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Paris, Brussels Celebrate Car-Free Day to Highlight Pollution, Climate Change

With the automotive industry working towards the stated goal of switching to electric cars in a few years from now, the mayor of Paris and of Brussels are fighting pollution and climate change by banning cars altogether.
Paris goes entirely car-free for one day, to highlight pollution and climate change 7 photos
Photo: Twitter / Ville de Paris
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It only happens for a single day, once a year, but the initiative is meant to highlight the health impact of pollution, and the high levels of noise and pollution heavy traffic causes. Car-free day was celebrated in both capitals this Sunday, and it turned out as a massive festivity in which picnics and all kinds of events were held on the same streets that are usually riddled with cars.

At the same time, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and Brussels Mayor Philippe Close are urging other European countries to follow suit, pointing to “the urgency of climate issues and the health impact of pollution,” France24 reports.

Data collected in Paris at last year’s celebration showed a 25 percent decrease in nitrogen dioxide, which can cause respiratory problems and acid rain. A 20 percent decrease in noise pollution was also recorded.

In fact, that’s what most people on Twitter remarked first on Sunday morning, when waking up in Paris and Brussels: a city without cars is an extremely quiet place and you can actually hear birds chirping.

Since all traffic was shut down, people gathered for picnics and other type of family events. Bikers made the most of it, as did rollerbladers and skaters.

Both capitals are holding their annual car-free day on Sunday as part of the European Heritage Days 2018, a weekend of cultural events staged every year in countries throughout the bloc.

“Brussels has transformed Waterloo boulevard into a picnic ground and the Poelaert Square into a dancefloor. The city has also set up bike and skateboarding courses for children and a ‘Surfing in Town’ pool where the adventurous can ride an ‘endless wave’,” France24 reports.

Extreme sports demos were also included, such as BMX and trail bike, tightrope walking and rollerblading, slackline and skating.

“Paris has organized picnics, open-air markets, and rollerblading and longboarding parades. Cyclists have taken over the main arteries of the city, and the Place de la Concorde, one of Paris’s busiest intersections, hosted a picnic,” the same media outlet says.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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