Limassol Mayor Yiannis Armeftis presented the municipality’s strategy for neighbourhood renewal, upgrading public spaces and promoting sustainable mobility on Thursday, 29 October, at the 8th Sustainable Mobility and Intelligent Transport Systems Conference, held at the Conference Centre in Nicosia.
According to a municipal announcement, in his presentation, titled “Urban Environment Regeneration in Limassol’s Neighbourhoods”, Mr Armeftis highlighted the importance of integrated urban planning that connects neighbourhoods, green spaces, public squares and sustainable mobility infrastructure, with people and quality of life at its centre. As he noted, development gains real value when it brings meaningful improvements to residents’ daily lives and its benefits reach every neighbourhood.
Green routes
The five main pillars he presented are reconnecting the city with the seafront through Aktaias Avenue; creating a sustainable mobility network through the “Green Routes”; redeveloping Agias Sofias Street and linking it to the seafront via the Garyllis Linear Park; continuing the second and third phases of the redevelopment of the historic centre of Agia Fyla; and upgrading public squares and parks.
On Aktaias Avenue, following the completion of the first temporary route for pedestrians and cyclists from Limassol Marina to Alexandria Street, planning is focused on completing the temporary link to the new port and advancing the overall redevelopment through an architectural competition and the required studies. “The aim is to create a continuous seafront with greenery, safe walking and cycling routes, and spaces for sport and recreation, which will strengthen the connection between the western neighbourhoods and the sea and create new prospects for the area,” the Mayor said.
The “Green Routes” plan envisages a unified network of approximately 20 kilometres, connecting neighbourhoods, schools, parks, commercial areas and the seafront. The project is based on the principles of the “15-minute city” and seeks to offer residents safe and attractive options for everyday travel on foot and by bicycle. It also includes urban greening and shading interventions, as well as measures to improve the microclimate, upgrade the environment and strengthen the city’s resilience to climate change. Implementation will proceed gradually, following the necessary studies and in coordination with the relevant services.
Linking park to the sea
Another project involves upgrading Agias Sofias Street and creating a green corridor linking Garyllis Linear Park with the sea. Plans provide for upgrading roads and pavements over a total length of 5.1 kilometres, creating a 2.55-kilometre cycle lane, planting 260 new trees and adding 569 square metres of new green space. The intervention aims to improve road safety and accessibility and create a more welcoming and attractive urban environment, connecting the city’s existing green infrastructure with new sustainable transport options.
For the historic centre of Agia Fyla, the aim is to upgrade public spaces while preserving the area’s distinctive historical and cultural identity. Following completion of the first phase, the final study for the second phase is under way, while a third phase is also planned. The design includes improving access, reorganising public space, increasing planting and highlighting elements of collective memory, with the aim of creating an upgraded historic core that retains its character while meeting residents’ contemporary needs.
More parks
The municipality is promoting a programme to upgrade 33 public squares and is also proceeding with the planning of 24 parks and squares. The aim is to create a new generation of public spaces guided by common principles of functionality, aesthetics, safety, accessibility and environmental sustainability. In total, more than 120 public squares and parks are undergoing upgrading and redesign.
“The interventions place emphasis on enhancing urban greenery, creating shaded areas for rest and recreation, upgrading routes and street furniture, and ensuring safe access for everyone, including children, older people and people with disabilities,” Mr Armeftis said. “The aim is for parks and squares to become lively meeting places and centres of social activity, making a meaningful contribution to quality of life and social cohesion in the neighbourhoods.”
Concluding his presentation, the Mayor said that, despite their different scales and stages of implementation, the interventions form part of a unified strategy for Limassol’s future. The aim, he said, is to move from individual projects to integrated and coherent planning, so that public spaces, green routes and sustainable mobility infrastructure function as a unified whole for the benefit of residents.
He also stressed that implementation requires proper planning and close cooperation between Limassol Municipality, the relevant ministries, state services and all stakeholders. Through this strategy, the municipality seeks to create a greener, more accessible, safer and more liveable city, where regeneration reaches every neighbourhood and is felt in residents’ everyday lives.
Source: CNA
