Athens Metropolitan AM area:

1
Introduction

• Athens Metropolitan (AM) area
• Well defined geographically and functionally
• Inhabitants more than 4.000.000 people,
  (estimated 40 of national population)
• This area includes 70 of Industries as well as
  80 of cultural infrastructure.
• Public Administration (ministries, organizations)
  are established in approximately 1,4 of national
  area, percentage of AM related to the whole
  country.

Resolving problems is ineffective due to
multi authorities involved (ministries, local
authorities, prefectures, municipalities)
2
West Athens in reference to the Metropolitan
center

• Athens Spatial planning is divided into
  advantaged and disadvantaged areas, with only
  some kilometers separating them. It is obvious
  that this situation creates a gap between its own
  people regarding land use and life quality.
• A major consequence lies to the fact that the
  West part of Athens remains deprived, while other
  parts of Athens have been normally developed and
  have shown progress gradually.
• This area covers a total extension of 17.500
  acres and its population of more than 700.000
  inhabitants.
• West Athens is one of the most downgraded areas,
  with regards to the quality of urban environment,
  of social infrastructure and of the spectrum and
  quality of services offered.

3
Economical Environmental Social Problems

• High unemployment indicators
• Criminality increases
• A large number of immigrants lives in this area
• Environmental degradation is constantly (air, sea
  and ground pollution)
• Traffic jams
• Residential Wealth Decline
• Lack of leisure greenery places within urban
  area. Need for ecological reformation of the
  Poikilo mountain
• Uncontrolled land use (residences alongside small
  industries)
• Fall of the Secondary Sector of Production
• Economic inadaptability to the new competitive
  circumstances. Know-how remains low.

4
ASDA Presentation

• Considering the whole situation as described
  before, the 10 Municipalities of
• West Athens (Agii Anargyri, Agia Varvara,
  Aegaleo, Zefyri, Kamatero,
• Korydallos, Ilion, Peristeri, Petroupoli and
  Chaidari) brought into existence the
• Association for the Development of West Athens
  (ASDA) in 1989.
• Basic aims of the Association according to its
  status are the following
• Constant expansion of the intermunicipal
  co-operation
• Co-operation to the state-administration services
  and coordination of all
• regional organisations
• Land- planning, urban planning but also
  environmental remodelling of West Athens
• Fighting against unemployment in combination to
  the economic development of the region
• Participation in European Networks

5
ASDA Urban Pilot Programs (UPPs)

• West Athens does not only face problems, it also
  holds a huge hidden potential as well as a
  series of competitive advantages.
• Since it has been established, ASDA has been
  intensively active towards programming a Local
  Development Plan and designing a Master Plan
  aiming at the promotion of the areas advantages
  and capabilities, by mobilizing the productive,
  economic and social potential.

• The Urban Pilot Projects SWANS (Sustainable West
  Athens Novelty Scheme) was co-financed by the
  European Commission, ASDA and its local strategic
  partners.
• Its total budget was 5.000.000 Euro, not
  including interim extensions.
• It was the major project undertaken by ASDA to
  date and consists the pilot for the things to
  come.

6
Sustainable West Athens Novelty Scheme
Mission Statement The SWANS program aimed to be
an example of how Information Technologies can
contribute to the global improvement of local
living conditions and socio-economic
development. The project tried to demonstrate how
local problems of mobility, centrality,
environmental quality, modernization of the
market, employment and social isolation can be
dealt with the means of specific targeted
low-cost actions which rely on information
management and the adequate usage of renewable
energy sources.

• Objectives
• Primary Objectives
• Enhanced the centrality of the 3-sub metropolitan
  cores of Aegaleo, Peristeri and Agii Anargyri
  through improved centrality
• Enhanced sustainable transport and mobility
• Supported the SMEs within the Western Athens
  agglomeration
• Created a self-sustained project with high
  perspectives for large scale development
• Exploited the potential of innovative
  technologies in supporting the project

7
Sustainable West Athens Novelty Scheme SWANS

• Objectives
• Secondary Objectives
• Alleviated social isolation of disadvantaged
  groups within Western Athens
• Enhanced the attractiveness and safety within
  Western Athens emphasizing on the 3
  sub-metropolitan cores
• Used renewable energy sources at appropriate
  actions
• Ensured optimal technical support to the project

• Structures
• The UPP SWANS comprised 6 Measures structured
  into 23 concrete Actions, as well as a number of
  Support Tasks as follows
• M1. Inter Municipal Center for Information
  Management
• M2. Enhancement of Sustainable Transport
• M3. Support to SMEs
• M4. Enhancement of the Centrality of the core
  areas
• M5 Special Horizontal Actions
• M6 Disaster Management
• Support Tasks

8
Sustainable West Athens Novelty Scheme SWANS

• BACKBONE
• The actions of SWANS were structured around a
  number of core components which build the project
  backbone.
• ICIM
• The Inter municipal Center for Information
  Management, was the functional backbone of SWANS
• CAST
• The Central Axis of Sustainable Transport, was
  the physical backbone of SWANS
• USMES
• The Unit for Support to SMEs, was the
  organizational backbone of SWANS
• The SWANS Management Fund was the financial and
  administrative backbone of SWANS

9
Sustainable West Athens Novelty Scheme SWANS

• SYNERGIES
• ICIM managed the mini bus fleet operating along
  the CAST together with all user-oriented
  information (info-kiosks, VMS, Intelligent Stops)
• The CAST was a convivial space (total length
  25km) where pedestrians, cyclists, mini buses and
  cars co-exist without conflicts
• The USMES provided on-line assistance to SMEs and
  teleworking facilities, reducing thus travel
  needs
• The SWANS Management Fund ensured the viability
  and sustainable of current operations and future
  developments