Health of the city - Cleanness of the Streets

STUDYING HEALTH OF THE CITY:

Cleanness of the streets Research

done by

Vera Charniak Greece. Athens

STUDYING HEALTH OF THE CITY:

Cleanness of the streets ReseaRch

done by

VeRa chaRniak GReece. athens

content RESEARCH AREA ....................................................................................................... 4-5 MAPPING CLEANNESS OF THE STREETS .................................................................... 6-9 TYPES OF THE STREETS ............................................................................................ 10-11 CLOSE UP STREET VIEW ............................................................................................ 12-15 LIABILITY ISSUES ....................................................................................................... 16-17 QUESTIONARY ........................................................................................................... 18-19

athens . GReece

4

RESEARCH AREA LOCATION

PAST

NOW

The major part of the circle consists of Metaxourgeio district. The neighbourhood is located north of the historical centre of Athens, between Kolonos to the east and Kerameiko to the west, and north of Gazi.

After the construction of the Metaxourgeio factory in the early 19th century the area was annexed to Athens’ urban bondaries. During Athens’ dramatic extantion and growth in the late 19th century, Metaxourgeio became a thriving working-class neighbourhood, housing craftsmen, tradesmen, and small-business owners.

In the last years 15 years the population of the neighbourhood had stabilised, largely due to an influx of immigrants as well as upper middle-class residents who found the area’s low rents and proximity to high-profile meeting places attractive.

The population of the neighbourhood continued to grow during the course of the early twentieth century, maintaining its working-class profile, until a period of abandonment, which started in the 1970s.

Metaxourgeio’s abrupt population decrease during this period reflects the larger situation in Athens, when many inhabitants moved to cities within the region but outside of the capital. A lack of building renewal and restrictive traffic regulations exacerbated this trend in Metaxourgeio.

At this moment the area can be described as a transition neighbourhood and it is acquiring a reputation as an artistic and fashionable neighbourhood. There were opened galleries and museums and there can be found a lot work of street artists. It the last 3-4 years there were also opened a lot of new bars / cafes / restaurants.

Continuing into the 1980s, the area’s image of abandonment combined with a decrease in employment opportunities further discouraged new inhabitants.

[the contect is based on several internet sources and personal observations]

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LEGEND

eXaMined aRea

not eXaMined aRea

east PaRt

/ PRobLeMatic aRea

cLeanness GRadient DIRTY

6

CLEAN

MAPPING CLEANNESS OF THE STREETS OVERVIEW

WEST PART

EAST PART

The cleanness of the streets in the circle differs depending on:

The streets of the west side of the circles seems cleaner than its west side which is due to the presence of a large number of homeless people, drug addicts and whorehouses on its eastern side.

The eastern part of the circle is the most problematic. This area can be called an ‘official’ settlement for drug addicts and homeless people. It is very common to see these people just laying on the road or in the niches / openings of the buildings. They leave their belongings on the street as well as the leftover from drugs (syringes, small plastic bags, pipes etc.)

- part of the circle (west or east side); (read bellow) - types of roads; (see next spread) - activities on the street; - seasons. During warm period (end of april to mid oktober) the streets are dirtier compared to the cold period due to larger number of tourists, outdoor activities and also hot temperatures which contribute to the rapid decomposition of garbage what leads to an increase in bad smell on the streets.

It should be noted that in the circle there can be found a lot of abandoned buildings (according to the official statistic, there are around 6070% of them in this area) what make the situation with garbage worse as, first of all, these abandoned houses are used widely by homeless people, drug addicts and secondly they are gradually becoming filled by garbage. Herewith nobody is taking care of them so the buildings itself are destroyed more every year.

The western part of the circle is greener than the east part of the circle. Especially on its middle part.

On the west part can be found more nice cafes / bars / restaurants / shops compared to the east side what helps to make the area cleaner as the owners (mostly) want to keep the area around clean and attractive to the visitors.

Homeless and drag addicts often settle in abandoned buildings or use them as a ‘shooting’ places filling them and the area around with trash.

In the eastern part of the circle can also be found a lot of borthels and prostitutes what makes the situation with garbage and squalor worse.

In this part of the circle can be seen a lot of chinese and pakistanian shops and cafes which focus is on the lowest class. The area aroud these shops usually dirty.

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WEST PART

8

EAST PART

9

LEGEND

eXaMined aRea

not eXaMined aRea

east PaRt

/ PRobLeMatic aRea

b o U L e Va R d s

coRe Roads

bystReets

/

aLLeys

cLeanness GRadient DIRTY

10

CLEAN

TYPES OF THE STREETS

BOULEVARDS

CORE ROADS

BYSTREETS / ALLEYS

WEST

WEST

WEST

Core roads on the east side are cleaner than the core roads on the west side of the circle. There are a lot of small shops and cafes who’s owners keep the area around clean.

East part of the circle seems quite clean.

It is also greener than the east part.

EAST

Main trash concentrates in green plots, bushes and hedges.

Main trash concentrates around trash bins and underneath parked cars.

EAST

WEST

Along the main roads can be found a lot of wholesales shops owned mostly by chineses or pakistanis, who also don’t keep the area around shops claen.

East part of the circle is dirtier, than the west side. There a lot of junkies, homeless people and prostitutes, that leave their waste products on the street.

Main trash concentrates around shops, trash bins and underneath parked cars.

The ground of the core street on the east side seems much dirtied then ones on the west.

Main trash concentrates around trash bins and underneath parked cars.

There is not so much dufference in the cleanness of the streets for boulvards.

They are cleaned quite well. The southeast side just seems dirtier, but there is not such a contrast between west ad east side as for core roads and bystreets.

Main trash concentrates around shops, trash bins, around or behind fences, colums and underneath parked cars.

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1

2

4

3 5

8

9

10 10a 6 11 12

7 12

CLOSE UP STREET VIEW

1

DESTROYED BUILDINGS

2

The space left after destroyed buildings are usually full of trash.

There also can be found sheds built by homeless people.

BUSHES, TREES AND HENGES

4

Corners are the places, where people hide to pee and throw small garbage. There are a lot of dog’s feces and urine.

3

ROAD OBSTACLES Road obstacles are places, where dogs pee.

CORNERS OF BUILDINGS Corners are the places, where people hide to pee and throw small garbage. There are a lot of dog’s feces and urine.

5

BUILDINGS ON RECONSTRACION Buildings on reconstraction are still not cared well enough so the area around is usually dirty.

13

6

ABANDONED BUILDINGS

7

Abandoned buildings are full of trash: building materials, human waste, leftovers from drugs, excrements and urine. The environment inside is perfect for bacteria, mold and fungi, as the air is always humid regardless of the weather or season.

PARKED CARS AND MOTORCYCLES Underneath parked cars collect small trash like paper and plastic packages.

8

PARTIALLY ABANDONED BUILDINGS The degree of the dirtiness of the street depends on the degree of abandonment of the building and also on the level of the building (if the abandoned part places on the ground oor, then the area around and inside will be dirty. If the abandoned part is in the middle of the buildings then there are smaller chance that the area will be polluted.)

9

STAIRS People are also tend to throw away paper and pastic packages near stairs.

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10

GREEN PLOTS Green plots collect the most of the trash on the street. People are throwing their waste there, as green leaves suppose to cover it.

10a

SHIT AND PEE Green plots as well as the area around them are full of dog’s / cat’s excrements and urine.

During the summer these green plots smell very strong, what is really bad for human health, as decaying excrements are full of different kind of bacteria.

It can be seen also at the corners of buildongs and near road obstacles.

11

BARS / CAFES / RESTAURANTS The owners of shops / bars / cafes / restaurants are usualyy keep the area around clean make the place attrctive for the visitor, but this is a double-edged sword as often the area near by can be polluted by the papres and packages bought in those shops / cafes / ... .

12

TRASH BINS There are several serious problems with the trash bins on the street: 1. Trash bins for recycling paper and plastic can be found on the street, but at this moment they have no sense, as the garbage from them is collected eventually into one car with normal waste.

2. There are no collectors for special waste like, for example, leftovers from cancer drags. These drags are highly dangerous as they contain radiation.

3. Nobody cleans trash bins.

The dirt stays and becomes a perfect environment for deseases and bacteria.

4. As all the trash bins are open. there are lot of garbage laying around them.

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CAFE

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LIABILITY ISSUES

ALL STREETS

BYSTREETS AND AREA AROUND THE HOUSES

AREA AROUND SHOPS / CAFES / ...

All streets are supposed to be cleaned by the municipality sercive.

Bystreets supposed to be cleaned by the municipality sevices, but they don’t treat them well. They broom this area 1-2 times a month which is not enough, especially in warm period, when garbage like food and pet’s shit decomposite very quick and leave bad small. Clening sevice picking up big trash and leave all the leaves and other trash on the sreet.

Bar’s / restaurant’s / shop’s / .... owners usually clean the area around by themselves. They do it every day (sometimes a coouple of times).

According to the servey it takes no more than 10-15 min (depending on the day and daytime) to clean the area around bar / restaurant / shop /... . (see bellow)

During my research I wastn’t able to found out how many times per week they do cleaning as service people (who collect trash by hands) barely spoke english. This also concerns garbage trucks.

According to my observations service people (who collect trash by hands) clean the main garbage leaving small staff on the street. Garbage trucks empty garbage bins, but the trash around usually stays on the street.

WHAT DO THEY DO?

Some residents clean their street and/or the area around their houses by themselves.

WHAT DO THEY DO?

WHAT DO THEY DO?

BROOM

BROOM

BROOM

COLLECT TRASH (BY HANDS AND BY GARBAGE TRUCKS)

COLLECT TRASH (BY HANDS)

COLLECT TRASH (BY HANDS)

WATER PAVEMENT

WATER PAVEMENT

CLEANING TOOLS:

CLEANING TOOLS:

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Hello!

I am a student. | Design Academy Eindhoven | Can you help me in my survey?

What’s your gender?:

MALE

FEMALE

YES ES

NO

What’s your age?: 1. Do you have a dog?

2. Do you LIVE / WORK / OTHER in this area? (look at the map) (underline the answer) 3. Do you find this area healthy?

YES

NO

4. Is the street where you live clean?

YES

NO

5. What do you think, how much does the cleanness of the street influence your health? physical health : a lot

not so much

not at all

mental health:

not so much

not at all

a lot

6. What do you think, is there a relation between cleanness of the streets and crime situation on it?

YES

NO

7. Have you ever cleaned the street, where you live?

YES

If YES, how often do you do this (per month)?

NO

8. How often do you clean your house / apartment per month? (underline the number)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

more than 8

9. What do you think, how much does the cleanness of your house / apartment influence your health? physical health : a lot

not so much

not at all

mental health:

not so much

not at all

a lot

Thank you for participation in my survey!

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Please, leave your e-mail address, if you want to get an invitation to our exhibition in January 2017:

QUESTIONARY IN SURVEY PARTICIPATED :

IN AGE :

8

22

SURVEY PARTICIPANTS:

PARTICIPANTS FOUND AREA CLEAN:

19

11

0 - 20

20 - 39

40 - 59

60 +

0

19

7

4

LIVE

WORK

11

8

STUDY

5

PET’S OWNERS :

OTHER

in this area

6

INFLUENCE OF THE CLEANNESS OF THE STREET TO THE BODY :

16 A LOT

11 NOT MUCH

15

15

19 A LOT

YOUR HOME STREET CLEAN :

3 NOT AT ALL

INFLUENCE OF THE CLEANNESS OF THE STREET TO YOUR MENTAL HEALTH : PARTICIPANTS FOUND AREA HEALTHY:

21

9

18

12

YES

NO

I CLEAN MY STREET :

6

5

17

13

NOT MUCH

NOT AT ALL

YES

NO

IS THERE RELATION BETWEEN CLEANNESS OF THE STREET AND CRIME :

I CLEAN MY HOUSE

....

TIMES PER WEEK :

1-2

3-4

5-6

MORE THAN 7 TIMES

4

8

8

10

17

13

YES

NO

INFLUENCE OF THE CLEANNESS YOUR HOME TO YOUR BODY :

6 A LOT

1 NOT MUCH

23 NOT AT ALL

INFLUENCE OF THE CLEANNESS OF YOUR HOME TO YOUR MENTAL HEALTH :

9 A LOT

1

20

NOT MUCH

NOT AT ALL

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