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While party leaders are entertaining the electorate by directing verbal abuse at each other, the election campaign has raised the odd positive point. We are not referring to the latest publicity stunt by the irresponsible populist George Perdikis 'the map of death which supposedly identifies the areas with high cancer risks' but to AKEL's proposal for the revitalising of the old part of Nicosia, which hopefully will spark some debate and eventually lead to some action.
The problem is that there has never been a unified development plan for the old part of the city, the odd initiative being undertaken every few years while the municipality changes its priorities and policy objectives. The lack of funds experienced by cash-strapped local authorities does not help. Then there is the municipality's bureaucracy, which seems to have its own agenda, using its rules and regulations to thwart any private initiative, as if the ultimate objective were to keep things exactly as they are.
But while the current state of the old city may seem desirable to petty-minded municipality bureaucrats, nobody else shares their view. The fact is that old Nicosia, with its cheap, run-down housing has been attracting impoverished foreign workers, with the risk of gradually becoming an inner city ghetto. And this discourages the majority of Cypriot families from even considering the possibility of buying property in the old part of town. There is a tiny minority which would buy old properties and do them up, but this is not enough to have the desired impact at the rate at which old houses are being renovated, it will be decades before the much-desired revitalisation of the city centre takes place.
One of the main objectives of the UN-sponsored Nicosia Master Plan was to attract young families into the old part of town and give it a new lease of life, but it did not prove very successful. Although old houses were beautifully restored and offered to young, low-income families, the plan did not spark the desired influx of many young families, who still preferred to build new houses in the suburbs, at a safe distance from the Green Line. Despite the Master Plan and the generous incentives offered by the state for renovating old buildings, too many people have shown an aversion to settling in old Nicosia, which has remained the preserve of the elderly, immigrants and foreign workers.
Interestingly, AKEL's proposal seems to downplay the idea of revitalising the old centre by attracting families but focuses on making it an integral part of the town's modern commercial center, which seems to make much more sense. Abroad, many ancient or mediaeval city centres are primarily commercial rather than residential, boasting boutique hotels, restaurants, shops, cafes, bars, galleries etc. Despite the absence of any such planning, this is the direction in which Nicosia is heading. Dozens of such establishments have been opened in the last few years, many of them housed in listed buildings, which have been beautifully restored and are packing in customers.
This is why some parts of the old town are now heaving with life, night and day. The Ledra Street area attracts the family crowds in the day and also in the evenings during the summer months. The area north of the Ochi roundabout and that of Famagusta Gate, with their many bars and cafes, have become popular nightlife areas attracting the younger set. But for some peculiar reason, Nicosia Municipality decided a couple of years ago to impose a freeze on the granting of new licences for caf?s and bars. There were too many operating was the unconvincing excuse given, and residents' interests had to be safeguarded.
This is the result of the absence of a clear vision for the future of the old part of town. Yet it should have become obvious by now to the municipality and the government that it will never become a popular residential area in the way in which Kaimakli, which also boasts many old buildings, has become. There will be some families who choose to renovate old houses and move to this part of town, but this will not make it a residential area. The way forward is for the authorities to accept that it will be part of the town's commercial center, which in the evenings will turn into a nightlife hub. Some pockets of cheap housing, which will attract low-income individuals and families, will remain, but is there any city in the world that does not have them?
This is why the municipality needs go to the drawing board and formulate a new plan for the development of the city. For instance, it could give incentives for the creation of boutique hotels that would be housed in listed buildings; more areas should be pedestrianised; more caf?s and bars should be allowed to open; perhaps tax breaks should be given to businesses moving there. It should also reconsider its decision to turn Eleftheria Square and parts of the moat into an ultra-modern plaza, as this would be aesthetically incompatible with the rest of the old town. The future of the old town is as a bustling commercial and leisure centre rather than a residential area.
AKEL is correct in proposing the formulation of a unified plan and a development strategy for the old part of town. We just hope it is not just another electoral exercise and that the idea will be pursued. |
