[stavros]

Are publicly-owned cars somehow not emitting anything? Or, how else will people get around?

I live in a European city, where I rarely use my car to get around. Banning cars won't do anything, because I don't use my car because I can, I use it because I have to.

If you want to get rid of cars, design cities that can be lived in without having to use cars.

[eesmith]

People wouldn't use publicly-owned cars, they would used publicly-owned buses, trams, subways, and other forms of mass transit, plus (as the article points out), making it easier to walk or bike.

I believe the goal of limiting car use in Paris is as part of re-designing the city so it can be lived in without having to use cars, yes.