Athens Pouring €9.5m into City Center Revamp

Athens, Greece. Photo: Maria Theofanopoulou

The Athens Municipality is moving full speed ahead with an ambitious urban regeneration program allocating 9.5 million euros for four major city projects.

Athens, Greece. Photo Source: @This is Athens

The National Garden, a 38-acre green oasis in the heart of Athens, the commercial triangle, the degraded area of Agios Pandeleimonas off Acharnon St, and bike lanes are up for construction or revamp works funded by the Attica 2014-2020 operational program.

Interventions include pedestrianization of the city’s commercial center; the reconstruction of Agios Panteleimonas Square and the widening of pavements along Pipinou, Alkiviadou and Agorakritou streets budgeted at 450,000 euros; improving infrastructure and green areas in the National Garden with projects aiming at the long-term sustainability of the garden budgeted at 4.1 million euros; and the creation of cycling lanes to main points of interest that will allow uninterrupted traffic flow set to cost 950,000 euros.

“Athens is repeatedly demonstrating that it can design, manage and implement big projects,” said Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis, adding that “local government has both a plan and the political will to research and, above all, implement interventions that change the city daily… with the economic development of the city and improving the quality of life of its residents as a basis”.

National Gardens, Athens. Photo © Maria Theofanopoulou

The move is part of the municipal authority’s ongoing city overhaul scheme, which also includes removing abandoned vehicles, cleaning up waste, freeing up public space, repairing benches, enhancing green spaces and clearing building facades. The program aims to transform Athens’ commercial center into a functional model with regulated public space, parking and vehicle traffic, catering hours and efficient waste management.