Mapping Athens In The 21st Century

Nikos Markou, 29-03-2007

Mapping the City of Athens in the 21st Century

George Prinos

Year City population

Urban population

Metro population

1833 4,000[28] - -1870 44,500[28] - -1896 123,000[28] - -

1921 (Pre-Population exchange)

473,000[28] - -

1921 (Post-Population exchange)

718,000[28] - -

1971 867,023[29] - -1981 885,737 - -1991 772,072 - 3,444,358[30]

2001 745,514[31] 3,130,841[31] 3,761,810[31]

Athens Urban AreaThe Athens urban area consists of 55 municipalities, 48 of the Athens Prefecture and the 7 of the mainland

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens>Estimates of metropolitan region go as high as 5 million people

Two million repatriated Greeks from Anatolia returned in the 1920s and who still live in certain areas of Athens, such as Néa Smyrni (‘New Smyrna Smyrna being the historical name for Izmir).

Athens Region: Attica 2009

The Athens Metropolitan Area consists of 73 densely populated municipalities, sprawling around the city in virtually all directions.

According to their geographic location in relation to the city of Athens, the suburbs are divided into four zones; the northern suburbs (including Ekali, Nea Erythrea, Agios Stefanos, Drosia, Krvoneri, Kifissia, Maroussi, Pefki, Lykovrisi, Heraklio, Glyka Nera, Vrilissia, Melissia, Pendeli, Halandri, Psychko and Filothei);

the southern suburbs, (including Palaio Faliro, Elliniko, Glyfada, Alimos, Voula and the southernmost suburb of Vouliagmeni):

the eastern suburbs, (including Acharnes, Zografou, Vyronas, Kaisariani, Cholargos, Papagou, and Agia Paraskevi):

and the western suburbs (including Peristeri, Llion, Egaleo, Petroupoli and Nikaia).

The northern and most of the southern suburbs are particularly affluent districts, inhabited primarily by middle-to-high and high income groups. The western suburbs are primarily resided in by middle income earners, with some areas resided in by middle-to-low income groups and still others by middle-to-high earners; while the eastern suburbs are primarily inhabited by middle and middle-to-high income groups. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens>

Polykatikia and Antiparoxhi:

Transportation Networks

Mapping the new infrastructure networks

[highways, Metro and light-rail systems, the internet]

ATTIKI ODOS motorwaysIn September 2002, the high-speed railway began construction, within the large median. In early 2003, Attiki Odos was opened from Kifissou Avenue Interchange (also known as National Road 1 / E75 Interchange) to Eleftherios Venizelos Airport; On 3 September 2003, the Hymettus Ring opened. This part of the motorway runs in the northern part of Hymettus and became the road to bypass Mesogeion Avenue and link to Kifissou Avenue and its suburbs, and the Airport along with the eastern suburbs of Athens.

On April 2004, a small 2.5 km part opened, connecting the Hymettus Ring to the westbound direction of the main route. The high-speed railway was also opened in 2004.

ATTIKI ODOS built and planned

14-storey Hilton Hotel (1963)

1960s Modern additions: 14-storey Hilton Hotel (1963)

Syngrou Avenue stretching south from Syntagma Square

1960s Modern additions: smaller notable buildings along the major Arterial roads such as Synggrou Avenue, Panepistimiou and Stadiou streets.

Mapping new Information Networks:

Megaron Musicis

The Mall

Object buildings added in 1990s and 21st century

Mapping the insertion of new nodes/points of density along the networks [both monumentalstructures of consumption and culture as well as new gentrified areas]

Post-Olympics Venues: what to do?

Gentrifying Neighborhoods

Gazi Cultural Center

New Benaki [Koukoulas architects]

Transformed districts: Gazi

Mapping the transformations in the constitution of the city's public spaces [fromcontrolled, privatized space to space of no-rule]

MAPPING the surrounding Attic landscape;

Nikos Markou, 11-06-2007

Nikos Markou, 26-08-2000, from the series Cosmos, 1999-2003

Attika Landscape

Faleron Olympics Venue

Mapping cultural shifts and clashes caused by the rise immigrant population and increasing consumerist and anti-consumerist behaviors.

CONSUMERIST BEHAVBIOR

IMMIGRATION ISSUES: THE ancient Greek tradition of hospitality to strangers is dying out. Twenty years ago Greeks welcomed more than 600,000 Albanians who walked over the border to start a new life. These days Albanian families have credit cards, mortgages and residency permits. Smaller numbers of Bulgarians, Romanians, Moldovans, Ukrainians, Georgians and Russians also have a toehold in Greece. But a new wave of immigrants from places like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan and Somalia has met indifference or even outright hostility.

Their numbers keep growing. Last year more than 146,000 illegal immigrants arrived, mostly via Turkey, up from 100,000 in 2007. Most end up in Athens because the Turks no longer respect a bilateral agreement to return illegal immigrants, say Greek officials. The half-dozen reception facilities on the Greek islands are overwhelmed; desperate local officials resort to handing out free tickets for the ferry to Piraeus.

The government’s policy is to discourage immigrants from staying. In 2005 it stopped issuing temporary permits allowing immigrants to work, pay social-security contributions and, eventually, become legal residents. Those found without papers are detained for three months, then told to leave the country within four weeks. Last year 88,000 exit orders were issued; but only 18,000 people left. The Economist May14th 2009< http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13652874

Immigration into Greece is split into two co-existing situations. Firstly, there is that of immigrants of Greek origin, coming from Albania, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan. Secondly, there is that of non-Greeks, also coming from Albania, as well as Bulgaria, Pakistan and Nigeria.

There is positive discrimination towards Greeks because the country continues to favor blood ties, making integration and relationships between different communities more difficult,’ says Anna Triandafyllidou, a researcher on immigration at the Eliamep Institute.http://www.cafebabel.com/eng/article/21366/illegal-immigrants-ignored-by-athenians.html

The Informal Economy: Albanians working on building sites or farms, or the Bulgarians in the tourist industry, these illegal immigrants keep the unofficial economy turning, an economy which, according to the ILO, makes up between 30 and 35% of Greece’s GDP. It's the highest level in the EU, and a real problem for Greece.

Immigration in Athens: On May 9th 2009 protesters tried to storm a former court building in Athens that is a squalid home for 600 immigrants. One resident, Moncef, a mechanic from Morocco, says: “The police stood there and did nothing.” It took a group of Greek anarchists to come to the rescue. More than a dozen policemen were injured and four protesters were arrested—but the immigrants stayed. The Economist May14th 2009<http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13652874 >

Athens's 200,000 or so Muslims have been meeting in disused basements and whatever space the community can find.. Over 20 places (basements, storehouses, garages, small shops) in Athens are used by the Muslims as mosques. The Bangladeshi living in Greece use 5 places: two at Omonia square and from one at Agiou Meletiou street, Agios Eleftherios, Kato Petralona. The Pakistanis have 7 mosques: Nea Ionia, Kolonos, Nicaea, Peristeri, Omonia, Piraeas, Kato Petralona. The Egyptians have 3 places: Kaminia, Tzitzifies, Metaxourgio, while the other Arabs have mosques at Goudi, Acharnon street, Neos Kosmos and Sigrou street.

The planned grand mosque at Paeania is going to make official the Islamic presence at the heart of Greece. It is hotly contested.

Mosque in Plaka is now Museum of Greek Folk Art

January an immigration rally march to the Labour Ministry in early Jan 2009. Photo: AFP Police officers in central Athens fired tear gas to dispel the rioters, who peeled off from a protest which had been organised in solidarity with a Bulgarian migrant worker who was attacked with acid last month.Kostadinka Kuneva, 44, a Bulgarian cleaning lady and a union official, is in hospital in a serious condition after the Dec 22 attack by two unidentified men who ambushed her outside her home and threw acid in her face. Demonstrators carried banners reading "Kostandinka, you're not alone," and "Stop violence against immigrants".

ATHENS NEWS , 15/05/2009

Migrants are living in squalor at the former appeals court building on Sokratous St in downtown Athens The migrants - mainly Pakistanis, Afghans and Iraqis - include women and children. They reportedly began sneaking into the deserted eight-storey building on Sokratous St several months ago.

The municipality runs a soup kitchen near Omonia Square that feeds homeless and poor Greek and immigrant residents twice a day. It also runs two homeless shelters for up to 180 people.

Interior ministry officials are reportedly considering bussing the migrants to a disused state facility in the western Athens suburb of Aspropyrgos.

A similar plan to round up undocumented migrants and homeless people in downtown Athens had been discussed prior to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens but was quickly shelved due to mounting protests from Aspropyrgos residents and rights groups.

1834 Plan by von Klenze

1875 Plan

Tourist Map