Detailed description (English): The city of Szeged decided to close the Tisza river quay for all motorized vehicles on weekends in the months of July and August in 2020. This way we open up the quay for active modes of transport and leisure time activities along with cultural and sporting events. Since the quay became a major passageway for car drivers through the city, it became impossible to spend our free time on the downtown parts of the river quay. This temporary measure is an experiment to see how many citizens would choose to spend a summer evening jogging and cycling, or enjoying cultural programs such as concerts and movies next to the Tisza.
The functional change of the quay is a very conscious decision in order to allow and encourage people to profit from the outstanding natural environment and possibilities that the river provides. By giving this space to citizens, we hope that people will spend more time close to nature and they will appreciate more their natural surroundings. In order to emphasize the importance of environmental protection, all single-use plastics are prohibited during events. In addition, cashless payment is highly encouraged which is less resource-intensive and can help stop the spread of viruses.
The CoVid-19 pandemic has caused major damage in all aspects of life for the vast majority of the world’s population. Nevertheless, it has brought a positive change when it comes to traffic-related pollution and GHG emission. More and more people are talking about sustainability and environmental protection. We hope that we can use this time to raise environmental awareness among citizens. For cities, sustainable urban development is not only in infrastructure and the expansion of green areas in a city. It should be an attitude in all matters.