Earlier this week, the Municipality of Athens opened its second “pocket park”, a small green area in Kolonos.
“It is one of these small green oases in the heart of the neighbourhood, which are created in Athens, in the models of cities where their existence changed the physiognomy of entire areas but also positively affected the daily life of the inhabitants,” according to an announcement by the municipality.
Scientists from all over the world are promoting ‘pocket parks’ as an effective way for tackling crime, combating isolation in densely populated cities and, most importantly, for protecting the environment.
The new ‘pocket park’ is located at the junction of Kilkis and Alamanas streets.
It is considered unique due to the materials used for its development- environmentally friendly concrete to construct the ground surface and sidewalk, recycled wood used for the seating areas and an underground irrigation system for watering the plants.
It is autonomously illuminated by a photovoltaic system, which includes a digital panel with information on temperature, humidity and other environmental parameters.
“There are many ways to reactivate the neighbourhood community. Pocket parks are one such essential solution. They breath life into areas where debris, darkness and delinquency once stood… It is also important that pocket parks are created at no cost for taxpayers, as they mobilize the private sector to participate in such actions with social responsibility,” Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis said.
Kolonos’ pocket park was developed with the support of Heracles Group, a leading cement producer in Greece.
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