Within the walls

Nicosia mayor Michael Zambellas shares his vision for the city with MARIA SOCRATOUS and talks about its master plan

IN THE heart of the walled city of Nicosia are several pockets of old houses that have been renovated with care. They stand out from neighbouring regions that often have not stood the test of time and are the result of the Nicosia master plan.

And Nicosia mayor Michalis Zambellas says the houses are extremely popular. “Unfortunately, at the moment the demand is a lot higher than the supply, which demonstrates the need for more such projects,” he said.

The first housing project in the free part of Nicosia was carried out in Chrysaliniotissa which aimed to bring young families back into the heart of the capital. “The Chrysaliniotissa was extremely successful. Similar projects are now planned in the Omeriyeh quarters, near the Old Municipal Market,” Zambellas said.
The Chrysaliniotissa Revitalisation Project was selected as the first because of the outstanding architectural character and social merits of the area. The relative neglect of the area by the property owners, the lack of community facilities as well as its proximity to the buffer zone were the main factors that led to its development. In order to improve the quality of life in the area the municipality has several schemes.

“We are aiming to improve the housing conditions so that we’ll attract new families to the area. The proposed housing policy consists of the following three types of action. 1: the provision of housing grants and other incentives for the restoration of all the listed buildings of the area, which are currently occupied by their owners. 2: the acquisition of vacant traditional houses for rehabilitation. By doing this we ensure that this availability of this type of housing will be improved. 3: following the acquisition of vacant sites we secure the construction of new houses,” the mayor said.

As the idea is to attract young families to the area other facilities will include a nursery, green space and pedestrianised areas.

The master plan was drawn up in 1979 to oversee the unified development of the city and is currently in its third phase, which focuses on housing and pedestrian schemes.

At a meeting between Greek and Turkish Cypriots in 1979 it was agreed that the two sides would co-operate for the benefit of developing the old city. The ensuing master plan is funded by US and EU money, through the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). “These projects represent the backbone of the policy for the walled city,” Zambellas said.

The Green Line which runs through the centre of Nicosia has undermined the core of the city. “Having to deal with a split city that has two separate urban parts which have been developing independently of each other has caused the transformation of the city’s structure and the disintegration of its entity. Under the impact of rapid growth and years of unplanned and uncontrolled development have created many problems,” Zambellas said.

“As for the buffer zone itself, an agreement with the UN Development Programme has been reached to fund the repair of buildings that for almost 30 years have not been touched. Some of those deteriorating buildings have been identified and work will start soon.”

A further project to revitalise the walled city is the move of the Town Hall to a site in the centre of the old town near the Archbishopric. Construction has now stopped due to the unearthing of architectural remains at the site. The municipality is now in close contact with the antiquities department and the Ministry of Communications and Works about development at the site.

The minister has now given the green light for building work to continue but the design of the new building will incorporate the antiquities. “Rome and Athens are just two examples of harmonious co-existence,” the mayor said.

“This project will definitely bring life into the historical centre and hopefully commerce and tourist numbers will rise too,” he added.

Other projects include the improvement of traffic and parking and the improvement of pedestrian facilities. “A study showed that from the 1,432 parking spaces available in Nicosia there was only a 30 per cent usage because Cypriots prefer to park on the pavements or in the streets. We want to encourage people to use the parking lots. By doing so there will be less congestion and pollution and consequently more people will favour living in the centre.

“The Municipal Council has decided to increase parking fines from £15 to £30 for those that park on zebra crossings, on spaces reserved for the disabled and spaces indicated for taxis. Also new road signs and street names will help alleviate many problems. The road plans are expected to be completed within six weeks,” the mayor said.

Architectural competitions for the redevelopment of the Eleftheria Square and other major structures are due to be declared soon too.

And what of the mayor’s vision of the city as we move closer to Europe? “A European capital that maintains its character, history and tradition”.