An interesting article in this morning's Guardian online* about various European cities which are making huge efforts to reduce inner-city traffic and make town cities more enjoyable for cyclists and pedestrians. Among them is the French city of Lyon, and there are several examples from the UK including London and Birmingham.
Many French cities are already experimenting with tramways, improved bus links and cycle routes, such as my home town of Perpignan, which also has a historic town centre which is largely pedestrian-only. At last concerns are being expressed about the growth of huge suburban shopping centres (we have two for a town of just over 100 000 population) and their effect on the closure of small independent shops and restaurants in the town centre.
The Guardian article has a number of useful references, including the forum '100resilientcities.org' and you might which to check my article below about choosing where to live in France.
*guardian.co.uk
Many French cities are already experimenting with tramways, improved bus links and cycle routes, such as my home town of Perpignan, which also has a historic town centre which is largely pedestrian-only. At last concerns are being expressed about the growth of huge suburban shopping centres (we have two for a town of just over 100 000 population) and their effect on the closure of small independent shops and restaurants in the town centre.
The Guardian article has a number of useful references, including the forum '100resilientcities.org' and you might which to check my article below about choosing where to live in France.
*guardian.co.uk