Under Ottoman rule, the city grew without the guidance of a general plan for expansion and had narrow streets. The absence of squares in pre-1917 Thessaloniki was addressed by Ernest Hébrard, who proposed a number of large squares in the city, including Megalou Alexandrou Square ("Alexander the Great Square"), now Aristotelous Square.
The city of Thessaloniki, under Ottoman rule, lacked a structured growth plan, resulting in narrow streets.  Ernest Hébrard, prior to 1917, proposed the creation of numerous large squares to address this lack of public spaces and improve the urban landscape.