this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2026
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Solarpunk Urbanism
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A community to discuss solarpunk and other new and alternative urbanisms that seek to break away from our currently ecologically destructive urbanisms.
- Henri Lefebvre, The Right to the City — In brief, the right to the city is the right to the production of a city. The labor of a worker is the source of most of the value of a commodity that is expropriated by the owner. The worker, therefore, has a right to benefit from that value denied to them. In the same way, the urban citizen produces and reproduces the city through their own daily actions. However, the the city is expropriated from the urbanite by the rich and the state. The right to the city is therefore the right to appropriate the city by and for those who make and remake it.
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It's a partisan paper. With very selected pictures that show only... nice situations. It's not like that everywhere in Paris, far from it.
As a Parisian and as a pedestrian, I'm very unhappy with the 'bike' situation because of the way electric bikes and scooters (I don't know the English word for our French 'trotinettes') have invaded sidewalks making it a real danger to just, you know, be walking.
Not only do we have to worry when we want to cross a street, because of the cars (and more and more because of the bikes that consider traffic lights do not apply to them), but we now also have to constantly be on the lookout (even looking behind our back, and keep in mind we, pedestrians, have no rear mirrors) when we are simply walking on the sidewalk because of those electrical bikes and scooters. I insist on the 'electric' part as they're the ones causing most troubles, not people pedaling or pushing their scooter.
Sorry, It probably wont be a popular comment but it is a comment from someone that has been living in Paris for the last 27 years and that have not owned a car in over 26 years, someone that loves the idea of giving back the streets to bikes... Just not the way we are now forced to "share" (there is nos haring happening, they will rush through the crowd) our effing sidewalks. Sidewalks are the only space pedestrians can safely use in town, ffs.
That's a social responsibility problem, not a bike problem though
I have a hard time understanding what you mean? Bike are not beings, they are no problem, nor is a hammer, it always is the people using them, right?
Yeah it's idiots doing idiotic things. I'd rather have them doing idiotic things on bikes and scooters than cars.
Agreed, but accidents still are accidents 'sometimes with dramatic consequences). And excusing idiocy or idiotic behavior because it happens on a bike is not a good idea: it the same idiocy with the same sad consequences. Like I said, the tool is not the issue, how a person is using it is.
In Romania, bikes are treated as vehicles in the legislation. That means that if you don't have any amenities you are required to ride on the first lane of every road, as close to the curb as possible. Of course, some people take the sidewalk too, but they're really risking it. If they encounter a policeman that is actually determined to do their job that day, they're kinda screwed.
Same thing in France. I also live and Paris and don't really know what the other commenter is talking about: bikes and electric scooters are not supposed to be ridden on the sidewalk, and from my experience rarely are if there's an available bike lane. The only places I regularly see bikes on the sidewalk are those where the road infrastructure makes it too dangerous to ride a bike on a street
They are not supposed but they do.
Since I have no stats or pictures to share, for anyone else reading French wanting to have an idea “what I’m talking about”, here are a few of the results I was served searching for "Paris accidents velo et trotinettes", in no particular order. BTW, I have not read all of those articles I just want to make it clear I’m not imagining things like the previous comment seems to imply (sorry for the lack of layout, I made it real quick):
And btw, "abandonned" (rental) bikes (abandonned in the middle of the sidewalks, or even at the entrance/exit of a crosswalk) are another issue on their own.
All I’m saying is that this behavior (and I insist the issue pedestrians are most concerned with is with electrical, not with actual bike users: they already have enough trouble dealing with cars) is a real danger and should notbe tolerated or minimized. Even if we like bikes more than cars.
So, it’s ok to make it “too dangerous” for pedestrians instead? Not my logic, but as a pedestrian I’m obviously biased.
Also, keep in mind the code makes it clear it is ok to push a bike on sidewalk, that does not make it OK to ride it. Even less so when it’s an electrical one, which makes it go so much faster.
Then I don't get why is that person not reporting stuff like that to the police, especially on streets where this is a more common occurrence...