The Lancet, 12 April 2025

Towards a greener, healthier Paris

Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, is known for her pioneering environmental work, but her impact on public health is now being recognised more widely. Jacqui Thornton reports.

In front of City Hall in Paris, a grand building overlooking the Seine, the concrete square is a hive of activity. 50 trees are being planted alongside other plants and greenery to make an urban forest. Every small detail has been considered; the soil has been purified, and a variety of trees have been chosen without pollen to avoid allergies for Parisians. It is a potent symbol of the legacy that City Mayor Anne Hidalgo will pass on when she vacates her position next summer after a decade in post: urban planning through a public health lens.

Hidalgo has been lauded and criticised for her plans to ban cars from parts of the centre, increase parking charges, and introduce 1000 km of cycleways and sustainable, clean public transport to fight air pollution.