Accessible city for all

The City of Komotini (EL) devised a multi-phase urban development programme to improve accessibility and social inclusion, with the involvement of disabled people. It started with the Urban II Community Initiative Programme (2000-2006), which funded urban regeneration interventions to encourage economic competitiveness and integrate the most vulnerable groups of its multicultural population.   The second and third phases (2007-2020) included additional urban infrastructure (bike lane network, accessible open spaces, buildings and schools), and also the establishment of social structures co-funded by the municipality and run by a local NGO (community centre, halfway houses and activity centre for and run by disabled people, after-school programmes for children with intellectual disabilities, smart city technologies and app).