and Aurélien Véron, the candidate of Les Républicains , claim that pedestrianization in moderation can be an asset, but when generalized it only moves traffic jams, flattering Parisians while excluding suburbanites.
For the lead candidates of Rachida Dati and Agnès Buzyn , excessively pedestrianized Paris would become an open-air shopping center where small businesses would be swept away in favor of large groups able to pay high rents.
Text: Katia Barillot
Photos: ©Rob Smith
Video: ©Le Marais Mood
26.06.20
