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Why are terraces becoming more and more of a problem in Paris?

undefined undefined 3 février 2025 undefined 18h00

The Editor

© Hugo Dominguez

Paris without a café terrace is a bit like a crepe without butter: it loses all its charm. However, since the Covid crisis, these spaces have popped up all over the capital, much to the delight of the users. But this situation is starting to reveal many flaws. Let us explain.

The Regional Chamber of Accounts (CRC) of Île-de-France published a report on Tuesday, January 28 that discusses the situation of terraces in the capital. This document, spanning about sixty pages, doesn't exactly praise the presence of those delightful terraces in the streets of Paris. Instead, it highlights all the limitations of this setup, especially for the residents who sometimes experience overflows and unwanted damages.


Covid: The Renaissance of Parisian Terraces

After being cooped up for months and months during the health crisis, as soon as the restrictions were lifted, Parisians had only one thing on their minds: to bask in the sun, gathered around large tables, on a terrace, to support businesses and enjoy the Parisian air.

and regaining a sense of normal life. Instant consequence: the creation of hundreds of square meters of temporary terraces all around the capital.

A situation that, if it were only temporary, has turned into not just a lasting change but even multiplied. So, between 2018 and 2023, the number of terraces has increased by 26.5%, and the area they occupy has grown by 60%. Today, there are over 22,800 terraces in Paris, covering 244,328 m² (including 45,000 for summer terraces, open from April to October), which is 2.44% of the total sidewalk area in Paris. And for us, on paper, this brings us joy.


Residents, the first victims of Paris

However, while you might be quite happy to have the option to grab a drink after work in the summer, for others, the proliferation of terraces has turned into a daily nightmare. Noise, waste, behavioral overflow, reduction of sidewalk accessibility, we can no longer count the sources of discontent generated by these spaces that are supposed to symbolize sharing and togetherness.

A situation that pushes some to their limits, who don’t hesitate to report the excesses to the City Hall of Paris via apps like Dans ma rue and Solen, or through the City's contact form. From January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, a total of 45,217 complaints have been filed for illegal occupation of public space and noise nuisance primarily. That's a huge number, which has been multiplied by 4.5 between 2018 and 2023.


The noisiest districts are…

Not surprisingly, it’s in the districts with the highest number of bars and restaurants that we see the most complaints. Thus, Paris-Centre (comprising the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th) receives 8...

350 complaints. The 9th with 4,211, the 11th with 4,374, and right at the top of the podium, the 18th with 4,872, all this between 01/01/22 and 30/06/23.

In the same vein, these districts are also among the most ticketed. However, it seems that this doesn't really change much since the fines are relatively cheap (between 35 and 135€). Only 75 fines of class 5, at 1,500€, have been issued over a 5-year period, out of a total of 72,000 tickets. And to say the least, it appears that this isn't very deterrent, as the referenced terraces in the 18th have each received an average of 11.7 tickets during the studied period.


A tough solution to find

The cause of these excesses and the lack of change according to the CRC experts? A 67-page regulation, much too complex and difficult to enforce. As a result, the The police only gets involved in 30 to 50% of complaints, and sometimes without any outcomes. In conclusion, strength to the residents, we hope solutions will be put in place for you, but please, leave us our terraces!