ΑTHENIAN NEIGHBORHOODS – “GEITONIES”
This project has been created by “Cities for Cycling” and is being performed with the partnership of municipality of Athens and other public entities.
The main targets are,
• Promoting commuting by bicycle for small distances between city center and neighborhoods around it
• Creating awareness among other users of road infrastructure (cars, motorcycles, etc.)
• Activating the collaboration of municipal authorities and local residents
• Highlighting bike friendly routes among the neighborhoods
• Connecting those routes to the existing and future cycle tracks
• Creating a network of people with common ground and interests in sustainable development
Desired results would be an increase on the average amount of bicycle users that will automatically lead to increased road safety of bicycle users and reduction of average vehicle velocity in those areas.
The project is taking place during winter 2016 and spring 2017 and brings together the seven communities of the municipality of Athens. In each community we follow the same three basic steps.
Those steps are,
1. Initiate working groups in every community:
• Create a team of 2-3 locals
• Brainstorm all together
• Provide know how
2. Take actions together with the working groups:
• Host a cycling event in every community to promote project awareness
• Create bike friendly routes and bike parking spaces in places of interest within each community with the help and local knowledge of working group
3. Educate about and promote sustainable development:
• Participate in “Open Schools” program; educational classes that take place in school properties on afternoon within the week. Create a series of lessons that regard cycling, sustainable development, Teaching children to cycle
Benefits of the implementation of the project on each community will be:
• Highlighting the work under process on each community
• Initiating a local networking towards local issues and solutions
• Consulting and education in sustainable development
• Partnering with other communities
• Promoting the work of each community via European Cyclists’ Federation
Every community will be cooperating directly with the Sustainable Development Unit of the municipality of Athens and will be supported along the way with the knowledge and know-how of “Cities for Cycling”.