France is a unitary semi-presidential republic and it covers 551,500 square kilometres (212,935 sq mi) within Europe with an estimated population of 68.0 million people. France was one of the first countries to develop urban mobility plans (Plans de Déplacements Urbains or PDUs). These plans have been in existence for 32 years and since 1996 they have been compulsory in urban areas of over 100,000 inhabitants. Guidance on preparing PDUs is available published mainly by  Cerema but also by the Gart (Group of transport authorities). 

Most cities with PDUs are metropolitan in character as they comprise groups of "communes" outside the main city area.