Feasibility Study for the improvement of public services within the boundaries of the Nicosia walled city in the Turkish Cypriot community

Project Title 

Overall Objective 

To develop a comprehensive feasibility and sustainability study for the improvement of public services within the boundaries of the Nicosia Walled City in the Turkish Cypriot community.

Output

Feasibility Study for the improvement of public services within the boundaries of the Nicosia walled city in the Turkish Cypriot community prepared.

Location

Type of investment

Description of investment

The objectives of the Feasibility Study include the following:

• Drawing greater attention and raising awareness of the state of infrastructure and public services in the Walled City within the local community.  
• Stimulating stronger stakeholders’ engagement and debate on the conditions of infrastructure and public services in the Walled City.  
• Delivering a ‘project preparation and implementation instrument’ for public service improvements to the responsible Local Community for evidence-based action.
• Promoting an integrated approach to infrastructure investment based on development visions and land use objectives to utilize new land uses and growth opportunities related to technology an innovation.  
• Addressing governance gaps for improved management capacities for sustainability, resilience and adaptability in infrastructure management.

For the purpose of this assignment, ‘public services’ to be investigated by the Feasibility Study have been commonly agreed as:

• First, the hard utility infrastructure services (the ‘hardware’ of the area) that require built infrastructure for their delivery (water, sewerage, drainage, electricity, telecommunication, solid waste management, etc.)
• Second, soft city infrastructure (the ‘software’) that require light-built infrastructure for delivery (mobility facilities, - footpaths/cycle tracks, pedestrian priority crossings, pavements, street furniture, street cleaning, landscaping, green open spaces, pest control, etc.)  
• Third, other important local city management services as supplementary component to the overall environmental quality in the Walled City, delivered through manpower-intensive organizational capacity (such as, planning control, building regulations, management of decaying old ‘listed’ buildings impacting upon private investment in restoration, local resource management for sustainable maintenance and monitoring, etc.).

The assignment is executed through a set of 9 outputs:

• A firm grasp of the area and the project
• Thorough knowledge of existing condition of all public services in the Walled City - The Baseline Report
• Proposed approaches choices and solutions - The Master Plan Report
• Estimated Costs - Cost Report
• Evaluation and benefits - Benefit Report
• Financing Issues - Financial Report
• Actions Plan - Implementation and Phasing Report
• Institutional Context - Institutional Report
• Final Report 

Intended beneficiary

Direct beneficiaries: Turkish Cypriot Nicosia local community

Indirect beneficiaries: Turkish Cypriot community and Greek Cypriot community of Nicosia  

Scope of works

The Walled City of Nicosia as a whole covers an area of approximately 3 sq. km., the two areas of the Walled City separated by a strip of ‘buffer zone’, left by in which each community lives, are approximately of the same size. In the Turkish Cypriot community,  in the northern part of the Walled City, there are approximately 1,500 housing units, roughly 300 guest houses and 1,400 shops, about 500 offices, some 250 cultural buildings, 300 workshops and other 300 unclassified uses. Of the 1,500 housing units 300 are in very good condition, an equal number in very poor condition and the rest in a relatively satisfactory condition.

It is significant that all observations and reflections by stakeholders present an overwhelming overlap around the position that (a) the infrastructure is ageing, decaying and needs renewal and (b) infrastructure and public services should be upgraded to support and serve a better environment for people to live, work and socialize in the Walled City. Stakeholders consulted covered both local body and private sector opinion, including technically qualified personnel with long experience in the local community engaged in different but related public services. They now form a group,  willing and able to provide technical knowledge during the implementation of the Feasibility Study, and a diverse group of people in private practice whose professional activities bring them in contact with places and problems in the Walled City. 

Actions taken by UNDP

1. Preparation of the Terms of Reference
   Completed in December 2021. The ToR were was prepared by an external expert that consulted with a broad range of stakeholders.  
2. Procurement
   Completed in June 2022. The Request for Proposals (RfP) had to be launched two times.
3. Implementation of Services
   Completed in January 2024
4. Definition of knowledge transfer activities
   Completed in September 2025
5. Provision of knowledge transfer services
   Delivered in September and October 2025