In recent years, Paris, with a population of 13 million, which generates the highest gross domestic product in Europe - 870 billion euros (6 times as much as our entire country), the city, which is ranked 3rd in the world according to the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index, is experiencing a complete transformation.
This was written on "Facebook" by the leader of "Save Sofia" Boris Bonev.
Over 300 streets have been closed to cars and have been turned into green, safe and comfortable places with a main focus on children. The so-called school streets are completely changing Paris. Since I lived there for 5 years, I can make a direct comparison - it is now much greener, cleaner, quieter and more peaceful. As part of this initiative, over 180,000 new trees have been planted (but not saplings like ours) and 40% of the asphalt has been converted into green space.
All these changes not only do not "ruin, kill, destroy" business and people's lives, and quite the opposite - Paris is constantly rising in the rankings for quality of life and doing business.
Meanwhile, in Sofia, we have yet to convince ourselves why it is not a good idea for small children to fly between passing cars on streets and boulevards to get to the school gate or why pedestrian streets are more pleasant than those clogged with parking spaces from top to bottom.
Sofia is a wonderful city and may look completely different, but the slavery of stereotypes and the lack of political courage condemn it to total stagnation.