- Olympic Games 2004 in Athens and Sustainable Development of Maroussi    464 kb by    Angelidis, Minas | angelidi@central.ntua.gr    Short Outline Our contribution attempts to determine the conditions under which the Olympic Games of Athens can contribute to the sustainable development of Maroussi – which is the area of direct influence of the basic pole of Athens’ Olympic installations. Abstract Olympic Games 2004 in Athens and sustainable development of Maroussi Our contribution attempts to determine the conditions under which the Olympic Games of Athens can contribute to the sustainable development of Maroussi – which is the area of direct influence of the basic pole of Athens’ Olympic installations. The proposal is based mainly on the conclusions of the research program of NTUA : ''Prospects analysis of Maroussi on the horizon 2000 +'' - under the viewpoint of sustainability. This research was carried out from 1999 until 2000. In this time period, Athens already had undertaken the conduct of Olympic Games 2004. However, the ''demand'' from the region of Maroussi (in residence, circulation etc) was not determined in detail, as well as the ''offer'', that is to say the required additional installations and regulations. Today (2002) these parameters have been more précised. Therefore, we proceed here to their evaluation, beyond those that were examined in the above research. The Maroussi Municipality is in the Northeastern region of Athens Basin. Its population is about 80.000 residents. It is an initially suburban region, which has received big numbers of residents and enterprises in the three last decades. Today it includes the second in importance centre of the capital of Greece, which is extended permanently, by increasing considerably the built surface and still more, the circulation demand in the region. Maroussi allocates, beyond the existing Olympic installations (Stadium etc), certain big free spaces, which either constitute (Syggrou' park) or they could be transformed in institutional spaces of culture -sports -green –recreation. During Olympic Games will emerge a very strong demand of regarding transportation in the Maroussi region. Also, certain important buildings essential for the Games (as the Press Centre) have been already constructed and the construction of certain hotels has been already approved. The construction of ''Press Village'' (for the journalists’ residence) in Maroussi constitutes an important intervention. It is an installation, which abuts to the Olympic Stadium, but, however, it is not obligatory to be installed here. The ''Press Village'', after the Games, will accommodate uses of Urban Centre (Offices - Trade). The Municipality bought the area, which will be built by private companies. The Municipality expects to gain a big sum from this intervention, with which it will buy some big free spaces of the region. However, in order to make this intervention profitable, the allowed Built Coefficient was increased and, of course, the circulation demand in the region will be increased considerably. The necessity to create the Press Village, as well as its terms of construction, constitute questions that are in the core of reflection concerning in the exploitation of Olympic Games for the sustainable development of Maroussi. Our position (which will cover the larger part of our contribution) is summarised here in the following: The repercussions of ''demand'' and ''offer'' for the ''2004'' in Maroussi, from the point of view of urban sustainability, should be examined not only per sector, but also in all. The use of ''indicators'' in the relative evaluation (e.g. proportion of green per resident, volume and type of transportation etc) is useful, however not sufficient. More essential for the optimal exploitation of “pulse” in the particular case (but also more generally) is the formulation of a sustainable intervention strategy. This strategy will be followed, in this respect, by a complete plan of sustainable interventions per sector, from which the most important (in the case) are those in the central activities, in the transport system, in the culture –sport -green -recreation functions, in the regional and local governance and more in the plan implementation. What makes it interesting for participants ? The Athens Olympic Games 2004 will have an important “pulse effect” to Maroussi region. Furthermore, the entire spatial development of Maroussi -an initially suburban region which includes an important centre (which is extended permanently, by increasing considerably the built surface and the circulation demand in the region)- pose the main questions that concern sustainable planning: development strategy, interventions per sector, indicators, governance. Keywords Olympic Games urban sustainability Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2002: The Pulsar Effect   Click to open the full paper as pdf document   Click to send an email to the author(s) of this paper