“Honey was dripping” from the mouth of a Guardian journalist about the poor state of the pavements in Athens.
In an extremely sharp comment, the Guardian‘s Helena Smith described the reality in Athens through her own experience.
“Can the Greek capital ever become walkable?
[…] it’s the million dollar question,” she concludes.
Smith struck a marble step that protruded illegally, as she was assured afterwards by city officials.
She received assurances from the mayor, Mr.
Dukas that he would work intensively to address the problem of illegal parking, replace damaged sidewalks and create ramps.
But he did not seem to be convinced.
Let’s look at some of the key points in the article where Athens’ sidewalks took a beating.
Epidemic of falls in the “bad streets” of Athens
The stair railing, which I grabbed in a desperate attempt to break my fall, then did what I never expected: as it “caught” in my hands, it threw me with even more force to the pavement.
I was diagnosed with a broken shoulder.
Seven months later, physical therapy continues.
In this I am far from alone.
The streets of Athens are a path of obstacles that are daily blamed for such injuries (or worse).
Like the marble step that city hall officials later declared illegal, every kind of “visual nuisance” – starting with motorcycles and cars – takes up valuable sidewalk space.
Among the many who have taken to social media to vent about sidewalks that are full of potholes, broken slabs, and often no slabs at all, are retirees demanding that authorities “give the sidewalks back to pedestrians.”
“Everyone seems to think the sidewalks are an extension of their property,” one pensioner complained.
And so walking in Athens has become a dangerous business.
Tourists’ protests about the pavements in Athens
All this could have been kept under wraps – and heard only by residents grumbling about the “epidemic” of falls on pavements – if the Greek capital had not also attracted record numbers of visitors and major investments from foreign hoteliers. It is estimated that 7 million tourists will visit the southernmost metropolis of continental Europe this year […] Increasingly, the state of Greek pavements has become a topic of discussion. Holidaymakers are seeking advice on platforms such as Tripadvisor on “how to avoid tripping or falling while walking?” “I’m used to sidewalks in better condition where I come from.” That’s the comment of Denny, an American who visited the Greek capital last year. “What worries me is stumbling… Is it okay to walk on the street when the sidewalk looks dangerous?” Amidst the emojis and exclamation marks, a “tourist destination expert” saw fit to opine: “Yes, but be careful. 🙂 My advice (and what I do, as if I didn’t I would definitely trip!) is to look down where you’re walking, don’t look at sites, landscapes, etc. while you’re still on the move…”
Vulnerable pedestrians
The deplorable state of Athens’ sidewalks explains why “the most vulnerable pedestrians have almost disappeared from public spaces”, says the pedestrian rights group PEZI, noting that people with disabilities, parents with strollers or elderly people rarely appear on the city’s streets.
“I joined PEZI 20 years ago when I started noticing how difficult it was for my elderly father to walk just 200 metres, as every pavement meant going up and down, jumping here and there to avoid all the obstacles,” says Nikos Stappas, an environmental engineer.
“Unfortunately, progress has been very slow. I think people have completely lost hope.”
But it is widely accepted that cars are the biggest culprits.
Athens has one of the highest car ownership rates in the world: 816 out of 1,000 people in the city own vehicles.
And pavements are the perfect solution for parking.
Less than 11% of Athens’ 3.2 million residents cycle or walk.
The corresponding figures in London are 27% in London and 36% in Barcelona.
Can the Greek capital ever become accessible for walking?
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