Athens Urban Age Forum

Athens: towards a more liveable city?
Thursday 16 June 2022

The Athens Urban Age Forum marks the completion of a two-year Urban Age Task Force organised by the London School of Economics and Political Science, the Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft and the City of Athens. The Forum brings together experts from Milan, London, Paris, Barcelona and Vienna with their counterparts in the City of Athens, to discuss how European cities can transform their urban environment and improve liveability through investments in the public realm, parks and open spaces, sustainable mobility and equitable planning.

During the day a closed-door workshop with invited guests including policy makers, public officials, architects, planners, academics, and commentators will convene for discussion in four areas:

Liveability and Equity: exploring how social inclusion, housing affordability and sustainable urban tourism can be implemented through innovative policies, good design and area management.

Greening and Public Space: exploring how design, management and programming of public open spaces – both hard and soft - can have a transformative impact on the well-being of urban residents and contribute to the environmental footprint of cities.

Sustainable Transport and Walkability: exploring how the delivery of successful and sustainable urban projects such as pedestrianisation, improved cycleways and tactical urbanism, rely on the integration of a clear vision, high-quality design and public engagement.

Building a common ground: priorities for Athens: a Round Table discussion designed to establish a common ground on the priorities for public space, sustainable mobility and quality of life in Athens in the context of international urban experiences explored in the previous sessions.

Launched at the Forum, the Athens Urban Age Task Force Spatial Compendium brings together new LSE Cities analysis comparing Athens with other global cities and offers insights into spatial, social, economic and environmental attributes of the city at a metropolitan and local level.

In the evening the Forum will host a public event. Professor Ricky Burdett, Director of LSE Cities will present new in-depth analysis comparing Athens with other global cities and offering insights into spatial, social, economic and environmental attributes at a metropolitan and local level. Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis will be joined by local and international experts to discuss innovation and best practice in Urban policy and design.

Download the Athens Spatial compendium

Read article in eKathimerini | The big four challenges of Athens

Find out more about the Public Event