Paris Demetriades
We are still thousands of tree plantings away from being able to say that urban greenery in our bleak concrete jungles is even remotely satisfactory, respectable, or capable of meeting the ever-growing demands of the climate crisis. And yet, last year’s election of people with genuine vision on this issue to local governments in major urban centers has created a rare momentum, a tangible hope that must not be forgotten or lost in the murky corridors of our deeply bureaucratic and apathetic public administration.
The issue is deafeningly serious: it’s not just about quality of life or charming beautification efforts in public spaces. With temperatures relentlessly rising and the threat of actual desertification of the island becoming more and more real, this is a matter of survival for future human generations, and it’s high time we treated it as such.
We need many more and much larger parks, as well as a wealth of leafy trees on every avenue, in every alleyway, in every neighborhood. The unchecked spread of concrete, which began with the country’s independence, inevitably accelerated in the aftermath of the invasion’s trauma, and has spiraled in modern times due to economic and other pressures, must finally be stopped, or at the very least properly adapted to the green imperatives of our era.
There are initiatives moving in the right direction: the creation of a Metropolitan Park, modeled after cities abroad, in the area of the State Fairgrounds; green corridors and a corresponding Metropolitan Park proposed by the Municipality of Limassol; and green public spaces like Salina across from Larnaca’s Municipal Garden and the Gauguin park in Zakaki. However, the emphasis must shift far more toward actual greenery, not flashy reflexology paths and other fanciful interventions, welcome as they may be. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that a park, above all else, should consist of trees and shade, everything else is an afterthough. And at some point, can we please put an end to the clumsy, botched pruning jobs that have long plagued every location where trees still dare to stand?
Our cities, in general, must stop sprawling so extensively. We need greater urban density and a revival , or better, a restoration, of the neighborhood feel in our communities. These are interconnected issues that inevitably involve various sluggish branches of the state apparatus, but the sands in the hourglass are running dangerously low. Solutions need to be put in motion now.
Perhaps the only thing still missing is for the country’s decision-makers, both elected and permanent, to grasp the urgency of the matter and finally assume their responsibilities without delay.
*This opinion was translated from its Greek original.
