Rebuild is working with the City of Athens, 100 Resilient Cities, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and three Athens-based universities to develop a participatory process that will lead to an open space framework and long-term stewardship of one of the largest green public spaces in the city, Lycabettus Hill. Lycabettus Hill is a beloved site in Athens, but there is also a recognized gap in realizing its full potential as an integral public space in the city.

This spring, Rebuild partnered with NJIT on a full-semester studio to identify and synthesize the interests of key stakeholders into actionable design proposals and develop creative stakeholder outreach techniques. NJIT’s studio outputs and the baseline research of the ecological, social, ad mobility and challenges of the hill developed by the Athens-based universities informed a May workshop, hosted by the City. 

The City workshop brought together 30 participants representing key government agencies and non-governmental organizations– many of whom are necessary to realize the transformation of the site long term. The workshop built a collective vision for future sustainability of Lycabettus Hill and identify priority areas of concern. To facilitate the process, participants were taken through several exercises to reframe challenges as opportunities, and articulate holistic, inspirational, and actionable vision statements. 

Outputs of the workshop led to the creation of guiding principles for the project. These principles will be will be further refined by the Technical and Agricultural Universities and through various outreach efforts with issue-based advocacy groups and stakeholders that are happening this summer. Click here to learn more about Rebuild’s work in Athens.