Economic Activity and Urban Design Policy as a Means for Recovery of Commercial Activity: The Case Study of Athens’ Commercial Streets

One of the most important effects of the financial and economic crisis is the reduction of commercial activity. Since 2013, the proportion of closed commercial properties in the commercial center of Athens has peaked, reaching the 32.3% of the total number of ground floor properties. This phenomenon varies from one neighborhood to another and, as a result, it is necessary to be further studied carefully across the Athens Metropolitan Area (AMA). Apart from spatial issues related to the special characteristics of the Athenian neighborhoods, another topic has to be examined: the potential relationship among the urban morphology, the use of urban spaces (accessibility, walkability, livability, etc.) and the increased number of closed commercial properties. This research is a combined study between the commercial activity in the pre- and post-crisis period and the morphological characteristics of commercial streets in three Athenian neighborhoods (Kypseli, Nea Ionia and Aghios Demetrios) that have been exploited as case studies. The purpose of the research is to understand the impact of the crisis over time and to highlight critical variations that are related to the geography of an area. Results highlight the hypothesis and thus, sustainable mobility planning may be initially considered as a regeneration policy for commercial activity in the post-crisis era.