Pedestrianization and Design: Lessons from Anne Hidalgo and Norman Foster at Bloomberg CityLab

At a closed-door mayoral session of the Bloomberg CityLab conference in Madrid, former Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo and architect Norman Foster presented a series of European case studies illustrating how removing cars from public spaces can improve environmental quality and generate economic benefits. Hidalgo described Paris’s transformation of the Georges Pompidou expressway along the Seine into a pedestrian promenade and the restriction of vehicle traffic around hundreds of schools, actions she linked to the preparatory work for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Foster showcased projects such as Marseille’s Vieux Port Pavilion, Nîmes’s Carré d’Art gallery and library, and the recent revitalization of London’s Trafalgar Square, each emphasizing pedestrian-only zones.

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Paris’s ambition to host the 2024 Games created a political imperative to address Seine pollution, which officials identified primarily with automobile exhaust. The city’s decision to ban cars from the riverbank expressway served as a demonstration for subsequent bike-friendly initiatives. Similar motivations appear in other European locales, where historic squares and waterfronts are being re-imagined to prioritize foot traffic and public life.

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• Anne Hidalgo – former mayor of Paris (2020-2024), now an advocate for car-free urban spaces.

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• Norman Foster – British architect (Foster + Partners) and founder of the Norman Foster Institute, which offers data-visualization tools to help cities diagnose mobility and land-use challenges.

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• Foster + Partners – responsible for the Vieux Port Pavilion (Marseille) and Carré d’Art (Nîmes).

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These initiatives share a common metric: the substitution of vehicle lanes with walkways or bike paths, though precise usage statistics are not disclosed in the source material.

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Hidalgo emphasized that visible, car-free projects generate public pride and political capital, noting that residents across cities such as Madrid, Warsaw, and others recognize the benefits of cleaner, more walkable environments. Foster argued that successful placemaking does not require altering a space’s cultural essence but rather “bringing its inner soul forth,” and he highlighted the Norman Foster Institute’s analytical apps as resources for municipal leaders confronting data-driven planning challenges.

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The Carré d’Art library faced organized resistance; local officials staged weekly lunch protests on the future site, reflecting broader concerns about civic will and entrenched interests. Foster acknowledged that political opposition and a lack of civic momentum can impede redesign efforts, even when technical data are available.

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The sources provide qualitative descriptions of project impacts but lack quantitative outcomes (e.g., reductions in emissions, traffic counts, or economic returns). No contradictory figures are presented, leaving a gap in measurable evidence of the claimed benefits.

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• “The solution was easy: We needed to have less cars in the city,” — Anne Hidalgo, former mayor of Paris

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• “Trafalgar Square always wanted to be a place of gathering.” — Norman Foster, architect

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• “It’s the same for Madrid. It’s the same for Warsaw. It’s the same for all the cities.” — Anne Hidalgo

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• “to bring its inner soul forth,” — Norman Foster

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• “On the point of political opposition, Hidalgo had some advice: To jump into the river, so to speak, you need to have a lot of allies around you.” — Anne Hidalgo

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Following the forum, mayors from smaller and mid-sized metros expressed interest in applying the showcased strategies. The Norman Foster Institute plans to expand its suite of visualization apps, while Hidalgo’s advocacy suggests that building broad coalitions of stakeholders will be essential for replicating Paris-style pedestrianization elsewhere.

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