Conference “Athens Talks” | 280+1 projects that will upgrade daily life

With the central message “The human being at the center of the modern city”, the Governor of Attica, Nikos Hardalias, today presented the ambitious program of 280+1 projects, with a total budget of 2.1 billion euros, which are expected to completely transform the Basin and upgrade the quality of life of residents and visitors in the coming years.

Their presentation took place in the context of the 1st conference of the innovative dialogue platform of the Attica Region, “Athens Talks”, which took place at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, in Kallithea, with the participation of leading personalities from Greece and abroad. Present were government officials, representatives of the Local Government and institutional bodies, academics, businessmen, and professionals who shaped the future of Athens and Attica in general.

The 12 projects of major importance

Of the 280+1 projects, 12 are characterized as major as they are of a supra-local nature. Their total budget amounts to 697.6 million euros and they respond to the anxieties, concerns and a series of daily problems. These are the following:

• New Metropolitan Park of Faliraki Bay "Aenaon". It will have an area of ​​541 acres, of which 343 will be planted with more than 4,000 trees and over 186,000 shrubs. In addition to its natural wealth, the remaining 25% of the Park will be offered for mild cultural activities, sports activities with fields, bike paths, and multi-purpose exercise areas, social events, and various activities for children of an educational and thematic nature, while there is provision for individual mild commercial uses.

• Construction of a fire protection network for urban and suburban areas. Upon its completion, a firefighting network of 20 or more kilometers will have been created in settlements that have developed within forested areas.

• Three road safety projects: Construction of standard unmarked crossings at selected points, supply, installation, and operation of electronic means of monitoring violations of the Road Traffic Act, and supply of LED lighting fixtures to replace the existing lighting fixtures in underpasses.

• Create a Network of National Sports Centers and develop green spaces. This is a large project with 4 sub-projects: a) the "House" of Basketball, b) the "House" of Volleyball, c) the "House" of Handball, and d) the "House" of Aquatics.

• Creation of a network of National Sports Training Centers: a) National Sports Training Center for the Olympic Winter Ice Sports: Ice Skating, Hockey, and Curling and b) National Sports Training Center for three sports: Boxing, Wrestling, and Taekwondo.

• Aesthetic upgrade of the entrances and enhancement of the accessibility of the main road axes of the Attica Region. The aim of the project is for the driver entering Attica to see an image of high aesthetics, which corresponds to the brand name of a modern metropolitan Region while achieving the improvement of road safety and the beautification of the areas where the interventions will be made.

• Parks. The unification of the large urban and suburban parks of Attica that are under the responsibility of the Region is planned, through green routes that will have as their final destination the sustainable development of the Basin. We remind you that the Attica Region is responsible for the Attiko Alsos, the Pedion tou Areos, and the Metropolitan Park "Antonis Tritsis".

• Creation of a Network of Urban Health Centers. The creation of up to 10 model Primary Health Care structures is planned, with the provision of modern medical equipment. The first ones will be implemented in Perama, Erythres, and Fyli.

• Construction of a network of pedestrian bridges in high-risk areas. By March 2025, the relevant study will be completed, indicating the proposed points where pedestrian bridges will be placed on central avenues of Attica, based on the risk data for accidents/incidents that have occurred in the past. At least 5 pedestrian bridges will be erected in the same number of points.

• Improving Road Safety on Kifissos Avenue. It is planned to install Vehicle Interception Systems on the sides and central islands of Kifissos Avenue, over a total length of 55 km, which will extend from the SEF in Faliro to Nea Filadelfia, at the height of the Attiki Odos.

At the same time, the Governor of Attica announced that following the intervention of the Government, after the completion of the relevant studies and the finalization of the negotiation with the competent Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport, the major project of the Skaramangas triple junction is getting underway, "a holistic intervention that generally concerns the traffic issues of the Basin", which will be included in the Public Investment Program of the Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport in the coming days, with a budget of 66 million euros and with the tender to be held within 2025.

The 9 + 1 categories of projects

Regarding the categories of projects, the following are expected to be implemented:

- 2 Port Projects, with a budget of 87,695,000 euros.

- 22 Road Safety Projects, with a budget of 159,329,000 euros.

- 21 Wastewater and Water Management Projects, with a budget of 209,293,000 euros.

- 64 Green & Urban Infrastructure Enhancement Projects, with a budget of 311,621,000 euros.

- 50 Culture and Sports Projects, with a budget of 378,676,000 euros.

- 54 Flood and Fire Protection Projects (Special Mobilization), with a budget of 447,401,000 euros.

- 17 Infrastructure Energy Upgrade Projects, with a budget of 26,692,000 euros.

- 47 Welfare and Social Infrastructure Enhancement Projects, with a budget of 153,246,000 euros.

- 3 Building Infrastructure Projects, with a budget of 17,817,000 euros.

"Transparency and accountability have been an unwavering principle of our administration from the very beginning. ⁠The 280+1 projects that we announced today have the personal stamp of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and will form the basis of our own Projects Observatory, so that from January 1, 2026, every interested citizen can monitor their progress at any time. ⁠All together we will be participants in this great effort for the new era that is beginning for our Attica. The creation of the Observatory is my top pre-election and non-negotiable commitment. Because the citizens must know" concluded Mr. Nikos Hardalias, completing the presentation of the projects that will be created in the coming years in the Basin.

N. Hardalias: “We are responding in practice to the modern needs of our fellow citizens”

As the Governor of Attica emphasized: “The 280+1 projects constitute our practical response to the modern needs of our fellow citizens for sustainable development, social cohesion, and the creation of resilient infrastructures in the face of the challenges of climate change. It is not just a program, but our commitment to a Region worthy of all of our expectations. An Attica with more greenery, more security, fewer inequalities,s and a better quality of life.

These projects, of vital importance for our 66 Municipalities, with many of them having a supra-local character, emerged after an extensive process of study and preparation. They are fully cost and accompanied by clear timetables and come to improve everyday life, aspiring to make the largest Region of the country a model of development, both at a national and, why not, at a European level.

At the same time, we are creating an additional pool in which we believe we will include approximately 70 more projects, which we will also prioritize together with the Municipal Authorities of Attica in the coming months. Our non-negotiable priority in all these projects is the person. Citizens are tired of the constant analyses and theories. What they expect are substantive results for their everyday life. They want to see that someone is working to improve their lives, theirs and their children's, day after day. This is exactly what we are doing, and we continue with dedication and consistency.

And he added: "For five years now, the government has made huge strides forward for the country, despite the extremely difficult circumstances. Through direct and sincere cooperation with the central state, we ensure everything that citizens have entrusted to us. Our intention is to bring tangible results to our neighborhoods. We will be judged by this, we have always been judged by this.”

He then explained why the projects are 280+1. “Because +1 is special. This is an emblematic project that Attica needed and which we presented a few days ago together with the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. I am referring to “Aenaon”, the new Metropolitan Park of Faliraki Bay, which is expected to become the new landmark of the Basin. I have personally committed that this new green lung will be auctioned no later than January 2025 and will be delivered to the citizens by the end of our term, in 2028.”

Attica at the heart of “Athens Talks”

During the 1st conference of the “Athens Talks” platform, leading Ministers, representatives of international organizations, European officials and renowned professionals in their field analyzed and discussed issues related to soft urban development, climate change, the management of public spaces, resilience in a constantly changing landscape and the promotion of our natural and cultural heritage, through the following 4 thematic sections:

1.⁠ ⁠Sustainable development strategies in European metropolitan capitals.

2.⁠ ⁠Tourism as a driving force for economic growth.

3.⁠ ⁠Urban governance policies and crisis management preparation.

4.⁠ ⁠By investing in culture we ensure a sustainable future: 19+1 new Cultural projects in Attica.

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