There’s an institutional quirk that protects against that outcome in Paris, and in fact explains the whole success story. It’s that the historical city limits were not expanded in line with urbanisation. This has given the dense city center and its voters - who tend not to own cars - disproportionate political influence over the whole urban area.
In a way it’s an inverse example of the conservative bias of the US political system, which gives disproportionate influence to exurbs and rural areas.
There’s an institutional quirk that protects against that outcome in Paris, and in fact explains the whole success story. It’s that the historical city limits were not expanded in line with urbanisation. This has given the dense city center and its voters - who tend not to own cars - disproportionate political influence over the whole urban area.
In a way it’s an inverse example of the conservative bias of the US political system, which gives disproportionate influence to exurbs and rural areas.