Our thesis is an attempt to widen the road and thus the public space, which is gradually shrinking, due to the boundaries imposed by the ownership regime and the increasing concern for the circulation of vehicles. As a field of study and analysis is selected a part of the commercial and historical center of Volos, which features urban elements such as high concentration of population, high and dense construction, mixed land use and intense traffic.
The focus of our attention is the pedestrian and his movement in the streets, which is enriched through the creation of free access spaces without involving them in speculation and commercialization.
To achieve this, we take advantage of the existing configuration of the unstructured areas of the city that we unify them, composing a network of small passes and small squares. Ownership limits are modified to allow the access and pass-through the city blocks, while provide opportunities to rest and new routes to walk around. The pedestrian "pierces" the solid blocks through empty spaces, parking or open ground spaces (pilotis). The "cracks" that are created make up a maze for wandering and opportunities of random encounters, behind the strong coastal front.
The network mainly targets inhabitants of the blocks as it is made up of private land. The unification of these spaces requires the acceptance of the inhabitants. The Municipality in cooperation with the local authorities, should organize a participatory planning workshop in which the inhabitants will have a decisive role, in order to start this process.