The technical chamber (Etek) has proposed transforming the Venetian moat and surrounding perimeter of old Nicosia into a continuous linear park from Paphos Gate to Famagusta Gate, as part of a wider plan to restructure and revitalise the capital’s historic centre.

The proposal, submitted to President Nikos Christodoulides on Tuesday, sets out a framework in which the moat is developed as a continuous path designed for pedestrians and cyclists.

Etek states that the intervention is intended to create a unified urban system rather than isolated green segments.

The report stresses that without common technical standards, including lighting, signage and furniture, the project risks becoming fragmented.

“The linear park must be delivered in phases with a unified design identity and guaranteed maintenance,” the report says.

“Otherwise, the result is disconnected interventions that do not form a coherent whole.”

The proposal forms part of Etek’s strategy for the capital, which also includes education facilities and cultural hubs.

The report recommends multi-year funding arrangements for the pathway, staged construction and continuous monitoring to avoid partial delivery or abandonment.

Etek also proposes the establishment of a watchdog operating under a presidential mandate, tasked with overseeing implementation across ministries and local authorities.

The office would conduct quarterly reviews and produce an annual public report on progress.

The interior and finance ministries are identified as lead authorities, with the Nicosia municipality and the transport ministry designated as co-responsible bodies.

The chamber sees the proposals as a direct answer to findings from a workshop held in July 2025 with the municipality, which generated more than 100 proposals for urban regeneration, later ranked by impact using interpretive structural modelling.

Etek argues that the interventions must be treated as a matter of national importance due to their impact on “mobility, housing and the economic viability of the capital centre”.

It adds that pilot sections of the moat park could be developed first in areas of highest demand, with outcomes assessed through pedestrian flow and accessibility indicators before expansion.