The ‘Initiative for a Humane Engomi’ has expressed strong concern and disappointment over Nicosia Municipality’s plans in a letter addressed to the mayor.
It says the municipality’s plans run contrary to the views expressed by residents. One of the initiative’s main demands is the conversion of the former International Cyprus State Fair grounds into a National Park, creating a significant green space for exercise, wellness and recreation for residents of Engomi and the wider Nicosia area.
The initiative has also opposed plans to construct seven roundabouts in Engomi, at a distance of one kilometre from one another. It argues that such projects would destroy the area’s residential character and negatively affect residents’ daily lives.
It further notes that roundabouts “are no longer a solution in modern urban traffic planning” and that, according to the expertise of transport engineers, they are avoided, particularly within residential zones.
Regarding the State Fair grounds, the initiative refers to a unanimous decision by Nicosia Municipality, dated 21 November 2024, to convert the site into a Metropolitan Park. It describes the decision as a major victory for the capital’s residents and for those who signed and have continued, for five years, to support this vision.
At the same time, it says that the current Government remains “out of step” because, although it made a pre-election commitment in favour of the park, it has not yet revoked the decision of the previous Government dated 14 September 2022. The initiative says it expects a position in favour of the public interest before the end of the year.
According to EU statistics cited by the initiative, Nicosia is the capital with the lowest percentage of public green space, at just 4%, compared with 11% in Athens, 20% in Paris, 39% in Madrid, 44% in Berlin, 53% in Bern and 72% in Oslo.
It also adds that Nicosia is Europe’s third most polluted capital in terms of air pollution and that more than 1,000 Cypriots die prematurely each year because of poor air quality.
Source: CNA
