Pedestrianizing “School Streets” in Paris: Field Collection and Remote-Sensing Analysis of a Massive Street-Reclamation Project

Abstract

Facing significant challenges in terms of access to open space and urban heat, Paris is pedestrianizing entire streets in front of schools at a significant scale. This study comprehensively evaluates Paris’s School Streets (“Rues aux écoles”) via a combination of field collection (including visits to all 272 active sites), and analysis of high-resolution satellite and street-view imagery. Over fifteen years, Paris has pedestrianized 13.5 km (8.4 miles) of streets, creating 15.7 ha (38.9 acres) of open space. Analyzing surface temperature of School Streets with cooling pavement, in comparison to adjacent “Control Streets,” detects average temperature differences of 5.01°C (9.02°F).