COMBES Edith

The use of private cars, especially in urban areas, generates several negative externalities, such as CO₂, NOx, and PM10 emissions, traffic congestion, and the excessive occupation of urban space. To mitigate these externalities, various solutions have been proposed, some of which have been implemented in cities around the world. In a context of increasing environmental constraints, regulating car use by controlling access to cities is one such solution.

Initial analyses conducted at the scale of the Lyon metropolitan area, focusing on the impact of the built environment on on-street parking demand, have helped to better understand the underlying logic behind parking behavior. This knowledge production is a first step toward a more detailed understanding of users’ mobility practices, and it will support different forms of public policy evaluation—both ex ante and ex post—as part of a decision-making support framework. Indeed, in the case of the Lyon metropolitan area, differentiated parking policies, Limited Traffic Zones (ZTL), and Low Emission Zones (ZFE) are being progressively implemented through to 2025. In a regulatory context where metropolitan areas must meet air quality thresholds, modeling that accounts for the successive implementation of multiple policies will make it possible to better assess their individual and combined effects, while also considering aspects related to their acceptability.

In addition to publications in leading peer-reviewed scientific journals, particular attention is given to the dissemination of research findings to policymakers and the general public.