MUNICIPALITY OF ANO LIOSIA

URBAN UNIT “AI-GIANNIS”

 

THE TOWN OF ANO LIOSIA

URBAN/SOCIO-ECONOMIC STRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT

    The Municipality of Ano Liosia is located at the northwestern outskirts of the Greater Athens Metropolitan Area, at a distance of approximately 12 kilometers from the center of the city of Athens, with which it is connected by Phylis Avenue and Liosion Street. The town’s northern border touches the feet of Mount Parnis.

    Settlement in Ano Liosia began toward the middle of the 18^th century. In 1905, the town acquired its first statutory town plan of 30 hectares. Up until the Second World War, development in Ano Liosia was slow. Following the War, especially after 1950, Ano Liosia attracted large numbers of low-income internal immigrants due to the low cost of its subdivided land and the job opportunities offered by its proximity to the rapidly developing Athens urban center. As a result of this migration, the population of Ano Liosia, which in 1950 was 1.660 inhabitants, reached 11.388 inhabitants by 1971, and 21.397 by 1991. Today, Ano Liosia is inhabited by, approximately, 35.000 people, and the area of its statutory town plan extends on 750 hectares.

    The Ano Liosia population data indicates that the population growth rate is markedly faster than the growth rate of other areas within the Athens Metropolitan Area. The need for housing, the lack of housing policy and the low socio-economic level of its residents has resulted in rampant unplanned and illegal (without a building permit) construction. This, in combination with the lack of any infrastructure, has led to the downgrading of the area.

    Today, the main socio-economic characteristics of the Ano Liosia population are:

    The composition of the Ano Liosia population is not altogether homogeneous as it regards the origin and the cultural characteristics of the various groups of its residents. Greek expatriates from the former Soviet Republics, refugees, Gypsies, and economic immigrants from the Balkan countries are groups that appear in high concentration within an otherwise homogeneous population.

    Illiteracy is particularly high among Gypsies. Their nomadic way of life and their social particularities prevent them from integrating into the rest of the population while their co-existence with it is often less than harmonious.

    Another, more recent, social group of Ano Liosia residents is that of the Greek expatriates who have returned from the former Soviet Republics since 1990. This group faces a different set of difficulties in the process of social and economic integration. Their number is approximately 4.000 people.

    The settlement of these groups in Ano Liosia has resulted in a change in the composition of its population and the creation of significant socio-economic and cultural problems.

    In addition to the rapid population growth and the aforementioned socio-economic problems, Ano Liosia has been designated to host a number of functions considered “undesirable” by the residents of other localities of the Greater Athens Metropolitan Area. These functions that further contribute to the downgrading of the environment, are:

    Finally, the devastating earthquake of September 7, 1999, the epicentre of which was very close to Ano Liosia, has rendered the existing problems even more acute and the prospects for the development of the area more difficult.

    To improve these conditions, the Municipality of Ano Liosia has taken a number of initiatives and implemented various programs in order to fight unemployment and consolidate the local economy. These programs cover a wide spectrum:

    Among the projects described above, three are worth mentioning separately, the first two because they underline the role that Ano Liosia can play among the neighboring municipalities and the third because of its paramount importance for the Ano Liosia residents:

1. The City Park, a recreational area of 30 hectares which, when finished, will feature a swimming pool, a recreational lake, a water-land, tennis courts, a mini soccer court, a library, a movie theater, a restaurant and a conference center.
2. The Industrial Park lying on 50 hectares at the south-western edge of the Municipality, which constitutes the first organized industrial park area adhering to Law 2545/97. It will host manufactures and low-pollution light industries under strict environmental specifications. Administering body of this model industrial park, which is to be constructed by the Municipal Construction Company, is the Municipality of Ano Liosia. Its key-location relative to the road and railway network within the Greater Athens Metropolitan Area is the comparative advantage that this park has over other industrial parks. It is expected to create 3.000 jobs and, thus, reduce unemployment in the Ano Liosia area.
3. The Urban Renewal and Housing Reconstruction Project of the Municipality of Ano Liosia. This is a wide range urban renewal project which aims at re-planning and rebuilding the 190 city blocks that were heavily damaged by the September 7, 1999 earthquake. Immediately following the earthquake, the urban renewal effort focused both on the building design of each property on every city block affected by the earthquake, as well as on the balance between buildings and open spaces, in order to achieve an environment of high standards. A new town of high architectural and urban standards will be created within the existing urban fabric of Ano Liosia. The next step, that is the centrally (administered by the municipality) organized construction of the buildings destroyed by the earthquake, is already under way. In addition, the Municipality will provide economic support to its residents in the form of subsidies and loans.

    Finally, the following public works, affecting the wider Athens area, are expected to significantly enhance development in the Municipality of Ano Liosia:

    The Municipality of Ano Liosia plans to take advantage of these important public projects in order to create new opportunities for its citizens, to help resolve urban problems and to create a new model of social, urban and economic organization.

THE BROADER STUDY AREA

URBAN STURCTURE – MUNICPAL POLICY

    The Broader Study Area is located at the western part of the Municipality of Ano Liosia. Most of it lies within the Urban Unit Ai-Giannis, while a smaller part belongs to the Urban Unit Tsouklidi, an area soon to acquire a statutory town plan. The Urban Unit Ai-Giannis acquired a statutory town plan in 1986 and the relevant implementation act was completed in 1996.

    The Broader Study Area borders to the east with the Urban Unit Kentro, to the west with Tsouklidi (from which it is separated by the Yannoula Dry Riverbed), and to the south with the Industrial Park.

    This area has attracted the highest concentration of sensitive social groups in Ano Liosia and is significantly disadvantaged both from an urban and an environmental point of view, even though it is located close to the administrative and commercial center of the town. It is in this area that the problems characterizing the Municipality of Ano Liosia become more acute. The most important problems of the area are:

    In spite of the many problems, the area has significant possibilities for improvement and development as the buildings are relatively sparse, and because it is situated at a “key” location that connects the rest of the Municipality of Ano Liosia with the soon-to-acquire a statutory town plan Tsouklidi area and the “G. Gennimatas II” low-cost housing project.

    The area contains several empty city blocks. It also contains a large number of city blocks that are only partially built (in many cases, as much as 80% of their surface area remains unbuilt). The lots are of various sizes. Most of them are small, 150-200 square meters. Some are 300-600 square meters. Larger properties exist in the area to be included in the statutory town plan.

    The Broader Study Area has developed as a residential area because of the low cost of its land and its short distance from the center of Ano Liosia and the town’s main street, Phylis Avenue. The small size of the lots, in combination with the practice of illegal building (without a building permit), has resulted in extremely dense building. As a result, while a large number of lots are empty, those lots that are already built, have virtually no outdoor or lawn space left.

    The buildings are primarily one story high with a few two-storied exceptions. From an architectural point of view, they present no interest whatsoever. Most of them are the result of continuous additions built by the owners without a building permit in order to satisfy immediate basic housing needs. The quality of the construction is low, the materials used are cheap and maintenance is non-existent. There is no infrastructure (sewage, rainfall run off etc.) and, occasionally, streets appearing in the town plan are not actually there.

    In order to reverse this situation the Municipality of Ano Liosia decided in 1997 to conduct an urban renewal study. This project includes the parts of the urban unit Ai-Giannis that lies within the Broader Study Area. The project was considered necessary in order to improve the living conditions of the residents, as well as the overall urban condition of the area.

    It became obvious from the beginning that the main tool to this end would be a Municipality-administered planning and construction project, which would follow the steps described below:

1. Acquisition of land that would ensure the completion of the project.
2. Centrally directed construction.
3. Specific urban design interventions.

The first step (land acquisition) has been partially completed through:

    In general, the city blocks to be included in the urban renewal project shall be the city blocks whose at least 60% of the surface remains unbuilt.

    The second step (centrally organized construction) is considered the only way to resolve the complex problems of the area. For the moment, the project will be undertaken by the Municipality of Ano Liosia, but the participation of the Low Cost Housing Authority, as well as of other agencies, is a very likely development.

As for the third step, the plan provides for urban interventions as follows:

1. At the neighborhood level:

1. At the city block level:

   Once the lay out plan pertaining to the maximum plot covered area has been decided on, a special building code regulation will guarantee its enforcement at the city block level.

2. At the level of each residence:

Existing buildings will be remodelled and prototype housing units will be designed.

    Within the context of this urban renewal plan, studies have already been conducted on 115 city blocks in the Urban Units Kentro and Ai-Giannis. Sixty-eight of these, covering a total of 16 hectares, lie within the Broader Study Area.

    The urban renewal plan proposes the organized construction on 20 city blocks within the Broader Study Area, 13 open, public-use and recreation spaces, parking areas and a wide network of pedestrian and limited access roads.

    Since 1999, construction has begun for 22 residences in the city blocks number 761, 767, and 768. For the moment, the project is funded by the Municipality of Ano Liosia. It is quite likely, however, that in the future, the Municipality will collaborate with other agencies to this end.

    Finally, the Municipality, in addition to the urban renewal plan described above, plans a series of social and economic interventions that will assist the residents of this downgraded area in integrating in the social fabric of the town of Ano Liosia.

 

THE STUDY AREA

DESCRIPTION – GOALS

    The Study Area is submitted to be included in the EUROPAN 6 competition. The main part of the Study Area (comprised of city blocks 748, 749, 781, 782, 778, 779 and city block A) lies at the south western edge of the Broader Study Area, while two of its city blocks (742 and 764) are situated in the center of the Broader Study Area. The total surface of the Study Area is, approximately, 3.2 hectares. The terrain has a soft downward slope from north to south.

    The land comprising the Study Area belongs to the Hellenic Housing Authority, to the Municipality of Ano Liosia and, in certain cases, to residents who have decided to participate in this program.

    The Study Area is accessed from the streets N. Kazantzakis and Constantinoupolis. In the future, there will be access from a road to be constructed parallel to the Yannoula Dry Riverbed.

    The Study Area is as downgraded as the Broader Study Area. However, it is an enclave of almost unbuilt city blocks with significant potential for development. The few industrial buildings existing in this area will be relocated within the Industrial Park.

    The Study Area borders the soon to acquire a statutory town plan Tsouklidi area and the Industrial Park. It lies a short distance from the “House of Wrestling” planned for the 2004 Olympic Games. On the west it touches the Yannoula Dry Riverbed, currently abandoned and polluted with trash and wastes. The Municipality has already designated this riverbed as a green zone and hopes that it will play a major role in the upgrading of the area.

    The goal of the Municipality of Ano Liosia for the Study Area is for it to develop as a residential area of high-standards.

    The proposed solutions will have to integrate the Study Area in the town fabric of the Broader Study Area. It is expected that the proposals will take into account the already existing urban renewal study as described above and that they will expand and complete it to include the Study Area. The road and pedestrian road networks adjacent to the city blocks of the Study Area, the unbuilt areas within city blocks and the green zones, will have to be organically connected with the already existing ones in the Broader Study Area, so as to create a functional whole.

    Commercial land use must be limited and placed at designated locations, the main criteria being service to the residents and the creation of an environment that enhances social interaction.

    Regarding the Yannoula Dry Riverbed, the Municipality aims at the restoration of the natural riverbed throughout the segment adjacent to the Study Area, and the development of the small ravine into a green zone. The proposal for this segment of the Yannoula Dry Riverbed will be used as a model for the eventual development of the rest of the ravine. It is expected that emphasis will be given to the ravine as a means for connecting adjacent residential areas.

    In conclusion, the Municipality’s main goal is to develop the urban character of the Study Area, to integrate it with the existing residential areas and to transform it into a neighborhood that will remain active and lively throughout the day. Eventually, this model plan will be used as a base for the development of other disadvantaged areas of Ano Liosia.

PROGRAM

    The Municipality of Ano Liosia aims at creating a model residential area for the housing needs of its residents. The architect/planner is asked to assess the data in hand and decide on the best possible synthesis required by the design program, as well as to provide solutions for functional and aesthetically pleasing buildings. He/she is also asked to propose solutions for the best possible relationship among buildings, open spaces, automobile and pedestrian roads. The proposed plan will have to connect the various parts of the Study Area among them, as well as with the neighboring Broader Study Area and to present a harmonious, uninterrupted whole based on the requirements of the program.

    The 1986 Statutory Town Plan, and the 1996 Implementation Act for the Broader Study Area have established the following land uses:

    The following land uses have been designated for the city blocks that make up the Study Area:

The surface areas of he city blocks is as follows:

The total surface of the city blocks in the Study Area is 32.283,50 M2.

There is a 2.5% downward ground slope from north to south throughout the Study Area.

The building code for the Study Area has the following requirements:

*Note: In the Study Area we consider the whole city block to be one plot of land.

    Buildings on “PILOTIS” are not allowed for earthquake protection.

    Tile sloping roofs are mandatory. Their height should not exceed 1,50M beyond the maximum allowed height of the building (the height of the tile roof is not included in the maximum height of the building).

    Basements are desirable for earthquake protection. The basement plan should coincide with the plan of the building above it. The ceiling of the basement may exceed the surrounding ground level by no more than 1,50M. Maximum height for basements is 3,00M. Basements may only be used for auxiliary uses (storage, heating installations, garage etc.). No dwelling space is allowed in the basements. Wherever possible, basements ought to function as parking spaces for the residents of the dwellings above them. Basements are not included in the maximum plot ratio.

    Mandatory front lawn spaces, wherever they exist, have to be observed. No building is allowed within the mandatory front lawn space.

    City blocks 778 and 779 will remain a green zone for public use.

    The existing buildings on city blocks 764 and 782 will remain. The rest of the surface of these city blocks, as well as that of empty city blocks, will be a unified space within which new buildings will be placed freely, individually or in groups, according to the planner’s judgement. Buildings that do not touch one another have to be separated by a distance D, equal to at least 3,00M+1/10hmax, where hmax is the maximum allowed height of the buildings (for example, if hmax =8,50M, then D=3,00M+1/10X8,50M=3,85M).

    The total number of residences has to include:

    Buildings of all uses have to be two-storied to allow for the maximum open unified space possible.

    The architectural proposals have to be, to a degree, standardized in order to facilitate the next step of the project, i.e. the centrally organized construction program. Standardization, however, should not work against the aesthetic quality of the buildings and the surrounding urban environment.

    Remaining uncovered spaces within city blocks must be unified. There will be no property divisions, walls or fences, while the areas in-between buildings should extend to the maximum, in order to allow for public-use, recreation space that will promote social interaction. These spaces have to be visible, safe and secure, accessible, user-friendly, planted and well landscaped.

    For city block A, a large public use and recreation open space is particularly desirable. Especially for this city block, the planner may use his/her judgement to reduce the plot ratio in order to achieve an open space of approximately 3.000M2-3.500M2, since maximization of public-use spaces is of primary importance to the program. It is desirable that this public-use area be placed along Flantanela St., across from city blocks 778 and 779, so as to create, in combination with them, a wider green zone. This area may also include other activities, such as playground(s), space for outdoors exercise or athletic events, a small outdoors theater and, generally, activities promoting social interaction and a “neighborhood” environment.

    For the same reason, within city block A and along this public-use area, it is desirable to allow for a light commercial zone with small shops (for example coffee shop, bakery, grocery and bookstore) that will service local residents.

    The same is desirable for city blocks 742 and 764 facing Diafotiston Square, i.e. a light commercial zone along Chryssolora and Allatiou Sts.

    Commercial use should occupy only ground (street) level space.

    Dwellings should occupy the floor above.

    Basic goal for the road network is the unambiguous separation of pedestrian, vehicular and cycling functions. Pedestrian and limited access road networks must be used as a means to create cohesion among the various parts of the Study Area. Their use is highly desirable. Especially within city block A, the planner will have to design a pedestrian network that will also ensure the continuity of outdoor spaces and the cohesiveness of the block’s various functions.

    On the plan of the Broader Study Area, pedestrian and limited access roads are not differentiated. They appear in the same color. The planner should take into consideration local conditions and decide which of these will be exclusively pedestrian and which will allow limited access to vehicles in order to service local residential needs. Pedestrian and limited access roads will have to be planted and well landscaped so as to function as extensions of the public-use greens inside and around the city blocks.

    Parking space should be provided within every city block at a rate of 1,5 cars to each residence. Wherever possible, cars should be parked at the basement of dwellings, one car space for each dwelling. In the cases where dwellings are situated within city blocks and roads leading to them are not desirable, parking should be provided at the periphery of the city blocks within the front lawns or other designated areas in the perimeter of each city block. Additional parking space to fulfil the required 1.5 rate, should also be planned at the perimeter of city blocks.

    Finally, the proposals should provide solutions for the uninhibited movement of the handicapped, both to and within the buildings, as well as within and across open spaces.

    Regarding the Yannoula Dry Riverbed adjacent to the Study Area, the requirements are:

MUNICIPALITY OF ANO LIOSSIA, AI-GIANNIS AREA

RELEVANCE TO THE EUROPAN 6 THEME

    The Study Area, located within the Urban Unit Ai-Giannis and proposed by the Municipality of Ano Liosia to be included in the EUROPAN 6 competition, is relevant to the theme of the competition for the following reasons:

    It is obvious from the above that the Study Area is an in-between part of a city as described in the EUROPAN 6 theme.

    Through the EUROPAN 6 competition, the Municipality of Ano Liosia seeks the best possible solutions for the problems of the Study Area. Its goals are:

Click here for a sample of Europan maps.

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Τελευταία ενημέρωση: 24-08-2006