Post-virus city

The much-beleaguered attempt to free up more public space in the downtown Athens area has come back to the fore at a particularly auspicious time. 

The drop in traffic during the lockdown illustrated the significant benefits of having fewer vehicles on the city’s streets for its natural environment. It also demonstrated what life can be like in the city if more room is given to pedestrians and bicycles.

The initiative announced by Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis is extremely positive and follows the example of other big cities as they emerge from the coronavirus crisis.

But it will only succeed if it is very well studied and the people of Athens need to be convinced of why it is necessary and how it will work.