Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has been awarded the 2023 ULI Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development, one of the most respected honors in global land use and community development. The honor comes in recognition of Mayor Hidalgo’s vision for a more inclusive and sustainable Paris and the global impact of her policies. Hidalgo, the first female Mayor of Paris, is credited with advancing ambitious policies that have reduced Paris’ carbon emissions by 40% in ten years and have increased the percentage of affordable housing. Hidalgo has also been named among Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2020.
During her mandate, “La Dauphine,” as the press calls her, has created a series of initiatives and policies to encourage green investments in the French capital, improve pedestrian traffic, and reduce the effects of urban heat islands by creating climate shelters and introducing a mobile app that monitors thermal comfort in all city areas. She has also become a key figure in the movement for the 15-minute city, with a plan to eliminate non-essential traffic from the city center before the 2024 Olympic Games. The plan is doubled by mobility improvements like the expansion of bike infrastructure, with reductions in air pollution and carbon emissions.
Similar initiatives seek to increase the number of affordable housing units to enter the market each year and to mitigate the effects of climate change by improving the lives of Parisians. Included in Hidalgo's Local Bioclimatic Urban Plan, which aims to reduce Paris' carbon emissions, is also an urban regulation that limits the height of new buildings in the French capital to 37 meters, or 12 stories. Some attribute the decision to the controversy surrounding the construction of the 180-meter-tall Tour Triangle, designed by Herzog & de Meuron.
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When Paris Eliminates Cars, Will Other Cities Follow Suit?At the initiative of Hidalgo, vehicular circulation has been closed on one side of the river Seine during the summer months to transform the quayside into a makeshift beach, complete with beach huts, sand, showers, sunbathing beds, and refreshments. Called Paris Plages, these pop-up beaches have become a yearly tradition. Additionally, floating pools were installed on the river along the Basin de la Villette, but Mayor Hidalgo promises to make the Seine swimmable in time for the Olympic and Paralympic games next year, according to an interview she gave with Urban Land magazine.
Working with a diverse group of public and private sector experts as well as engaged residents of Paris, we have been able to create a city that translates this vision into reality. Together, we’ve championed initiatives to enhance walkability, diminish reliance on automobiles, and fortify our commitment to fostering sustainable communities both within and beyond the city limits. This recognition serves as a testament to the collective efforts that have propelled Paris towards a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban landscape. - Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo
The previous edition of the ULI Prize was awarded to Studio Gang's founder, Jeanne Gang, in 2022, marking a crucial point for the studio, as Gang has also been named as one of TIME Magazine’s most influential people in the world in 2019. Other noteworthy laureates include Alejandro Aravena in 2019, Theaster Gates in 2018, and Lord Richard Rogers in 2015.
