RESEARCH ON THE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF CYCLING ROUTES CONNECTING GREEN OPEN SPACES IN ATHENS

Abstract

Cycling is constantly gaining popularity in Europe both as a leisure activity and a viable transportation mode. Development of policies and infrastructure in Greece is following a rather inconsistent way, especially regarding the integration of cycling in existing open public spaces. This paper presents a research, conducted from 2008 to 2010 in Athens, exploring the development potential of a dynamic cycling scheme which would connect existing large green parks, university campuses and other related uses. The paper is structured in three parts. The first presents a comprehensive overview of cycling promotion policies and similar schemes in major European countries and cities, such as Denmark, United Kingdom, and Germany etc. The second part deals with particular infrastructure types and development attributes, and finally the third focuses on an Athens' case: the unification of Goudi Metropolitan Park with Police Academy Park, Polytechnic and University campuses. The results and conclusions stress the key research facts and reveal the main limitations occurring by the complex ownership status and the licensing procedures. Abbreviations: UoA: University of Athens NTUA: National Technical University of Athens