"The cycle paths have received a lot of criticism, and I agree that some of it has been objective, but what has been done and the direction that has been chosen is the right one in the broader picture," Kõlvart said at the city government's press briefing. 

"The first step has been taken, the urban space is changing, people have received a signal that the urban space must look different in the future, but these solutions can be definitely developed and improved," the mayor added.

He explained that while the plan is that lasting solutions will be put in place as part of each major road reconstruction in the future, the current solutions are not 100 percent temporary either, meaning that many of the changes that have been made will remain.

"And, personally, I am of the opinion that the red color of bicycle paths was also the right choice. The aim was to give people a signal about how urban space has changed and to bring necessary attention to it," said Kõlvart.

He recalled that city authorities have also presented this solution before, when the Tallinn Green Capital presentation was unveiled.

"Among other things, the color chosen to mark the cycle paths was made known, and I'm sure many people also noticed that we are not original in this respect- in many European cities the color chosen is red," the mayor said. 

"There are many such steps and more are coming. And the most important thing is a change of mindset," Kõlvart added.

Deputy mayor: Tallinn could complete film campus by end of 2022

Tallinn deputy mayor Aivar Riisalu (Center) said the city is essentially ready to launch the construction of a film industry complex planned to be built in the city's Kopli district straight away, in which case the complex would already be completed by the end of 2022.

Riisalu said at the press conference that a permit has been obtained for the construction of a film studio with a gross area of 6,300 square meters and thus, the works, which Riisalu estimates will take some 1.5 years, could begin immediately.

The Riigikogu on Monday approved the ranking of cultural buildings of national importance, adding the film campus "Film Wonderland" to it. The film campus holds the fifth place on the list.

The deputy mayor said that while the parliament's decisions is positive, it means that the campus will presumably not receive funding from the state until 2023.

He said the capital city and the state should launch negotiations to resolve the issue as soon as possible. He said that the sooner the construction of the film industry complex begins, the better, because the Estonian film community is greatly looking forward to getting its own hub and the new campus will also have a positive effect on the economy.

Tallinn Film Wonderland is about to establish a complex of film studios and a film campus at 35 Kopli tänav in Tallinn to bring the field of audiovisual production in Estonia to a new level by attracting more international film, TV and advertisement production to the country.

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