Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris since 2014, is a prominent figure in the fight for social and climate justice. Her time as mayor has been focused on reducing traffic, increasing green spaces, and promoting affordable housing. Hidalgo has also been a vocal advocate for women’s rights and has spoken out against sexism and misogyny.
Despite her achievements, Hidalgo has faced criticism for her handling of certain issues, such as the city’s garbage strike and the removal of metal grills from the base of trees. But she remains a popular figure in Paris, and her work has helped to make the city more livable and sustainable.
Hidalgo’s commitment to social and climate justice is evident in her policies. She has declared a war on traffic in Paris, announcing a ban on diesel cars by 2025 and all gas-driven cars by 2030. She has also managed to remove traffic from the right bank of the Seine, turning it into a pleasant riverside track. In addition, Hidalgo has pedestrianized squares and markets and barred traffic from streets outside several hundred schools so that children can play.
Hidalgo’s efforts to promote affordable housing have also been significant. A quarter of Parisians now live in social housing, up from 13 percent in the late 1990s. Hidalgo has also tried to open up Paris, redesigning several major intersections, planting trees, and paving over traffic lanes with cycle paths and pedestrian plazas.
Hidalgo’s commitment to women’s rights is also evident in her work. She has been a vocal advocate for women’s rights and has spoken out against sexism and misogyny. In 2020, she won a second term in a tight race against Rachida Dati, also a woman from an immigrant family.
Hidalgo’s work has helped to make Paris a more livable and sustainable city. She is a role model for other mayors around the world who are working to make their cities more just and equitable.
