Athens

Greece

New Park Space for an Old City

After 3,400 years, Athens will soon get its first large urban park. When completed in 2030, Ellinikon Metropolitan Park will be 600 acres (243 ha), about three-fourths the size of New York City’s Central Park, an enormous addition of green space.

August 31, 2023 - ULI Urban Land Magazine

Oslo Street

In Oslo, Streets for People, Not Cars

New measures will greatly reduce vehicle traffic in the city center as Oslo moves to put pedestrians, cyclists, and air quality before cars.

December 25, 2018 - The New York Times

Subway Station

Athens Fights Rising Temperatures

At the recent Smart Cities Conference in Barcelona, Mayor Kaminis of Athens highlighted how the city is helping residents survive the increasingly hot summers in the Greek capital.

December 14, 2018 - Cities of the Future

Bus Service Expanded in Athens, Georgia

The 7 and 5 routes have been updated, and the 7 will see service hours extended.

July 4, 2018 - The Red and Black

Brazil Olympics

Abandoned Olympic Venues Cast Doubt on the Value of Hosting

Though cities hope for an economic boost, these photos show it's far from guaranteed.

February 17, 2018 - Business Insider

Famous Mexico City traffic

Banning Diesel Cars in City Centers

Mexico City, Paris, Madrid, and Athens will ban diesel cars and vans by 2025.

December 7, 2016 - The Guardian

Athens, Georgia, Broad Street

Athens, Georgia: Where Broad Street Is Too Broad

Athens, Georgia has come to the conclusion that the city's Broad Street may just be a tad too broad. Now what to do about it?

December 5, 2016 - Flagpole

London 2012 Olympic Games

For Host Cities, Olympic Legacies Are Mixed

The two-week competition is often touted as a galvanizing force for urban development. But that's only cities include the Games' legacy in their planning process from the start.

August 25, 2016 - Curbed

How Economic Crisis Inspired Grassroots Organizations in Greece

Citiscope examines the organizing and volunteer efforts of citizens in Athens, Greece in response to the country's economic crisis.

January 25, 2015 - Citiscope

Athens Plans Massive City Park in Derelict Olympic Footprint

With an ailing economy and soaring unemployment, the city of Athens, Greece is planning on selling 6.2 million square meters to Lamda Development SA.

September 25, 2014 - This City Life

Making the Case for the Downtown Athens Master Plan

University of Georgia College of Environment and Design Professor Jack Crowley has taken to the pages of a local publication to explain some of the thinking behind the proposed Downtown Athens Master Plan.

April 12, 2014 - Flagpole

Greek Financial Crisis Inspires Inexpensive Urbanism

Vivian Doumpa looks at three examples of bottom-up urban interventions completed in Greece, which show that a font of citizen spirit and ingenuity can help overcome the most draconian austerity measures.

April 25, 2013 - Pop-Up City

Will Wal-Mart Chase the Cool out of Athens, GA?

In the controversy over a new development planned for downtown Athens, the chain retailer seems to be a Trojan horse for a larger debate about economic development and who gets to define what is best for a community.

February 28, 2012 - Salon.com

The Olympic Aftermath in Athens

This piece from Domus goes on a tour of Athens with local architect Andreas Angelidakis, who reflects on the city's lasting and negative impacts from hosting the Olympics.

June 14, 2011 - domus

European Urbanism: Lessons from a City without Suburbs

Athens, Greece has all the elements of good urbanism - density, diversity, destinations, distance (to transit) and design. So is Athens a poster child for good urbanism? Fanis Grammenos takes an in-depth look.

February 10, 2011 - Fanis Grammenos

Despite Expenses, Athens Enjoys Transit Legacy of 2004 Olympics

The 2004 Olympics in Athens burdened the city with underutilized venues and deep debt. But the event also vastly improved pedestrian and public transportation.

September 15, 2010 - Next American City

Architectural Cleansing

Architect Christos Floros of Athens, Greece says that the city is constantly facing "architectural cleansing" as war, rapid population growth, and greed sweep away historic buildings.

June 25, 2010 - The Naked City

London's Big Stadium Gamble

The Olympics can be awesome for cities. Or they can be devastating. Rarely they're both, and most often they are an economic drain caused by over-investment in facilities with limited long-term usability. So when London's plans for a 2012 Summer Olympics stadium that would reduce from 80,000 seats during the games to a more realistically usable 25,000 seats after, Olympics experts, city officials and taxpayers rejoiced. But recent news has turned that rejoice to disgust.

June 30, 2009 - Nate Berg

Beijing Sees Brighter Future Than Athens

As the Olympics leave town, Beijing appears to be in a much better position to benefit from the games than previous Summer Olympic host Athens.

August 27, 2008 - Yahoo Sports

As Venues Sit Unused, Athens Feels Olympic Remorse

Four years after it hosted the Summer Olympics, Athens is questioning whether the $15 billion investment in venues that now largely sit unused was really worth it.

July 22, 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor

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