A project to revamp the lower, commercial end of Syntagma Square in downtown Athens is expected to start within August and will be followed shortly by “permanent” interventions on adjacent Panepistimiou Street, the capital’s mayor said on Monday.

“When we talk about permanent work, we mean – to put it very, very simply – big sidewalks and lots of tall trees. This is what the city needs right now,” Kostas Bakoyannis told state broadcaster ERT.

“We’re starting with Syntagma Square in mid-August. The Syntagma study, which will be presented to the municipal council a week from today for final approval is basically the completion of the original study for Syntagma that was never implemented,” Bakoyannis explained, referring to a study that had been carried out ahead of the 2004 Athens Olympics.

He added that the plan to create more room for pedestrians and bicycles at these two key locations – replacing a temporary intervention dubbed “Grand Walk” – in the city center is slated for completion by the end of 2021.

This article was previously published at ekathimerini.com.