Paris has, in recent years, been trying to reduce private car traffic in the city and thereby reduce pollution. Two specific transportation decisions have been 1) creating special bus/taxi lanes (to encourage usage of public transportation), and 2) the establishment of Velib (shared bicycles) stands throughout Paris. In addition, Paris has made the decision to physically close some streets entirely and repurpose them. Three years ago, Paris converted the road that ran along the Seine along the Left Bank into a park and it has been highly successful. It is estimated that there have been over four million visitors to that park.
On April 2, 2017, Paris opened the Right Bank equivalent park.
As you can see, it’s a wide open area for people to stroll, sit, and relax. I didn’t even know it existed, but instead discovered it looking down off of one of the bridges.
There are sets of swings for kids, and also this clever area for small children to run around:
There are pop-up restaurants for light fare and drinks (look how clever they were using old crates):
With the sun shining and 80 degrees, it’s the perfect place to be lazy on a Sunday!
For more information, here’s a helpful website: https://en.parisinfo.com/discovering-paris/sustainable-tourism-in-paris/the-new-parc-rives-de-seine
Enjoy!