Cars, the number one enemy of pedestrians

The growing need for parking has made it legal in almost all Athens streets and where it is not allowed it is done illegally at the expense of pavements and squares.

"Unfortunately pavements largely do not exist. The reasons have to do with the way our cities have been shaped; from landlords refusing to give more space from their land, to politicians who favor cars in every way," says Thanos Vlastos, professor emeritus at the National Technical University of Athens and head of research projects at its Sustainable Mobility Unit.

Research by the SMU on behalf of the municipality showed that 2% of Athens' streets have no sidewalk at all, 37% have pavements less than a meter wide, 32% are 1-2 meters, while only 25% are more than 2 meters.

Vlastos insists that if cars are reduced less parking spaces will be needed, giving more space for pedestrians, while stressing...