The project for implementing a fourth metro line in the Greek capital began in 2021, with the purpose of reducing the need for automobiles in the crowded city. As the 15-station new line is estimated to transport 340,000 passengers a day, up to 53,000 cars could be taken off the roads each day. While the opening of the line may be five years away, work has now begun to refurbish seven urban squares which will become stations. Despite public support for the initiative, the project has also led to some controversy, with residents fearing gentrification.
Athens’ current metro infrastructure provides a reliable transportation alternative, with links to the airport and ferry port at Pirus. Additional public transportation options include a tramline running along the city’s coastline. Still, the densely built neighborhoods, such as those on the slopes of Mount Hymettus, where the city’s universities are located, do not benefit from access to the metro, and bus stations are also few and far in between.
The project for Line 4 aims to fill in these gaps in the public transportation service, as it traces a U-shape across the northern part of the city. With 15 stations planned to be built by 2023, the project will ultimately include 35 new stations. According to the Athens Metro Company Elliniko Metro, these first 15 stations will transport 340,000 passengers a day, significantly reducing the residents’ reliance on private car commutes.
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10 Cities Embracing Bicycles in their Urban PlanningAthens authorities have also organized a competition for the design of four squares above the stations of Akadimia, Alexandras, Dikastiria, and Kypseli. In November 2023, the competition concluded with the winning bids by Tense Architecture Network for Dikastiria, XZA Architects for Alexandras, Apostolopoulos-Tasoulis for Akadimia, and Fiore Architects for Kypseli.
While the designs propose minimal interventions, Bloomberg reports that some residents fear that the metro construction could pose a threat to the already-lacking existing public spaces, with arguments that the construction could threaten the urban greenery and mature trees. In the Exarcheia neighborhood, an area renowned for clashes with authorities and a place favored by many asylum seekers, residents also fear that gentrification could be accelerated by the infrastructure project.
Public transportation has become an important topic in the world of urban planning, with several internationally recognized architecture offices working on projects that rehabilitate and extend elements of the transit infrastructure. Recently Foster + Partners have released updated designs for the redesign of Manhattan’s Port Authority Bus Terminal, while MAD Architects have completed a large-scale redesign of the Jiaxing Train Station in China.
News via Bloomberg.
