I started writing for Global Site Plans and The Grid in October 2012 and I can’t believe how fast time has passed by. I was reading The Grid posts on social media and I always thought that it was a very well organised initiative from people interested in environmental and urban design – for anyone [...]
When we wake up in the morning and the weather is sunny and warm, don’t we feel more happy and eager to go out and face everyday life? Imagine a patient that stays in a hospital room for many days. If they wake up in a room full of sunshine, surely they feel more relaxed [...]
Easy access to a hospital is vital to a good hospital design. When we say “easy access,” we are referring to the ease with which cars and ambulances can access a hospital, especially considering emergency situations. Is this easy access concept possible for Athens, Greece – a city of approximately ten million people? Athens’s residents [...]
The urban environment today is certainly different from what it used to be. City expansion, increased populations in urban centers, and CO2 accumulation are some of the reasons for so-called micro-climates. Greek cities are seeing these types of changes as well. A major problem for Greek cities is the low percentage of public green spaces. [...]
Carpooling became more popular in Athens, Greece due to frequent public transportation strikes in recent years. For example, on January 17, 2013 metro workers went on strike, which continued for over a week. On some of these days workers of other public transportation methods (bus, tram, etc.) also went on strike. Consequently, the only solution [...]
As Greece faces an economic recession, the country’s creditors have asked the government to move ahead with the privatization of major companies. It is believed that this process will offer the country economic sustainability. OSE, the Greek company in charge of railway transport, is one of these major companies. The solution suggested by the Greek government, [...]
I live in Athens, Greece. For the last two years there has been a big increase of people traveling by bike in the city. It seems that the economic crisis, which began in 2010, has a positive effect, at least for the environment. Fuel prices, as well as the increasing cost of mass transit tickets, [...]
When a city is selected to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, it undertakes a great responsibility to accommodate athletes and their teams, as well as thousands of people at appropriate infrastructures. Athens, Greece hosted the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2004. It was an event undoubtedly well-organized and appreciated globally. The total cost of [...]
The BLDGBLOG Book by Geoff Manaugh introduces us to speculation about future architecture and how the present built environment will eventually change. From the first page of the book, the reader gets an idea of what he is about to read as he is presented an illustration of London in A.D. 2109. London seems like [...]
Is it possible for people to connect with nature while living in urban environments? Especially in big cities with poor access green spaces? Here are a few examples of percentages of green space per resident, in a sample of cities around the world: Cape Town: 290 m2/resident And according to a summary of research findings [...]
In Thessaloniki, Northern Greece, on May 24 2012, the Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT), the Greek Center for Research and Technology along with the municipality of Thessaloniki, and the Hellenic Institute of Transportation Engineers, presented the project “You are a click away.” This project will suggest intelligent, environmentally-friendly, and sustainable transportation solutions to citizens of [...]
“Rethink Athens” is a project organized and funded by the “Onassis Foundation” whose objective is to improve the everyday life of Athenian citizens, by transforming the center of the Greek capital. “Rethink Athens” will be realized by a European competition which will indicate a winning architect (person or legal entity) to undertake the design of a [...]
Apparently there are endangered species in our urban environments, although it may be difficult to realize. How often, when we are getting around a city, with its pollution, noise, and traffic congestion, do we see something that reminds us of nature? It is often the case that biodiversity declines with urban expansion. Extensive roads, transportation [...]
