ARIAN RIESMASTER THESIS MASTER OF URBANISM, LANDSCAPE & PLANNING ΠΟΤ ΑΜΙΕΣ ΑΛΛΗ ΡΙΕΣ VALERIAN A. PORTOKALIS — XENIA STOUMPOU PROMOTORS: KELLY SHANNON — BRUNO DE MEULDER ΓΟ
ATHENS GREECE 37°59 ! N 23°43 ! E
Kifissos —
— Ilissos
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 2
© Copyright KU Leuven
We would like to thank Dimitris Teodossopoulos for his valuable help and discussion.
I, Valerian A. Portokalis would like to acknowledge the contribution of the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD, without the support of which, this two year advanced master wouldn’t have been possible.
Without written permission of the thesis supervisors and the authors it is forbidden to reproduce or adapt in any form or by any means any part of this publication. Requests for obtaining the right to reproduce or utilize parts of this publication should be addressed to Faculty of Engineering and Department of Architecture, Kasteelpark Arenberg 1 box 2431, B-3001 Heverlee.
— Acknowledgements
A written permission of the thesis supervisors is also required to use the methods, products, schematics and programs described in this work for industrial or commercial use, and for submitting this publication in scientifc contests.
DEPARTMENT ARCHITECTUREOF
We would like to thank Nikos Belavilas for his cooperation at every step we attempted to contact him.
We would like to thank Pavlos Marinos Delladetsimas for his immediate response and help at a very crucial stage of the research.
Special thanks are owed to Nikos Mamasis, who unconditionally ofered two hours of his time to make sure we get our answers.
I, Xeni Stoumpou, would like to acknowledge the contribution of the Alexander S. Onassis Foundation, without the support of which, this two year advanced master wouldn’t have been possible.
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Academic Year 2021 - 2022
Athenian riverscapes as climate adaptive urban figures—
Master (of Science) Urbanism, Landscape and Planning Faculty of Engineering and Department of Architecture
In which ways can the dual river system of Ilissos and Kifissos be reformulated as green-blue network to incorporate climate adaption strategies and create an array of new open spaces on both, local and metropolitan scale?
Promoters: Kelly S. Shannon & Bruno De Meulder
RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES
Valerian A. Portokalis & Xenia Stoumpou
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 2
remnant extra and intra-urban open spaces (terrain vague, post-industrial sites, etc.), running through the very corpus of the city, intersecting all sorts of vital city functions and social, cultural, mobility and productive infrastructures. As latent spatial fgures they are key to realize a tangible reconfguration of the relation of urban form and nature, particularly topography, through the introduction of landscape infrastructures. T e transformation of the dual river system, thanks to their omnipresence and their persistent symbolic value can be envisioned as an allegory for a new resilient urban vision. Tey can add ecological value, introduce productive opportunities and inspire new forms of living in a dense Mediterranean urban context.
Athens evolved in and as a mythical and functional landscape. It is embedded in a strong and diverse geographical fgure: a plain enclosed by mountains and opening to the sea, infltrated by a manifold of (seasonal) streams and interspersed with naturally and culturally signifcant hills. Te two main streams, Ilissos and Kifssos, deifed ancient rivers in an arid land, structuring the agricultural terrain and framing the city for centuries. However, both were eventually consumed by contemporary urban expansion and converted to (unofcial) receptors of urban wastewater. Ultimately they were covered during the course of the 20th century, dramatically illustrating the imposition of the city on its natural substrate.
In the midst of the unfolding planetary climate urgency, metropolitan Athens fnds itself confronted with its inherent defciencies, degenerating into a constant state of calamity. Its high building density, elimination of open spaces and excessive sealing of grounds amplify global warming-induced realities. Alarming projections predict a doubling of extreme-heat days and extended summer droughts, while increased rainfall concentrated in less days indicates a trend towards ever more alarming precipitation events. Tere is an accelerating urban heat island efect in central areas, wildfres on the outskirts of the city and ever more severe fooding along former Givenwatercourses.theimmanent structure of their natural function, the Athenian rivers are potential re-connectors of
3 Abstract
landscape urbanism, urban heat-island, f ood protection, green-blue networks, landscape infrastructures
In which ways can the dual river system of Ilissos and Kifssos be reformulated as green-blue network to incorporate climate adaption strategies and create an array of new open spaces on both, local and metropolitan climateKeywordsscale?adaption,
AthensUrban
Myths and Fallacies I
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 4
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 6
Athens, the capital city of Greece is conceptually linked to a strong iconic past, which eventually led it to be named the capital of the contemporary greek state upon its foundation and to be seen as the cradle of contemporary western civilization. Te glorious past of greek antiquity was rediscovered through successive archeological and travel explorations of european travelers, focking in the broader ottoman territory as early as in 1670. Athens enters the scene of European consciousness, through european renaissance and the Enlightment rediscovering the ancient greek world and progressively becomes the epicentre of a european conceptual hegemony. Te mythical past of the city becomes its very Raison d’ Être, fueling the ever expanding, yet subtle imposition of foreign powers that see in the city and its ruins the rebirth of western civilisation. Following the Greek Renaissance of the 18th century and the foundation of greek nationalism, inextricably linked as they are to the western vision of reconstituting a lost ancient past, Greece becomes an independent state with Europe’s blessings, appointing a Bavarian King as the ruler of the new country. At that point it comes as no surprise that Athens
Tis mythical reconstitution of the city goes hand in hand with depicting the surrounding landscape in meticulous landscape and archeological studies, that describe a much intact landscape condition that is fundamentally linked to the idea of the city. Ancient place names are being identifed on maps, place descriptions in ancient literature are located in the physical space of the contemporary city. Te new city of Athens, from the beginning of the 19th century, inherits this background, a city historically meaningful in relation to its landscape. A background, which apart from its physical form, has been semantically charged in the quest for identity of the whole western world.
becomes the capital of the newly founded greek state, its reconstruction turning into the new mega-project of the time.Τhe consolidated neoclassical tradition of the Bavarian Court comes both inevitably and efortlessly as the reconstructing modus operandi for the new capital, implementing grandiose neoclassical plans for the location of palaces and other public buildings. All in direct reference to the archaeological past and in sharp contrast and confrontation with the ottoman predecessor.
Mythical Past
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← Ilissos stream close to the Temple of Olympian Zeus – Frédédric Boissonnas, 1910
The elevation of the Athens Basin as seen from the see towards north – From Mt. Pentelikon to the Acropolis, Manolis Korres, 1994↑ Consecutive Sections through the topography of the Basin from East to West → 1000 m 900 m 800 m 700 m 600 m 500 m 400 m 300 m 200 m 100 m SEA LEVEL
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Athenian urbanism is perceived as identical to the basin in which it is nested. ‘Lekanopedio’, (Basin in greek), is the reference word commonly used to describe the urban conglomerate of metropolitan Athens. Te plain of Athens, expands for 22km in direction N-S with a maximum width of 110km in direction E-W, forming an area of 430km2
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 8
However, this strong physical-geographical designation, which remains to this day, reveals a strong contradiction; a city developing in a place with a very strong natural identity, which gradually managed to eradicate it. At the same time, this intense geographical fgure - a plain enclosed by mountains and opening to the sea, in by a manifold of seasonal streams and permanent river fows and interspersed with naturally and culturally signifcant hills - contributed decisively to its development, being the most favourable basin of the wider region. oxymoron between the city of Athens and its intense natural background is directly related to its recent history, during which it experienced, almost instantaneously, its transformation from a small provincial town of a few thousand inhabitants into a capital of a newly formed state, a developing urban centre, explosively growing post-war into a 21st century metropolis today.
Tanks to the relatively short distance bridging the mountains to the sea and its geological characteristics, the Athenian Basin comprises a densely diverse sequence of landscape elements.
Topographic Structure Athens Basin
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Te athenian plain is interspersed with naturally and culturally signifcant hills, which historically and still today hold the symbolic capital of the city. Te main spine develops from north to south, essentially forming a barrier between east and west Athens and comprises a set of hills, varied in size and altitude. Turkovounia is the highest of these formations with an altitude of 337 m, followed by the hill of Filothei (298 m), Lycabettus (260 m), Ardittos (235 m), the hill of the Acropolis (158 m), Filopappou (147 m), the hill of the Nymphs (105 m)., the hill of Iloupolis (165 m), Stref (148 m), Nikaia (135 m), Kinosargous (126 m), Finopoulos (123 m), Pani Alimou (96 m), Kastella (87 m). the hill of Sicily (72 m), Skouze (65 m), Ippios Kolonos (56 m). Te hills, despite the intense urbanization, managed to a great extent to maintain their character as open, green public spaces.
Landscape Elements MountainsHills+N/E/WCoastS—
To the south, the city opens up to the sea towards the Saronic Gulf, in Phaleron, where a long and equally diverse coastline unfolds. An economically, culturally and recreationally important asset of the metropolitan city.
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 10
Peri-urban mountains delimit the Basin from east, north and west. Tese are four mountainous formations, Hymmetus on the east-southeast with a maximum altitude of 1,026 m, Penteli on the northeast with an altitude of 1,109 m., Parnitha to the north with an altitude of 1,413 mm, Poikilo and Egaleo to the west southwest with an altitude of 465 m and 468 m respectively. As the outer limits of the city, the mountains form the urban frontier and as such they have historically been under enormous pressure due to urbanization. Trough consecutive yet distinct moments in urban history and with diferent social characterisitcs (Leontidou, 2007), the west, north and east foothills of the surrounding mountains have all been subject to urban claims resulting in the encroachment of forest areas, and their considerable deforestation. Numerous wildfres, either naturally occuring or deliberate acts ending up in more available land for construction led to the "climbing" of entire areas at relatively high altitudes. In fact, the only barrier, if any, was the insurmountable steepness of the slope. Nevertheless they remain vast peri-urban green spaces of the contemporary city and as such they are its big assets in terms of green infrastructure, all of them nowadays under protective decrees.
11 N↑ KM5 GRID — 5 KM ×
Landscape Elements Rivers & Streams
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 12
Kifssos has its springs in Parnitha mountain range to the north, itself a National Park . Te upstream part of the river maintains its natural state and it is also protected by a separate decree. Te river fows down the Basin ending up in Phaleron Bay. To this day, Kifssos, whose catchment area of 381 km2 covers most of the basin, plays a dominant role in the hydrological functioning of the basin, being the main water course, hence the main water receptor in rainfall events. Along its 22km course, 14 km of which lie within urban areas, it incorporates a large number of seasonal tributaries, coming from the west, north and partially from the eastern mountain formations, either open or piped.
Te basin of Athens is a system of natural elements in succession, starting from the surrounding mountains and the hills that interrupt it down to the sea. Te hole system is bound together and infltrated by a manifold of (mostly) seasonal streams, and a dual river system, comprised of Kifssos River on the Western part and Ilissos River on the eastern part.
Ilissos was originally a tributary to Kifssos forming the marshy ground of Phaleron. Its catchment area is relatively small 48.3 km2. Te river originates from Hymettus on the east and fows to the sea, almost crossing the center of the city of Athens and many densely populated neighbourhoods. In 1930 it was diverted into a separate outlet afer food control considerations.
Land uses in the Ki f ssos basin vary. Upstream mountainous areas are dominated by forests and shrubs and downstream urban areas. Tere are also cultivated lands and areas of industrial use.
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13N KM5 GRID — 5 KM
The ‘Polykatoikia’ type in extreme densities form the Athenian urban mass – Athens Spread, Y. Yerolymbos,
Te post-war internal migration in the 1950s’ and 1960s’ sparked an unprecedented construction activity through the mechanism of ‘antiparochi’’. Tis unconditional urbanization, further intensifed during the military regime of the late 1960s’ and complemented by iconic
Te contemporary city of Athens has little to do with its mythical past. A modern city par excellence, its presentday image is one of a densely and relentlessly urbanised metropolis.
projects of highways setting the scene for the emerging car domination , by and large creates the urban concrete layer that Athens is today, evenly covering the ground, swallowing hills and streams.
During the 1990s, with the urban exodus towards the suburbs, the city reached its geographical boundaries and difused beyond them, while in early 2000s, the city was marked by large-scale infrastructure projects in view of the 2004 Olympic Games.. Tis is the frst time that the state mechanism shows such efciency in the completion of large-scale infrastructure projects with necessary space once again meant to be found at the expense of the natural landscape (Dragonas, 2010) (eg. Kifssos capping and highway construction and estuary arrangement in Phaleron Bay). Te severe fnancial crisis that began in the late 2000s’ put an abrupt end to this infrastructure frenzy, as it did to any discussion of river or habitat restoration and remediating projects as these were not considered a priority in the general context of fscal austerity.
Compromised Present
Major historic events and the post-war period in general led to the abrupt infux of population in the city and fundamentally infuenced its expansion. Acute housing defcits were compensated by informal settlements, tolerated by the state authorities, lack of any other option.
Te contemporary image of the city, with the saturation of the basin in terms of urbanisation, the almost complete eradication of its natural substrate, whether hills, streams or peri-urban mountains and the fragmented condition of the sea front, outline in the most dramatic way the irrational battle that Athens has been waging over time against its natural landscape. And it leaves this concrete urbanized mesh that the city is today at a precarious state, with cumulative issues as a result of its turbulent expansion.
2012 →
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 14
Te population changes of the 19th century, which transformed Athens from a city of 14,000 inhabitants to a city of 128,000 in a period of 50 years (Hekimoglou, 2014), and the consequent needs of modernization create the conditions for a gradually expanding city. Te city’s foreseen development raised the issue for the provisioning of basic infrastructure such as water supply and sewage networks from the very beginning. Taking a closer look to the evolution of water supply and sewer network, one can start unpacking its relation to the expansion of the city both in terms of population and space, but also in terms of the management of its natural substrate. In the years that followed, streams were ofcially turned into sewers , formalizing a perpetuating informal practice, while booming urbanisation was lef with no substantial restrictions.
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Imperviousness of Grounds – EU, Copernicus 2018 →
Athens is one of the most dense European cities, both in terms of building and population density, as central Athens scores second in Europe(Eurostat, 2022). Much as this density is praised for its social characteristics, enhancing social mingling and creating vibrant streetscapes, high building density, buildings primarily out of concrete along with very few green spaces at local and metropolitan scales come together with a high thermal mass. Tis inherits the contemporary city a considerable disadvantage when it comes to urban heat, especially taking into account the mediterranean climate zone where the city is Furthermorelocated.the urban expansion up until the 1960s, unfolded onto shale impermeable geologic formations. But the rapid urbanization of the following period developed onto permeable and semi-permeable grounds and continuous to this day, thus signifcantly impeding rainwater infltration. Direct consequences of this are the increasingly frequent fooding events as well as the increased seismic risk due to the problematic foundation grounds. (Antoniou, 2013)
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— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 16
Anthropogenic Impact Imposed Urbanisation
N↑
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Until less than a century ago, the hydrological network of the region was organised along a dense network of about 700 streams, varied in size, which connected the hills and mountains of Attica with the Saronic Gulf. Out of 1280km of cumulative length estimated in late 1940s, nowadays, there remain roughly 434km of them, meaning that approximately 850km of streams have been culverted, piped or flled (NTUA, 2000), the vast majority of these operations undoubtedly having taken place in metropolitan Athens.
Anthropogenic Impact Disrupted Hydrology
Tis would inherit to the 21st century city a highly dysfunctional and fragmented water system, rather than a natural drainage network, inducing a never ending circle of hard engineering to meet food protection ‘standards’, increased amount of sealed surfaces instead of large areas of permeable grounds and, fnally, cooling corridors replaced with highly heat-amplifying surfaces.
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 18
19 N KM5 GRID — 5 KM
Athens sufers from a considerable lack of open green spaces. Hills and peri-urban mountains aside, the open spaces in the urban corpus appear scattered and fragmented. Since the condition of urbanisation was explosive, most of the remaining open spaces can be found in very few large city parks and an array of disconnected and insignifcant small patches spread around the city, as lef-overs of urbanisation without any comprehensive layout. Tis outlines a picture of open green space defcit. Indeed Athens scores very low in open green space per capita with only 4m2 compared to EU average. Unsurprisingly, this can get as low as 2m2, in more pessimistic estimates. But it is still well below the WHO recommendation of 9m2.
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 20
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Furthermore, the allocation of these spaces, is primarily concentrated in the eastern part of the city, that has historically been wealthier and more privileged than its western counterpart. Vegetation patterns, canopy cover and accessibility to open green spaces in the contemporary city further highlights this historic division between upper middle class, wealthy east neighborhoods on the one hand and socially challenged working class neighborhoods on the western side of the city, where industrial and manufacturing activities also occur, further amplifying harsh conditions.
Inherent Deficiencies Fragmented Vegetation
21 N
High building density indirectly unveils another emerging issue. Tis high density is complemented by a relatively small size of urban blocks. Typical urban blocks have a size of 60m x 60m in central areas with a few variations. Tis unit is way more compacted than typical grid units found in other cities. Tis peculiarity of the athenian grid can by and large be attributed to the abrupt transformation of an agrarian territorry into an urban centre during the urbanization peak of the 50’s, where land owners could divide their land into small size plots then ofered for construction. Tis condition led to small sized plots that needed to be served by road infrastructure, thus leading to a disproportionately dense street network. It goes without saying that this inevitably creates a very high amount of paved and sealed surfaces that amount to approximately 40-45% of city’s surface.
Built Suffocation
Inherent Deficiencies
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 22
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In the midst of the unfolding planetary climate urgency, metropolitan Athens fnds itself confronted with its inherent defciencies, degenerating into a constant state of calamity. Its high building density, elimination of open spaces and excessive sealing of grounds amplify global warming-induced realities. Alarming projections predict a doubling of extreme-heat days and extended summer droughts, while increased rainfall concentrated in less days indicates a trend towards ever more alarming precipitation events. Tere is an accelerating urban heat island efect in central areas, wildfres on the outskirts of the city and ever more severe fooding along former watercourses. Pollution, primarily air pollution caused by vehicular trafc, gets further exacerbated by the impact of wildfres that occur on the outskirts.
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Alarming Futures
—Heat
Heat and Heat stress is already a major challenge for the city of Athens and a condition expected to be further exacerbated in the near future. Extreme heat days, meaning days with temperatures exceeding 35oC currently amount to 14 per year. According to projections of the moderate scenario RCP 4.5, the amount of extreme heat days is expected to double in the next 30 years, raising issues both when it comes to public health and to urban infrastructures. Te Urban heat island efect is already a primary issue of concern, since high thermal building is its underlying cause. Consecutive heat days, the tipping point for heat events to become leathal and generate additional, cumulative outcomes are also expected to rise. According to recent studies, the efect and its intensity is unevenly distributed across the metropolitan area of Athens, with western parts of the city being disproportionately afected (Stathopoulou et al, 2009). Tis pattern can be attributed to the geographic characteristics of the Basin, where east-facing west part of the city absorbs solar radiation during the entire day, while the eastern part of the city remains in the casting shadow of mount AHymettus.2019analysis of 571 European cities by the Newcastle University Polytechnic School ranked Athens as the European city facing the single greatest impact from heat waves, while in late 2018, Moody’s announced that Athens ranks highest in exposure to heat. (Guerreiro et al, 2018)
During a severe and prolonged heat wave in 2021 at the Bay of Phaleron – AFP 2021 / Louisa Gouliamaki
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 26
Night time temperature measurements show the severity of the Urban Heat Island Effect in central areas – Data from Stathopoulou et al, 2009
N
In a recent report by the European Environment Agency on pollutants and nitrogen dioxide concentrations, Athens with 70μg/m3 far exceeds the European safety limit of 40μg/m3.
Athens ranks high in pollution rates among european cities, with the main source of harmful nitrous oxide pollutants being directly linked to vehicular tra
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 28
According2019).
—Pollution
In Athens the primary concern when it comes to pollution is the air pollution, where two distinct types can be identifed. Te frst one is related to high concentrations of particulate matter, which intensi temperatures paralleled with high humidity rates. second one, also called photochemical smog is the result of an excess concentration of primary pollutans (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons among others and secondary pollutants such as ozon reacting under the presence of sunlight.
to a WHO study, in Athens the average concentration of PM2.5 particulate matter reaches 23 m3 of air, a quantity 2.3 times above the international safety limit and are directly correlated with respiratory diseases and thousands of premature deaths (efsyn, 2019)
Te situation is similar with regard to ozone, as Athens exceeds the limits with concentrations over 140 while the European limit is 119 μg/m3 (efsyn, 2019)
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Massive wildfires at the WUI in August 2021 – Kosmas Koumianos, 2021
Wildfires affecting the mountains around Athens mapped from 1984 onwards – Data from Athens Observatory
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 30
—Fire
Wild f res are a regenerating mechanism of the mediterranean forest ecosystem. However, as urbanisation encroaches forested areas, exposure to fre becomes a considerable threat to human lives and livelihoods. Te Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) in Athens Metropolitan area is extensive and still increasing as the city expands beyond its limits into forested woodlands on the mountains or further to the outskirts. Unsurprisingly, wildfres are an issue of growing concern, with multiple incidents on an annual basis, ofen with human casualties and with detrimental consequences for a f ected Consecutiveecosystems. drought days, that is consecutive days without rainfall currently amount to 60, occurring during the dry summer months. Tis correlated with the high risk days index, outlines the probability of wildfre occurrence. While consecutive draught days are projected to increase by 10%, there is a projected dramatic increase in the high risk days index, from 44 to 61 days in 2050 and even more for the 2100 projections. Tis highlights the increased probability of wildfre occurrence under a changing climate. In the case of Athens, these wildfres signifcantly afect the precious peri-urban forests, a fact that can have long lasting efects on the city’s micro-climate, way more unsettling than the duration of a wildfre event per se.
N
Mapping the prone-to-food areas, these are mostly concentrated along the initial foodplains and along the course of initial watercourses. But to add yet another layer of information, the areas afected are the ones that are historically socially and economically challenged, especially those to the west side if the city.
During November 2021 in one single rainfall event precipitation reached up to 120mm causing massive flooding – EfSyn, 2021 Flood model for the Kifissos Basin predicting an 100y event – Data from the Ministry of Environment, Special Secretary for Waters, 2011
Tis may seem contradicting the story of more days of drought but it actually showcases the unpredictability of the climate condition we are facing. It also highlights the absurdity of water management, where on the one hand the supply of fresh water is secured through infrastructure mega-projects, bringing water from hundreds of kilometers away, while on the other, the amount of water occurring on the spot, no matter how little, is managed so as to be evacuated the quickest possible way through an ever insufcient rainwater collection network.
Annual precipitation in Athens is relatively low, mounting to 400mm per year, concentrated mainly during the wet autumn and winter season. However precipitation patterns tend to be intense and short in duration, where a single event can release more than 100mm at once. Furthermore, according to the National Observatory of Athens, over the last 30 years, 30% of annual precipitation has been released in extreme precipitation events as opposed to 15% for the period of 1960-1990. Te data already depict a well established condition: in Athens over the last 30 years heavy rainfall days have doubled and the amount of water released during these heavy rainfall events amounts to one third of the annual precipitation. Already, during a normal rainfall event and due to the excessive sealing of surfaces, nearly 80% of the precipitation ends up in the sea as polluted run-of as opposed to 20% that gets absorbed by the soil and ofen resulting in fush foods.
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 32
—Flood
N
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Tracing the existing and projected threats for Metropolitan Athens, the dual river system of Ilissos and Kifssos becomes both a tool for building a better understaning and potentially a vehicle for transformation.
Hazardous Athens
In the upstream areas of both rivers, the Wildland-Urban Interface expansion is correlated with the increased occurrence of wildfres on the outskirts of the city. Te main food plain of Kifssos River, is the area afected the most by food predictions, in a sarcastic reinstatement of a hard-to-defy topographic condition. On the other hand, the plain of Ilissos, where the river runs burried underground is to be found in densely urbanised central neighbourhoods afected the most by heat stress and an extreme urban heat island efect. Downstream to their estuaries, the artifcially inflled area of Phaleron, becomes the recipient of both inland food and sea level rise, getting back to the marshy state it once was.
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 34
Te comparative mapping of all the afore-mentioned challenges illustrates that these are actually related to certain topographic features, or that they are in a way conditioned by topography.
N
AthenianRivers— of Figures and Metaphors II
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 36
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 38
T e ancient allegory of the deif ed and personif ed rivers of Ilissos and Kifssos bringing life and prosperity to an arid land, is thus inextricably linked to the history of the city. T eir importance is also eloquently manifested by their presence in the most iconic monument, namely in the east pediment of the Parthenon on the Acropolis Hill. Kif ssos, fowing in the western part of the plain, was celebrated both for his generous provision of fertile soils and feared of in times of seasonal overfows. Being the largest river of the basin, it
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Ancient landscapes are fundamentally intertwined with myths and imbued with special meanings, echoing their signif cance and outstanding value (Girot, 2016). Water, fundamental as it is to the foundation of any city, frequently becomes subject of worship, even more so when scarce.
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Deified Rivers in Arid Lands
ensured the prosperity of the city, securing its food production in its fertile alluvial plain. Ilissos, fowing on the eastern part of the city was celebrated for its purifying waters, as conf rmed by the presence of a multitude of altars found along its course and plenty of historic references on the importance of the river itself.
Both rivers and their aquifers, have been the subject of harvesting for the water supply of the city at various stages of its history. Under the rule of Peisitratos, an aqueduct was constructed providing the city with fresh water from the springs of Ilissos on Hymettus mountain, dating from the 6th century BCE, still in operation today. Centuries later, the rich aquifer of Kif ssos was exploited by the Romans, through the construction of a 25km aqueduct bringing water from the foothills of Parnitha and Pentelikon to the North. The statue of the Eastern Pediment of the Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens depicting the deity Kifissos – British Museum
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by Mr.Stuart, 1794 →
Tese rivers have been historically organizing the territory around them and especially in between them. Te descriptions one can found on historic maps allow for a reading of a landscape organized by diferent degrees of wetness and productive opportunities. Olive grove, wineyard, marshyground, are all names still in use to describe neighborhoods of the contemporary city, although their literal meaning is nowhere to be found. Furthermore, over centuries the dual river system has been the boundary of the settlement. Until the second half of the 20th century, the city had never overcome them. It is rather recent that the new boundaries of the city are the mountains and the sea. Kif ssos with its productive land to the West and Ilissos with its more intense topography in between the hills to the east were framing the city, beyond the borders of which untamed nature expanded.
Organising the Territory
Attica from an actual survey
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 40
Te olive tree has always been the most cherished productive tree of the Attica peninsula its cultivation dating back to the 6th century BCE. It appears as the emblem of the city, through its founding myth of the dispute between Athena and Poseidon for the patronage of the yet-unnamed city. Poseidon ofered Athenians maritime dominance while Athena ofered the productive olive tree as a sign of wealth and prosperity. Te outcome of this dispute gave birth to the sacred olive grove under the rule of Peisistratos who enacted a special legislation for the planting and protection of the trees (Boflias, 2005).
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 42
Te rivers were also structuring the productive land, which was rare to be found and thus precious. Deifed water courses were ofen complemented by sacred forests of introduced vegetation. Tis is the case of the ancient Olive Grove of Athens, the traces of which are still visible today in the contemporary city structure. Te Grove counted around 117.000 olive trees, spanning form the foothills of Parnitha and ending up to the marsh of Phaleron Bay, following the water course of Kifssos and constituted a unique, manmade landscape. Tis fertile orchard, irrigated by the river and nourished throught its enriched and thick soil stood in sharp contrast to the dry and naked slopes of Hymettus mountain, that had sufered the immediate consequences of deforestation.
The Olive Grove of more than 100.000 trees as estimated flanking the riverbed of Kifissos — Panorama von Athen,
Structuring the Productive Land
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F. Stademann, 1841 →
In this broader spirit of hydraulic works, the milestone decision was taken in 1905 for the diversion of Ilissos into a distinct outlet, separating the original tributary from the main river of Kifssos. Te decision was based again on food risk considerations. A couple of decades later, in early 2000, in view of the Olympic Games of 2004, Ilissos was partially diverted back to its original course, this time entirely piped, diverting the frst 50m3 of water back to Kifssos. What was once a natural hydrological system, had turned into an artifcially controlled system of communicating vessels. The marshy grounds of Phalero and Peiraeus in their initial state as Delta for the Kifissos-Ilissos river system – Plan of the environs of Athens, Jean Denis Barbie du Bocage,
45
Taking a closer look to the evolution of these river system over the centuries, these can aso be seen as allegories for the process of urbanisation. From an initially dense hydrological network what is lef today is a dramatic illustration of how urban form was forcefully imposed on its natural substrate. resulting in the covering or piping of more than 850km of streams and water courses. And if the covering of smaller streams and tributaries could to a certain extent be justifed as being part of informal urban practices, the systematic degrading and repulsion of the two main rivers can only be seen as disastrous outcome of an ever expanding modernisation narrative that had mobility infrastructure at its epicentre.
1785
Following imperatives of strict hydraulic engineering, the rivers and any smaller stream or tributary have always been seen as potential engineering projects. Controlling food through predictable and measurable channels and pipes ofered a pleasant illusion and a convenient alibi for massive infrastructure works, that were ofen complemented with new road infrastructure.
←
Kifissos — DualGenealogyIlissos:oftheRiverSystem
Teir evolution is a story of piece-meal arrangements that within a few years time prove to be insuf cient and in dire need of further improvements. As streams get channeled or pipped and as the city expands, sealing even more grounds, the expected water load to be handled increases rendering the current infrastructures obsolete. Tis produces an never-ending circle of hard engineering projects to tame the power of water, having put aside any sense of systemic hydrological and ecosystem functioning, let alone spatial qualities.
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 46
Kifssos was originally channeled in 1900 for a short, 1km long segment close to its estury, following a severe rainfall event that led to overfow and human casualties. Until then, the watercourses of Kifssos and Ilissos fowed into a marshy ground in the current areas of Kallithea and Moschato. Te swamp was separated from Phaleron bay with lowlying areas and a series of dunes. Further works to the upstream were started in 1935 and completed 20 years Overlater. the years, “urgent needs" of traf c works led to the channeling of fragmented, disconnected segments of the river, since road infrastructure has been the main accelerating factor for the construction of large-scale food protection works up to this date. Te main stream of Kifssos was fanked by a major avenue already since the 80’s but ultimately capped by the national highway in 2004, of cially degrading the river into a mere part of the sewage system. And posing a major social and spatial barrier between central and western Athens Ilissos on the other hand was the subject of a comprehensive large-scale infrastructure project of putting the river underground as early as in 1937 (Papadakis, 1967). Te project was part of the modernisation narrative of the 60’s, making place for an inner city avenue and thus being assimilated into the urban fabric. Only its curvy trace reminds us today of the initial river fow.
Course Chronography of —Alterations
47
Rainwater (Blue) and Mixed Sewage Network of Central Athens (Black) in Correlation to the main watercourses — Data from EYDAP
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 48
fssos up to this day receives the occasional overfows of the mixed sewage system of the central areas of Athens, together with raw industrial waste dumped illegally in the riverbed along its course and the treated wastewater from a wastewater treatment plant located on a tributary upstream. Ilissos although of cially not a sewer, still sufers from illegal dumping practices. All these create a perpetual condition of reinscription along the water courses forming a superimposed and intertwined artifcial water network.
rivers are also incorporated into the rainwater management networks, serving as the recipients of rainwater run-of in every precipitation event. Tough, the fact of them being burried underground favours illegal dumping of hazardous waste that gets fushed down the rivers without anyone noticing, in times of severe precipitation Kievents.
Course Parallel —NetworksArtificial
As rivers were progressively being channeled and pipped, a parallel artifcial network of sewer grid was conveniently accommodated along the former water courses, where space was abundant and earthworks already in place. Tus the main sewer lines connecting the city’s network to the wastewater treatment plant on the isle of Psytalleia, are situated along Kifssos. Ilissos is also „delimitated’ by important parts of the sewage network on the east side of the Bothcity.
→
49 KM10 GRID — 10 KM N
Plain fromElaionas,Olive Grove to Terrain Vague
— T e fertile plane of the Olive Grove got progres-sively encroached by the city’s unwanted activi-ties. As a vast ope space, it became a prominent f eld for the settling of industrial facilities that could also benf t from the presence of water. T us, tanneries and paper-mills were some of the f rst industries to settle, followed by other manu-facturing facilities, such as tobacco factories and food industries. As de-industrialisation culmina-ted in the 80’s, there was a progressive shif towards logistic facilities, which took advantage of the vicinity of the site to some of the most si-gnif cant road axes of the city, along with the na-tional highway, capping Kif ssos. At arms length from the city centre, yet at the same time the city’s NIMBY (not-in-my-back-yard) site, Elaio-nas. is a vast terrain vague in a constant state of limbo, having industrial and logistics facilities imposed on the agricultural structure while ke-eping the typical agricultural parcellation resul-ting in a very peculiar urban form.
50 RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES
Plain
On the other end of the spectrum, the plain of Ilissos, crosses through the very heart of the city, through densely urbanised areas. It underwent a radical shif from a place occupied by military barracks to a cultural hub for the contemporary city with major cultural institution such as the National Gallery and the National Research Institute having settled on former military grounds. Tis green and bourgeois urban setting once more manifests the ever persistent east-west social segregation.
Ilissian Plains from Barracks to Cultural Hub—
51
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 52
↑ Curtius & Kaupert, Karten von Attika, 1870
Plain K — 1870
53 Plain 1870 — I
Curtius & Kaupert, Karten von Attika, 1870 ↑
↑ Semicadastral Map, Municipality of Athens,
1955
Plain K — 1955
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 54
55 Plain 1955 — I
Semicadastral Map, Municipality of Athens, 1955 ↑
As mentioned earlier, the watercourses of Kif ssos and Ilissos initally fowed into a marshy ground in the current areas of Kallithea and Mo-schato. T e swamp was separated from Phaleron bay with low-lying areas and a series of dunes. forming a wetland landscape. As urbanisation turns to the sea for recreation purposes, there starts a progressive transformation of the coastline with landf lling operations. In its latest form, the coastline has advanced 400m from its original position, yet the area remains a vast empty space. Recent road infrastructure projects have amplif ed the barrier between the city and waterfront.
56 RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES
Succession of Land reclamations in Phaleron Delta →
Delta Chronography of —Alterations
57 KM10 GRID — 10 KM ×
From LandscapeSubconsciousCollectivetoSystem
59
Te power of the allegoric scheme, stems from its ability of transforming over time, by incorporating new meanings and values while safeguarding its symbolic potential. Hence, riparian allegories starting from the inextricable relation of culture and nature in ancient times, moving onto the disruptive efect of urbanisation imposed on its natural substrate in the 20th century, can reinvent themselves to advocate for a new way of thinking the relationship of urban and landscape. Te transformation of the dual river system can thus be envisioned as an allegory for a new resilient urban vision.
productive opportunities and informing new forms of living in a dense Mediterranean urban context. Re-inscribing the river palimpsest would further allow for a choreographed sequence of much-needed diverse greenblue public spaces.
Drawing from the immanent structure of their natural function, the Athenian rivers are potential connectors of reminiscent extra and intra-urban green spaces, though running through the very corpus of the city, intersecting every kind of vital city function, such as social, cultural, mobility and productive infrastructures. Facing climate change induced realities, which for the city of Athens mean foremost heat stress, water shortage but simultaneously increasing food risk due to extreme precipitation events, the dual river system can be envisioned as both, a mitigation and an adaptation system for the metropolitan area. Teir omnipresence and their persistent symbolic value render them promising spatial fgures to carry out an ambitious, yet necessary, reconfguration of the relation of urban form to topography through the introduction of landscape infrastructures, repairing ecosystem functioning, adding ecological value, introducing
Inherent Potentials Manifested Traces
—
As linear elements in the landscape, the streams run through the basin, being the natural axes connecting the periurban mountains and the hills to the sea. As the covering of streams, in most cases, followed their prior channeling these natural waterways are still visible in the contem-porary city form, as roads with unconventional layout and unusually dense vegetation. T e rather dense hydrological network, partially attributed to the hilly relief makes these meandering streets, distinct and recognizable.
Intrinsically interconnected as part of a coherent hydrological network, rivers and streams can be part of a comprehensive strategy for introducing green-blue infrastructure. Tey can also be paired with sof mobility infrastructure as they are by defnition followng topographical lows, thus accessible routes.
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 60
Inherent Potentials Interconnectedness—
At the same time, in their natural form they can bring signifcant benefts to the areas they run through, substantially improving their microclimate, allowing the penetration of fresh air fows along their course, while acting as important linear free spaces.
Derived straight form their complementary and continuous hydrological function, rivers and streams can ef ciently deal with local needs and metropolitan necessities at the same time.
Inherent Potentials —Multifuntionality
Inherent Potentials Transcendence of Scale—
61
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 62
Landscape System Reconnecting the —Basin
it is evident that water in the context of Athens will never be enough to sustain its urban population, yet it could be sustainably managed to be used for non-potable use, efectively reducing demand for such activities and overconsumption. Parallel to this, urban wastewater can be seen as a complementary network, feeding the system with necessary input, making every drop of water count. Tis unveils new opportunities for introducing productive landscapes into the city that could be entirely sustained by this recycled water sources, while riparian habitats can be Furthermore,restored.aswater is and will be unevenly distributed throughout extreme precipitation events, water retention becomes of primary importance, both for alleviating food risk and for keeping water inland for as long as possible to compensate for prolonged dry seasons.
Pairing the natural with the artifcial water systems into hybrid landscapes goes hand in hand with the creation of new civic archetypes, dealing with the newly introduced water conditions. Afer all the landscape infrastructure of the dual river system is equally about staging an array of diverse public spaces that re-examine the relation of Athens to its riparian habitat.
As water will become an even more scarce resource, it goes without saying that there is a dire need for reconf guring the way we deal with it, inventing ways for more sustainable use and management on a local and metropolitan scale. Understanding the current and projected precipitation patterns,
Reconnecting the Basin by repairing the disrupted hydrological network of Ilissos and Kifssos can be seen as a strategy for the efective and resilient adaptation of the contemporary city of Athens to new climate realities. Such an approach would entail a systematic understanding of interconnected relations among the diverse landscape elements and site-specifc interventions that do not jeopardise the integrity of the overall system. It becomes clear that a resilient urban vision is much more than a food risk management plan. Rather it involves a systemic restructuring of the city to incorporate more sustainable modes of living, introducing productive landscapes and restored ecosystems.
STRATEGICAREAILISSOS SEQUENCEDSTEPS
STRATEGIC AREA GOUDI RETENTION FOREST
CASE STUDY ELAIONAS FLOODING MOSAIC OF THE GROVE
STRATEGIC AREA PHALERON REMEDIATING ARCHIPELAGO
STRATEGIC AREA AHARNES RETENTION GORGE
63 KM5 5 KM N
AllegoriesRiparian— of Systems and Archetypes III
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 64
Plain K - Elaionas Growing Back the —Grove
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 66
The Grove around 1870 – Archive Erwin Baldwin →
Te Olive Grove is the topographically defned low lying food plain of Kifssos. Its ground has been modifed progressively over the years through cut and fll operations to accommodate for the productive landscape of the Olive Grove, later transformed into small scale vegetable gardens to be fnally consumed by industrial units. Water has been fexibly diverted into irrigation channels, echoing a potentially braided structure of the river itself. Tis fexible fatness of the grove along with its topographic role in collecting urban runof from west, north and east inspire its very transformation. Te Olive Grove is envisioned as a fooded mozaic, retaining and treating storm water run of on a metropolitan scale while undergoing a systematic aforestation. Sealed surfaces along with the existing agricultural plot layout are guiding the design. Kifssos is re-introduced into its original foodplain while the highway infrastructure gets incorporated in the newly applied water cleaning machine. Te levels of water purifcation defne complementary activities that get organised along them and inform new urban typologies and a rearrangement of existing manufacturing and industrial activities. Productive landscapes are sustained in the lower, southern part where clean water can be used for irrigation.
67
•SEWAGEOVERFLOW
Traced on historical maps by E. Kallergis 1871 & Curtius/Kaupert 1880, Sewage and Rainwater Network with data from EYDAP, Athens Water Authority
Plain K - Elaionas Succession of —Riverbeds
Main Sewer Lines
N! K1—SEPOLIA CHANELLEDGROVE URBANK3—VOTANIKOSGROVEK2—EGALEO INFRAGROVE
Covered Flows today
Chanelled Flows today
MIXED SEWER COLLECTOR FROM ATHENS CITY CENTER
Rain Water Network
Initial River Courses
—
KIFISSOS MAIN FLOW AS CHANNELED 1935-1955 — COVERED 2001-2004
Channels and Streams around 1880
SEA WATER CHANNEL AS FROM THE DEEPENING IN 2001-2004 TO ACHIEVE HIGHER DISCHARGE VOLUME
K4—RENTIS BRAIDEDGROVE
MAIN SEWER COLLECTOR
M500 GRID — 500 M !
ILISSOSINITIALFLOWUNTIL1905
•SEWAGEOVERFLOWTOWARDSPSYTTALEIAISLANDSEWAGETREATMENTPLANT
PROPHET DANIEL INITIAL TRACING, NOW CHANNELED
BRAIDED INITIAL FLOWS MARSHY DELTA OF PIRAEUS
N! K1—SEPOLIA CHANELLEDGROVE URBANK3—VOTANIKOSGROVEK2—EGALEO INFRAGROVE Plain K - Elaionas Dispersed Green —Patches
K4—RENTIS BRAIDEDGROVE
M500 GRID — 500 M !
N! K1—SEPOLIA CHANELLEDGROVE URBANK3—VOTANIKOSGROVEK2—EGALEO INFRAGROVE
High amount of unbuilt, but sealed surfaces, constitute a Mosaic of imperviousness, but inhere the potential of less complicated future de-sealing . Areas comprise mostly parking and outdoor storage spaces and junkyards.
Plain K - Elaionas Mosaic —Imperviousnessof
M500 GRID — 500 M !
K4—RENTIS BRAIDEDGROVE
N! K1—SEPOLIA CHANELLEDGROVE URBANK3—VOTANIKOSGROVEK2—EGALEO INFRAGROVE Plain K - Elaionas Mosaic —Ownershipof Existing Green Spaces Property of Broader Public Sector Unused / Terrain Vague Significant— Industrial / Commercial Buildings Buildings Worth Maintaining ChurchesHousing!
M500 GRID — 500 M !
K4—RENTIS BRAIDEDGROVE
Plain K - Elaionas Threefold Water —System N! K1—SEPOLIA CHANELLEDGROVE URBANK3—VOTANIKOSGROVEK2—EGALEO INFRAGROVE Primary Water Treatment Secondary Water Treatment Secondary Water Treatment / Water Reuse Initial DaylightedFlowsTributary Streams Rainwater Network — Rainwater Network with data from EYDAP, Athens Water Authority AERATED CHANNELS – PRIMARY REPURPOSED CHANNEL AS SEDIMENTATION TANK & ANAEROBIC TREATMENT – PRIMARY CONSTRUCTED SURFACE FLOW WETLANDS – SECONDARY ! KIFISSOS MAIN RIVER FLOW ! " URBAN RUN-OFF & GREY WATER " # WESTERN TRIBUTARIES / URBAN RUN-OFF #
NEROMANNA’
PHYTOREMEDIATION SUBSURFACE WETLANDS – SECONDARY
PHYTOREMEDIATION SUBSURFACE PONDS – SECONDARY RETENTION PONDS CHANNELS TERTIARY CHANNELS –TERTIARY
URBAN CICTERN SQUARE
M500 GRID — 500 M !
TERTIARY–‘ IRRIGATION
PUMPING BRIDGES – PRIMARY
K4—RENTIS BRAIDEDGROVE
‘ IRRIGATION
PUMPED PHYTOIRRIGATION – SECONDARY
–SECONDARY
–
N! K1—SEPOLIA CHANELLEDGROVE URBANK3—VOTANIKOSGROVEK2—EGALEO INFRAGROVE Plain K - Elaionas Urban Terraces & —Clusters Industrial & Commercial ‘Clusters’ Industrial / Commercial Buildings in Clusters Proposed Building Buildings Worth Maintaining +38m — P1 +31m — P2
K4—RENTIS BRAIDEDGROVE M500 GRID — 500 M ! +24m — P3 +19m — P4
N! K1—SEPOLIA CHANELLEDGROVE URBANK3—VOTANIKOSGROVEK2—EGALEO INFRAGROVE Plain K - Elaionas Weaving of Forest & —Grove Olive MediterraneanGrove Forest Wet / Riparian Forest Urban Agriculture / Agroforestry / CSA Farms Gardens and Housing Farms Existing Vegetation +38m +31m
K4—RENTIS BRAIDEDGROVE M500 GRID — 500 M +24m +19m
N! K1—SEPOLIA CHANELLEDGROVE URBANK3—VOTANIKOSGROVEK2—EGALEO INFRAGROVE Plain K - Elaionas Flooding Mosaic of the Grove — Olive MediterraneanGrove Forest Wet / Riparian Forest Urban Agriculture / Agroforestry / CSA Farms Gardens and Housing Farms Existing Vegetation +38m — P1 +31m — P2
K4—RENTIS BRAIDEDGROVE
M500 GRID — 500 M !
TOPOGRAPHY EXISTING SCULPTED
Plain K - Elaionas Channeled Grove of —Sepolia
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 84
City
Te area has been historically known for its vegetable gardens, while now its predominantly a residential area with a few remaining manufacturing facilities. Located on the upper part of the Grove, the are is transformed through a system a aerated channels that receive the water from Kifssos . Due to the excessive amount of sealed surfaces and its location in the upstream part of the Grove, the area transforms into a foodable urban park through cut and fll with organised urban terraces defning the edge of the city. Te park is designed so as to allow for fuctuating water levels.
Surface— Flow Directions
Rainwater Collectors
—
Earth Operations Cut Earth Operations Fill
Olive— MediterraneanGrove Forest
Wet / Riparian Forest
↑
↓
ExistingOrchardTreesTreesTrees
WATER SYSTEM — EXISTING ↑ AERATED CHANNELS & FLOODABLE PARK ↓ VEGETATION — EXISTING ↑ VEGETABLE GARDENS, ORCHARDS & SCHOOL FOREST ↓
N↑
ESRI Satellite Imagery
N↑
N
88
89 2xZ GRID — 50 M
Rainwater Collectors
Olive— MediterraneanGrove Forest
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 90
ExistingOrchardTreesTreesTrees
TOPOGRAPHY — EXISTING ↑ SCULPTED ↓
Surface— Flow Directions
Plain K - Elaionas Infrastructure Grove of —Egaleo
Earth Operations Cut Earth Operations Fill
Te Infrastructure Grove of Aigaleo is one of the four areas where streams from the western part of the city fow into Kifssos. Te road infrastructure is kept while the channeled culvert underneath is turned into a sedimentation tank for the collection and primary treatment of the tributary. Pumping stations, necessary for the uplifing of water from the low lying tank become also civic mobility infrastructures to overcome the highway barrier. A constructed hill formed against the elevated highway structure creates an irrigated slope, with diferent ecotones of wetness. Tis irrigated slope runs all along the infrastructure border as a linear park while also performing a secondary cleaning through root infltration. A former vast sealed surface transformed into an array of phytoremediation reed beds, bringing together an array of public spaces. Existing worth maintaining industrial units are regrouped and transformed into sustainable building clusters, with incorporated green roofs and solar energy production.
Wet / Riparian Forest City
WATER SYSTEM — EXISTING ↑ IRRIGATED SLOPE & PHYTOREMEDIATION ↓ VEGETATION — EXISTING ↑ FORESTED SLOPE & REED BEDS ↓
N↑
ESRI Satellite Imagery
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 92 N↑
N
94
95 2xZ GRID — 50 M
Wet / Riparian Forest
City
ExistingOrchardTreesTreesTrees
—
↑ SCULPTED ↓
TOPOGRAPHY EXISTING
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 96
Plain K - Elaionas Urban Grove of —Votanikos
Te Urban grove of Votanikos is situated on the eastern green fringe between the city and the Olive Grove. Tis green fringe is an existing array of scattered yet large green spaces that are further enhanced and interconnected. In here the city is delineated by a series of terraces that mark its end. Since retroftting grey water networks into the existing tissue is seen as a hard task to accomplish, the proposal suggests the collection of grey water of the surrounding neighbourhoods into collective cisterns, forming public squares. Te in between feld, instead of being eaten up by the evolution of the city, becomes an intermediate space sculpted in subtle terraces that follow the natural topography of the site, while infll material is used to further diferentiate the level of the green fringe. Tis creates a local depression that sets the boundary for urbanisation to occur. In here a diferent typology is explored, as opposed to the typical athenian apartment building. Te proposed 2-3 storey townhouses are grouped together around central courtyards and can beneft from a direct relation both the forest and the public spaces that complement the depression. Phytoremediation strips organize the cleansing of water coming from the cisterns and a series of drainage channels directs the water fows to downstream locations.
Rainwater Collectors
Earth Operations Cut Earth Operations Fill
Surface— Flow Directions
Olive— MediterraneanGrove Forest
↑
↓
↓ N↑
+
&
WATER SYSTEM EXISTING URBAN GREY WATER RUN-OFF CISTERNS TREATMENT
VEGETATION — EXISTING ↑ INHABITED PARK & FORESTED EDGE
—
N↑
ESRI Satellite Imagery
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 98
M100 GRID — 100 M N
100
101 2xZ GRID — 50 M
Wet / Riparian Forest
City
In downstream locations the existing urban enclaves are transformed into agroliving communities through a landpooling scheme. Worth maintaining industrial buildings are retroftted to be used from Community Supported Agriculture Initiatives, that can harvest the surrounding agroforestry felds. A dispersed and decentralised system of irrigation channels brings purifed water to the felds and is collectively managed as a common resource. Former industrial plots are transformed into small scale cohousing farm projects with small scale, private land for experimental agriculture or for internal use. In order to ensure water suf ciency, ‘neromana’ (translated as water mother) is a retention pond that can hold water while also incorporating public sports facilities in the traces of the former court.
Olive— MediterraneanGrove Forest
TOPOGRAPHY — EXISTING SCULPTED
Earth Operations Cut Earth Operations Fill
↑
Rainwater Collectors
ExistingOrchardTreesTreesTrees
Plain K - Elaionas Productive Grove of —Rentis
↓
Surface— Flow Directions
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 102
↑
—
↓
N↑
WATER SYSTEM EXISTING BATHING POOL RETENTION POND & IRRIGATION CHANNELS VEGETATION — EXISTING ↑ URBAN AGRICULTURE & HOUSING FARMS ↓
— RIPARIAN ALLEGORIES 104 N↑
ESRI Satellite Imagery
N M100 GRID — 100 M
106 N
107 2xZ GRID — 50 M
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KU LEUVEN — 2021–22
