Almost half the center of Paris will be accessible only by foot or bicycle this Sunday to mark World Car-Free Day.

In response to rising air pollution that made Paris the most polluted city in the world for a brief time, Mayor Anne Hidalgo promoted the first World Car-Free Day last year.

Hidalgo also has supported a "Paris Breathes" day that clears traffic from eight lanes of the Champs-Élysées once a month.

Last year's car-free day showed a 40 percent drop in nitrogen dioxide levels in some parts of the city, according to an independent air pollution monitor, reports The Guardian –and sound levels dropped by 50 percent in the city's center.

Reprinted with permission from E&E Publishing

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