Transportation

Cities Around Paris Strike a Rare Agreement to Ban Diesel Cars

France’s most comprehensive car ban marks an important moment of cooperation for oft-quarreling municipalities.
Surrounding cities have typically fought Paris's restrictions on cars. This deal might show a new way forward.Charles Platiau/Reuters

Paris may already be known for tough anti-car measures, but in pushing for change, it has long faced a major barrier: the region around it. Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s plan to ban cars from the Seine Quays, as a prime example, has been bitterly criticized by mayors of surrounding towns, and was even challenged in court by the surrounding Île-de-France region, among others.

This week, however, it seems that pattern finally broke.