The Usage and Perception of Pedestrian and Cycling Streets on Residents’ Well-being in Kalamaria, Greece

Abstract

Pedestrian zones are public spaces intended for the continued and safe mobility of pedestrians and people with disabilities, and they provide multiple benefits to urban areas. They counterbalance the densely built-up areas, decrease atmospheric pollution, increase available green or social space, increase walking and cycling rates, and facilitate active play for children. Done properly, pedestrianization may also increase local business sales. Greece boasts open public spaces and the pedestrianization of common roads. The economic crisis that Greece has been experiencing since 2008 has led people to give up their vehicles and use the pedestrian streets more frequently. The purpose of this paper was to investigate residents’ perceptions and satisfaction rates concerning the pedestrian streets of Kalamaria, Greece, and evaluate their importance for residents’ well-being. Following a random sampling method, 400 residents were interviewed. A two-step cluster analysis was conducted. The survey showed that the urban residents visited pedestrian zones in Kalamaria at least once a week, and the visits lasted 46–60 min. The improvement of urban landscape aesthetics and people’s health and well-being were evaluated as important functions of pedestrian zones. The results also indicate that residents were not satisfied with their quality of life and the existing green infrastructures of the pedestrian streets, even though they have a positive disposition toward the construction or transformation of pedestrian streets. The residents expressed their unwillingness to pay more public taxes for the construction and maintenance of pedestrian and cycling streets. The safety and convenience of the mobility of residents were the most important advantages of the pedestrian streets. Meanwhile, overspill parking and difficulties with finding parking spaces were the main disadvantages for the residents. Local authorities can use the results of the present survey to manage the city’s green infrastructure and use this information in the urban planning framework.

Special Issue: Landscape Urbanism and Green Infrastructure

“…The survey informed the green managers about the needs for improvement of the amenity and infrastructure, and also optimized nature space management, directing attention towards a more effective utilization of scarce resources. A similar study was also conducted by Panagopoulos et al [14] in Kalamaria, Greece. They investigated residents' perceptions and satisfaction rates concerning the pedestrian and cycling streets of the city in times of economic crisis, and evaluated their importance for residents' well-being.…”

City image, city brand personality and generation Z residents' life satisfaction under economic crisis: Predictors of city-related social media engagement

“…Also, municipal authorities have faced similar financial problems (Tsekos & Hlepas, 2019) which have negatively influenced residents' daily routine. Regarding city residents' daily routines, Panagopoulos et al (2018) claim that the economic crisis has forced citizens to quit driving their privately-owned cars and walk more instead. In their everyday life, people are called to make decisions about events that will take place, either in the relatively near or distant future (Liberman & Trope, 1998).…”

Pedestrian behavior patterns in relation to the quality of public space on the edge of the Historic Center of Cuenca-Ecuador

“…During the 19th century, the pedestrian played an important role in the design of public spaces. However, in the twentieth century, the automobile emerged as one of the important issues in people's daily lives (Panagopoulos et al 2018), and caused the city turned into an automated area, a kind of zoned production machine which made it lose the essence of its urban spaces (Gamboa 2002). In this regard (Gamboa 2002) stated "Gradually it is recognized that the old cities have" something" that new neighborhoods and new parts of cities lack of (...), which makes them more livable, pleasant, recognizable and understandable"(p. 17).…”

“…Additionally, it is important to point out that today's cities have other requirements than cities in the past (Panagopoulos et al 2018), the challenge is to conceive urban spaces that prioritize social relations in public space and that contribute to the generation of sustainable cities with less vehicular traffic (Soni and Soni 2016). Loss of quality of public space affects cities in different contexts, this has caused a reformulation of public spaces based on the logic of prioritizing pedestrians, and has forced to seek comprehensive planning, especially in highly consolidated areas.…”

“…One of these is carried out in Kalamaria, Greece, where it was identified that the use of its public space provides security and comfort to its residents. It was also identified that these results are used by the authorities for their management (Panagopoulos et al 2018). In Ecuador, a reference study is the one carried out (Hermida et al 2019) where a toolbox was built to evaluate the connectivity and comfort of urban banks that allows a comparative visual and numerical analysis in different areas of the same river.…”