On the ongoing discourse regarding urban quality and liveability we sometimes forget the all too critical parameter of space. Simplistic as it may sound, the first question should more often than not be “where can implement all our cool ideas ? Is there space or should we make space ?”
This is the core question behind our proposal for the extension of Thessaloniki’s narrow urban promenade from today’s 6m width (2 for cyclists and 4 for pedestrians) to a generous wooden promenade that will transform the city edge and create a new popular destination for locals and tourists right at its heart. Similar examples in Copenhagen, Tel Aviv, Brooklyn etc have shown the immediate positive impact to the city’s useability and loveability, by transforming popular -but overcrowded- zones to spacious, photogenic public destinations. We further propose the implementation of a Copenhagen-style boat bus with minimal infrastructure, to stop at limited key locations along the boardwalk.
Sometimes, simply “space is more”.