“We must attack the phenomenon of the ‘urban planning stowaway'”

The Mayor of Athens, Harry Doukas, gave an interview today, Monday (22/4), to radio station SKAI 100.3 and to journalists Noti Papadopoulos and Vassilis Chiotis, where he talked about tourism in the city, table seating, the New Building Regulation and illegal parking, among other things.

Mr. Doukas said about the bonus for the height of buildings, provided for by the NOK:

“According to an opinion we requested from the law office of Mr. Nikos Alivizatos, regarding the building bonus provided by the New Building Regulation, the increase in floors is unconstitutional. It is pointed out that in accordance with the decisions of the Council of Ministers, the pre-existing provisions should be applied, which protect – among others – special areas, such as those around the Acropolis. I started this battle before the elections, when I said that Athens is a cement city, which cannot stand any more cement and that we cannot create “green skyscrapers”.

The following paradox occurs with the NOK regulations: They make energy upgrades to buildings, and raise up to three stories higher. So essentially, they neutralize their positive energy footprint.

My main argument in the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece was exactly this, to hit the “urban planning stowaway” phenomenon, which was opened by the NOK of 2012 and since then 37 modifications have been made. Each of them creates a condition that can lead to an increase in the height of buildings.

And this discussion takes place in a cement town where it is estimated that 3000 heat-related deaths are recorded, while today international studies record that in the last 20 years there has been a 30% increase in deaths directly or indirectly linked to heat waves. So while we’re talking about an uninhabitable city, at the same time we’re giving bonuses to raise even taller buildings, while we have areas like the Hive where there are straits that the sun never sees? We need to answer the problem: Either we will create resilient cities and give residents a breather, or we will continue to build as before and worse.

If they want to give incentives for energy buildings, let it be fiscal, for example tax reliefs and I will agree to that.

We learn that an amendment to the NOK is being prepared. To be put in consultation soon, because at the moment there is an alalum with the issuance of building permits. And this arrangement must take seriously the decisions of the 5th Department of the Council of Ministers. Legislative intervention is urgently needed, which I believe should have a retroactive effect”.

Regarding tourism, Mr. Doukas emphasized:

“The accommodation tax, which has become a durability fee and reaches €10 per day in five-star superlux hotels, is not attributed to the Municipality. The tourist tax, which was 2% of hotel turnover several years ago, has been reduced to 0.5%. Thus, the Municipality of Athens, despite the fact that in ’23 it was estimated that it had 6.5-7 million tourists, it collected only 42 cents for each tourist. This one lives in the city. And watch out, they ask the municipal authority, with resources for 700,000 inhabitants to keep the city clean, to shine for 7 million visitors. What I’m trying to say is that it doesn’t work out.

For example, there are hotels that we need to pick up their trash 4 or 5 times a day. If you go to say London, there will be a route, because the hotels have special waste infrastructure.

We made a unanimous decision at the KEDE, that the famous resilience fee should go back to municipalities to strengthen both resilience and urban infrastructure and I think the government will take that seriously. You know, we keep talking about the way tourism is growing, about sustainable tourism, but if we don’t give money, tourism will not be sustainable and there will be a very big blow to the tourism product and the residents.”.

Regarding the table seats, the Mayor of Athens noted that:

“We have carried out dozens of controls in the area of ​​Psyrri, in the square of Agia Irini, in Fokionos Negri, in Metaxourgeio, Gazi, Kypseli, Patisia and elsewhere. In 60% of the cases we found an excess in occupying the space. But what is the most interesting? In some cases, from 3 to 48 hours later, 85% of the offenders had illegally restored the table seats. So what are the solutions?

First: The fine for illegal table seating is too low and we will change it. It can’t be as much as a coffee, because that’s about the fine. In the most expensive areas it is €3 per sq.m. Secondly, rendering should be much faster.

And thirdly, the procedure for removing licenses must also be tightened. Because the whole municipal authority can’t be chasing the illegal table seats and they keep putting them in, taking them out. Even a day or two to close it, a week is the upper limit, again the cost is limited in relation to the benefit from illegality, that’s why we will change the regulations. But I say again that we must all respect the city and the professionals themselves and understand that this image and themselves creates a very big problem. When they break the law they will pay.

For the changes required I will work with the Ministry of Interior, with Mr. Livanio, so that there are rules that we will all respect”.

Finally, regarding illegal parking, Mr. Doukas said:

“We cut around 50,000 illegal parking calls a month. We do not turn off any calls, unless there are humanitarian reasons. Our goal is not to increase our revenue, but to enable the city to function. Because if we have double parking, if we have ramps, then what do we respect? Do we respect people who have a problem, families with small children, people with disabilities?

The municipal police have intensified their controls. She goes municipal police, he writes and chases away the illegally parked cars, they leave and as soon as the municipal police leave, they immediately return. What do I want to say? We must love the city”.