Successful transport decision-making - Osmose

Underground car park in Panorama
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Panorama
The Municipality of Panorama is part of the Greater Thessaloniki Area
in north-eastern Greece. It is located approximately 10 km from
Thessaloniki's city centre and covers an area of 33km². Over the past
20 years its population has risen by 260% and is now officially 15,000.
However, since many people were not recorded in the most recent
census, the real figure is close to 23,000. Panorama is a typical middle
to high-class residence area and car ownership is well above average.
The Municipality of Panorama is currently served by two bus routes:
one connecting Panorama to Thessaloniki, and the other providing a
local service. The growth increase of the population, along with the
increasing dependency from private cars, has led to high traffic
volumes and significant lack of parking space in the centre. A major
part of these volumes is due to through traffic. In general, the traffic
situation affects the main network of the Municipality and the market
places the most.
Building an underground car park
GUIDEMAPS looked at the process of planning and building an
underground car park in Panorama city centre. The two-storey garage
is planned to accommodate up to 120 cars. A public park will be
constructed on top of the car park as part of a wider enhancement of
the area. The aim is to reduce traffic congestion and environmental
impacts, and to strengthen the local economy by making shopping
easier and more attractive to consumers.
Changes in the Greek law took place while the project was under way
and affected the whole process. The new framework gave more
authority to the Municipality with regard to the planning and
implementation of the project. Therefore, the municipal authority had to
face several extra problems dealing with administrative and
managerial issues. To ensure public support and tackle additional
barriers, the local authority took steps to keep people informed and get
them involved in the process.
GUIDEMAPS interests
The Panorama practice example is useful in demonstrating the effect
of decentralisation of administrative powers on a traffic scheme.
In Panorama, GUIDEMAPS explored:
How agencies from different levels of government worked
together, and what the sucess and failures in their relationships
might be;
How the various people involved communicated, and the
strengths and weaknesses of their methods;
How public participation contributed to acceptance of traffic plans;
and
What methods can be used to finance projects at the local level.
Streets of Panorama
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