Lastekodu tänav, which runs past the Central Market and joins the major thoroughfare of Liivalaia at its western end, has prompted lively debate from local residents and social media users more broadly.

The €14-million project, put in place by the previous Reform-Isamaa-SDE-Eesti 200 city coalition, took over a year to complete and fully opened late last year. Traffic-calming measures included raised intersections, new sidewalks and cycle lanes, and a reduced speed limit of 30 km/h, as well as more greenery, benches and garbage bins.

Complaints have included parked cars causing an obstruction, even though these are often at designated parking spaces put in place during the refurbishment.

Järvan said the Lastekodu work was intended to be a novel approach from its conception, but instead the result serves as a monument to the underlying ideas and as an example in debates over future street projects and urban space.

"It is then a very concrete example of what the real-world experience can be when such lofty ideas are foisted on the urban space – how people act and whose interests it ultimately serves," Järvan said.

While the watchword was traffic calming, the outcome has been extravagant and slightly confusing situations, as if this were the approach which should be taken in encouraging road users to be more alert and cautious and slow traffic.

"Rather, it does not produce good results if you confuse people; if you create dangerous situations in the hope that people will cut their speed and be more cautious themselves. By creating a dangerous situation, you create dangerous situations," Järvan went on, adding that this was not achieved cheaply.

"And the flip side of it – Lastekodu tänav should be something of a record in terms of paving, because not many other places have had so much paving laid. I understand that the contractor even had concerns about where to find enough skilled workers to lay all that paving. And that naturally drove up the price. When we calculate how much one kilometer of street costs, Vana-Kalamaja Street was approximately €10 million while Lastekodu approximately €6 million. Today, you can still build a perfectly exemplary kilometer of street for €3 million," Järvan said.

The current Center-Isamaa city coalition has, by its statements, been somewhat more pro-car and less pro-cycling than elements of the previous administration.

Järvan's criticism comes as Tallinn continues to debate the balance between traffic calming, pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure, and the needs of motorists in future street projects.

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