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The Environment Ministry is planning to revise the Regulatory Framework for Athens-Attica, with one of the key aspects of the new urban plan being the development of a new \u201ccity within a city\u201d at the plot of the former airport in Elliniko on Athens\u2019 southern coast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The plan will also address the needs of the capital\u2019s road and transportation network and incorporate the controversial \u201cgovernment park\u201d at the former PYRKAL factory.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe revision will address critical issues in infrastructure and transportation, particularly concerning the Elliniko hub and the significant needs that will arise from the settlement of 30,000 residents, as projected in the environmental impact studies. It will also define how the transportation model will function through a combination of trams, buses and even the potential expansion of the metro, which is currently under discussion. Most importantly, it will assess how traffic congestion in Attica\u2019s road network will be further impacted by the development of the Elliniko hub and the population influx, along with the associated strain on the roadways leading to the area,\u201d Secretary-General for Spatial Planning and Urban Environment Efthymios Bakoyannis told the E-Mobility Conference on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The tender, assigned to the Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations (HCAP, formerly TAIPED), is expected to take place in February and has a budget of \u20ac1.16 million. The agency is also expected to launch a study for updating the protection status of mounts Pikilo and Egaleo, west of Athens.<\/p>\n
What remains to be seen is which approach the Environment Ministry will choose for the revision of the strategic plan for the capital. The previous regulatory framework, approved in 2014, was developed by the now-defunct Athens Organization, with the country\u2019s leading educational institutions actively contributing to its choices. So far, the Environment Ministry has been reluctant, at best, about consulting with the scientific community. In contrast, the scientific community has unanimously opposed several government decisions, such as the government park in PYRKAL (which is moving forward as planned), the proposed conference center at the Tatoi estate (which will no longer proceed) and other initiatives<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n