School Streets
Created in 2011 by a collective of citizens, the association Respire works to improve air quality and defend people affected by air pollution, the third leading preventable cause of death in France.
Overview of the project
Respire is leading a nationwide campaign in support of School Streets (“rues aux écoles”) to protect children from air pollution and road safety hazards around schools. The campaign was launched following the publication of maps identifying polluted schools in the Île-de-France region, and later in the Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes (AURA) and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) regions, which revealed that hundreds of schools were exposed to pollution levels exceeding health recommendations. Working alongside citizen groups and partner organizations, Respire helped bring the concept of School Streets into the public debate and secured the pedestrianization of hundreds of streets around schools, enabling children to reclaim public space. Since then, the association has supported parents, local community groups, and local authorities in implementing these projects through field mobilization days, practical guidance, advocacy, and policy recommendations. Building on this experience, Respire now aims to scale up its efforts by launching a new national campaign to create 1,000 School Streets in 20 French cities during the current municipal term. The campaign pursues several objectives: improving children’s health and safety in the long term, accelerating the transformation of cities toward safer and more sustainable mobility, and promoting the French School Streets model at the European and international levels. To achieve these goals, Respire will organize a nationwide tour of committed mayors, develop a public awareness campaign, conduct a national evaluation study of School Streets, and establish a European coalition of cities committed to this initiative.
Transforming public spaces around schools to improve children's health by reducing air pollution and traffic accidents, while promoting active mobility and urban greening.
Ongoing research
2019 - en cours
Since 2019, the association has published maps identifying polluted schools in three major French regions (Île-de-France, Lyon, and Marseille), mobilized and trained several hundred parents, and organized around ten field mobilization events. The campaign also contributed to the City of Paris adopting a target of creating 300 School Streets.
Respire’s campaign has helped establish School Streets as a key urban planning initiative. In Paris in particular, it has contributed to changing perceptions of school surroundings, which are now increasingly viewed as spaces for recreation, social interaction, and community life rather than as areas dominated by car traffic. Respire has also strengthened civic engagement by organizing parents’ groups and fostering lasting dialogue with local authorities in the Île-de-France region. Finally, during the municipal elections, Respire promoted School Streets through a manifesto addressed to candidates, leading to concrete political commitments, notably in Marseille.
This project initially received funding from ADEME, as well as private funding from foundations and organizations including Transport & Environment (T&E), the European Cyclists' Federation (ECF), and the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA). Additional funding applications have been submitted through various calls for proposals to support the nationwide expansion of the campaign.
organisation
Founded in 2011 by a collective of citizens, Respire works to improve air quality and defend people affected by air pollution, which Santé publique France identifies as the third leading preventable cause of death in France. Recognized as a public-interest organization, Respire raises public awareness of the health risks associated with air pollution, advocates for stronger public policies, and supports citizens harmed by air pollution. It carries out these missions through awareness-raising campaigns, advocacy, scientific research, and local community mobilization.