The Cultural H.I.D.R.A.N.T. project (CH) aims to uncover and utilize local heritage, both physical and cultural, to improve community wellbeing. The project has local and broader community reach, using water as a way to connect people to their cultural heritage. It also seeks to revitalize unused urban water resources.
CH reintroduces the Hadrian Aqueduct, a Roman-era underground infrastructure, into the daily life of the city, going beyond traditional tourism. The project presents the aqueduct as an important historical site, a modern urban feature, a piece of local history, and an underused water resource. The goal is to change the cultural image of Halandri, making it stand out from the heritage-rich centre of Athens.
Sustainable Development Goals
City
Athens, Greece
Size and population development
Athens is experiencing some population decline which is common across Greece, due to an aging population and a poor economy. Census figures indicate the city's population dropped from 745,000 in 2001 to 664,000 in 2011. The city has a population density of 17,040 per square kilometer. The Athens Metropolitan Area has 58 municipalities with a population estimated at 3.75 million.
Population composition
Like most of Greece, Athens has a fairly homogeneous population. The main recognized minority are Muslims. There are also populations of Jews, Armenians, Romani, Pomaks, and Turks.
Main functions
Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece and one of the oldest cities in the world with a recorded history that goes back 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a center for philosophy, art and learning and considered the cradle of Western civilization and democracy. Today, Athens is a cosmopolitan metropolis that is the financial, political, cultural and economic centre of Greece.
Main industries / business
Shipping, finance, international trade, education, tourism, media, arts and culture. Service industry is dominating; 50% all greek enterprises have their seat within the Great Athens.
Sources for city budget
National Government and taxation revenue
Political structure
a Mayor and seven City district Councils
Administrative structure
The City of Athens comprises seven City District Councils. Each City District is responsible for the management of all local matters and has its own Council. Each City District Council consists of a chairman, deputy chairman and fifteen elected councilors.
Website
Over the last few decades, Halandri has evolved into a service and leisure hub, putting pressure on its urban infrastructure, cultural, and natural resources. Every weekend, approximately 7,000 people, around 10% of Halandri’s population, visit the city. This influx has challenged the community's cohesion, sense of belonging, and the city’s identity. It has also led to traffic congestion, reduced access, and limited walkability in public green spaces.
The CH project addresses these issues by focusing on the degradation of the urban environment and local wellbeing, as well as combating climate change through sustainable water management. It supports heritage-led regeneration, strengthens community bonds through participatory urban planning, and improves resource management.
The CH project takes place within the European Regional Development Fund’s - Urban Innovative Actions (U.I.A.), which is an Initiative of the European Union that provides urban areas throughout Europe with resources to test new and unproven solutions to address urban challenges.
The CH project is advancing green urban initiatives and the sustainable management of water resources. It is transforming four neighbourhoods in Halandri into quality green public spaces. This is achieved by repurposing the Hadrian Aqueduct to irrigate these areas, which reduces the reliance on costly and energy-intensive drinking water.
CH engages Halandri’s communities in active participation centered on their heritage and shared water resources, boosting the local economy through sustainable and resilient development.
The project is set to run for four years, concluding on June 30, 2024. Notable achievements already in operation include the participatory urban planning framework, the HIDRANT festival, and the digital platform for local history. The Halandri Adrian Community Network is on track to be established by December 2023. Additionally, the urban regeneration efforts and the construction of a non-potable water network are scheduled for completion by April 2024, at which point water distribution will begin.
The CH project is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, within the Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) framework, contributing 3,916,619 euros. The Municipality of Chalandri adds a further 2,236,625 euros, and the Greek Green Fund provides 1,000,000 euros. Beyond financial contributions, the most valuable asset has been the active involvement of local communities and stakeholders, such as the Oral History Group and the Rematia Stream SOS Association, in co-designing, implementing, and maintaining the various project outcomes. Employing participatory methods to identify real needs and desires, from urban spaces to local heritage and water management, has been crucial in tapping into and leveraging local human and cultural resources and potential.
Results and impacts are:
- re-introduce Hadrian Aqueduct as heritage site and functioning water resource (4,000m pipe-network, 100 smart-meters, 2 municipal water tracks, ~170 beneficiaries)
- revitalize communities through participatory action plan (~1000 people engaged in CH’s activities)
- create the first local history archive and digital platform (350 original items)
- promote green urban policies on sustainable water use and quality green spaces (25,000c.m. water annual-savings -out of which 15,000c.m. drinkable water- 21,400sq.m. green regeneration in 4 neighbourhoods)
Panteion University leads M&E processes, applying mixed methods to measure change. Enhanced local wellbeing is being measured through a two-stage life satisfaction survey (~100 respondents – indicator: 50% report high levels of life satisfaction associated with the project). Other indicators include:
- Connection to heritage
- Sense of ownership & belonging
- Skills-development in heritage co-governance & organizing public events
- Regenerated public space
- Participation in public space co-design
- Potable water saving
- Water pumping savings
Local stakeholders and citizens partake in:
Participatory design workshops: 13 school-communities -from nurseries to high-schools: 526 students, 147 parents, 36 teachers. Result 1,500 sq.m. (7%) of the urban regeneration and school-yard remaking via participatory planning.
Co-creation of the first citizen-led local history digital archive in Greece - www.archalandri.gr - open to all since May 2022, in collaboration with Halandri’s Oral History Group (testimonies and artifacts of dozens aged locals).
Co-organising the HIDRANT festivals (4 citizens’ groups, many individuals and schools) and by mobilising for and participating in 20 public activities and events.
The main challenges faced were bureaucratic, particularly in securing approvals for technical design studies and navigating the public procurement process. The former resulted in a delay of 6 to 9 months. The latter was restarted due to an appeal by a bidding company against the city's requirement for bidders to present a social responsibility certificate, which led to additional delays. Consequently, CH’s lead partner requested, and received, a one-year extension from the Urban Innovative Actions (UIA).
Contentious issues also included the proposal to charge for non-potable water as a separate service and the extent of citizen involvement in managing the water resources as a commons. Through discussions with EYDAP (the water operator and a project partner), consultations with experts and representatives from urban authorities with water co-management experience (like those in Paris and Terrassa), and participatory workshops, we developed a two-tiered operational framework for citizen engagement at both the local and trans-local levels in water resource management.
Sustainable urban design plays a key role in ensuring the livability and prosperity of a city.
Many cities have felt the impact of natural disasters and leaders need to commit to implementing climate mitigation and adaptation measures to minimize these impacts. Some of these measures include, better urban planning, quality infrastructure and improving local responses.
External links / documents
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