Walking and standing in Athinas Street: Encountering pedestrian life in Athens’ historical centre

Over the last three decades the centre of Athens has been the site of numerous pedestrianisation projects, transforming the image and function of Athenian public space within a four square kilometre zone around Acropolis Hill. Local authorities largely promote pedestrianisation as a means of boostin...

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Main Author: Dimitra Kanellopoulou
Format: Article
Language:fra
Published: UMR 1563 « Ambiances Architectures Urbanités » 2017-12-01
Series:Ambiances
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journals.openedition.org/ambiances/1047
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author Dimitra Kanellopoulou
author_facet Dimitra Kanellopoulou
author_sort Dimitra Kanellopoulou
collection DOAJ
description Over the last three decades the centre of Athens has been the site of numerous pedestrianisation projects, transforming the image and function of Athenian public space within a four square kilometre zone around Acropolis Hill. Local authorities largely promote pedestrianisation as a means of boosting the cultural tourist profile of the Greek capital. Surrounded by streets that are replete with tourist and commercial activities, Athinas Street has been the focus of discussions on future pedestrianisation since 2009. In the context of a growing debate on the need of radical gestures in order to stimulate life in public space, the paper aims to stimulate discussion about the forms and triggers of animation of street life that do not depend on traditional planning or event management. By means of close observation of walkers’ itineraries, the study seeks to reveal the ways in which street life flourishes within a blend of pedestrians’ different types of presence in public associated with the permeable boundaries between private and public space usage. The author, who takes an urban planning and ethnographic perspective, aims to contribute to the current growing debate in Europe on the transformation of public space through the promotion of environments that promote walking. The article suggests that the enlivening of public space thrives in Athinas Street thanks to a heterogeneous walkscape characterised by a diversity of practices, trajectories and profiles of walkers, all of whom contribute to enlivening the place and creating a local identity.
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spelling doaj.art-4d03451d179b4326abbaf2a60ba7c0b02022-12-22T02:17:52ZfraUMR 1563 « Ambiances Architectures Urbanités »Ambiances2266-839X2017-12-0110.4000/ambiances.1047Walking and standing in Athinas Street: Encountering pedestrian life in Athens’ historical centreDimitra KanellopoulouOver the last three decades the centre of Athens has been the site of numerous pedestrianisation projects, transforming the image and function of Athenian public space within a four square kilometre zone around Acropolis Hill. Local authorities largely promote pedestrianisation as a means of boosting the cultural tourist profile of the Greek capital. Surrounded by streets that are replete with tourist and commercial activities, Athinas Street has been the focus of discussions on future pedestrianisation since 2009. In the context of a growing debate on the need of radical gestures in order to stimulate life in public space, the paper aims to stimulate discussion about the forms and triggers of animation of street life that do not depend on traditional planning or event management. By means of close observation of walkers’ itineraries, the study seeks to reveal the ways in which street life flourishes within a blend of pedestrians’ different types of presence in public associated with the permeable boundaries between private and public space usage. The author, who takes an urban planning and ethnographic perspective, aims to contribute to the current growing debate in Europe on the transformation of public space through the promotion of environments that promote walking. The article suggests that the enlivening of public space thrives in Athinas Street thanks to a heterogeneous walkscape characterised by a diversity of practices, trajectories and profiles of walkers, all of whom contribute to enlivening the place and creating a local identity.http://journals.openedition.org/ambiances/1047walkingpublic space policiesAthenspedestrianisationpedestriansstreet life
spellingShingle Dimitra Kanellopoulou
Walking and standing in Athinas Street: Encountering pedestrian life in Athens’ historical centre
Ambiances
walking
public space policies
Athens
pedestrianisation
pedestrians
street life
title Walking and standing in Athinas Street: Encountering pedestrian life in Athens’ historical centre
title_full Walking and standing in Athinas Street: Encountering pedestrian life in Athens’ historical centre
title_fullStr Walking and standing in Athinas Street: Encountering pedestrian life in Athens’ historical centre
title_full_unstemmed Walking and standing in Athinas Street: Encountering pedestrian life in Athens’ historical centre
title_short Walking and standing in Athinas Street: Encountering pedestrian life in Athens’ historical centre
title_sort walking and standing in athinas street encountering pedestrian life in athens historical centre
topic walking
public space policies
Athens
pedestrianisation
pedestrians
street life
url http://journals.openedition.org/ambiances/1047
work_keys_str_mv AT dimitrakanellopoulou walkingandstandinginathinasstreetencounteringpedestrianlifeinathenshistoricalcentre