A number of neighborhoods in Athens are getting new sidewalks as part of the municipality’s efforts to improve the everyday life of residents, enhance safety and ensure better accessibility for people with disabilities.

Reconstruction and maintenance works began last month and are currently underway. Already restored are the sidewalks of several streets in the 1st and 3rd city districts, including Ious Street, part of the Trion Ierarchon Street, and Amphipoleos Street. The remaining four city districts are expected to see construction works in October.

Within the next two years, a total of 410 new sidewalks are expected to be created in Athen's seven city districts. Under the budget of 24 million euros, the two-year plan emphasizes the energy upgrade of the sidewalks, controlling high temperatures, and fighting global warming and climate change. That's exactly why restoration works include the use of new environmentally friendly materials. 

Apart from reconstruction and maintenance works, municipal crews are also widening the city’s sidewalks and planting trees in certain areas.

"It's a project that, once complete, the image of a friendly and modern city will be restored. These modern sidewalks will let Athenians walk safely in the city and actually enjoy it, something that should have been self-evident for years. Our primary concern in this process is to ensure safe access to people with disabilities, including the visually impaired.", said Kostas Bakoyiannis, mayor of Athens. 

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XpatAthens extends a warm thank you to This Is Athens and the City Of Athens for sharing news and inspiring stories about how Athens aspires to be a clean, friendly, and welcoming city to live in

Following a summer dominated by extreme weather events worldwide and an inexpressible national environmental disaster in Greece, there’s one question on everyone’s minds: Is there time to reverse the destruction humans have brought on the planet, or are we heading towards an inevitable and irreversible global climate crisis? Scientists tell us we may still have a small window of opportunity to halt global warming—not for the years ahead, where warming is all but guaranteed—but for the decades after 2050. Will humanity immediately make the courageous decisions required, knowing that its sacrifices will benefit not the planet’s current inhabitants, but the generations to come?

On Wednesday, September 29 at 18:30 (EET), the next SNF DIALOGUES event invites the public and representatives of the scientific community to a livestreamed open discussion about the future of humanity on a quickly warming planet.

Scientific data in a new report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, prepared by 234 scientists from 66 countries, confirm beyond any doubt that our planet is getting hotter and that human beings are the cause. The consequences of this reality are already apparent. This past summer saw the first-ever rainfall in Greenland and a temperature of 49.6 degrees Celsius (121 degrees Fahrenheit) in Canada. An unprecedented heatwave hit Siberia and mega-fires broke out in Greece, Italy, Turkey, and the United States while deadly floods plagued Europe and China.

Faced with a climate crisis that seems, to a large extent, unavoidable and irreversible, the challenge now is to explore how to adapt to a new reality where natural disasters occur with increasing frequency and how to take action for future generations.

British rock star Sting will celebrate his 70th birthday in Greece by giving two concerts on September 30, October 1 at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus on the slopes of the Athens Acropolis.

The “My Songs Tour”, which took Sting to several cities around the world, is in support of his thirteenth solo studio album My Songs, released on 24 May 2019.

It features new renditions of previously released songs from his illustrious four-and-a-half decade career, including fan favorites “Desert Rose,” “Fields of Gold,” “Englishman in New York” and The Police mega-hits “Roxanne,” “Message in a Bottle” and “Every Breath You Take.”

His sell-out concerts at the Odeon were highlight events during the Athens and Epidaurus Festival in late summer 2018. This time, the multi-award-winning artist, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, will be accompanied by his musician son, Joe Summer, frontman of the rock band Fiction Plane.

Alongside his son, Sting will be accompanied by an electric, rock ensemble including Dominic Miller (guitar), Josh Freese (drums), Rufus Miller (guitar), Kevon Webster (keyboard), Shane Sager (harmonica) with Melissa Musique and Gene Noble (backing vocals).

Sting, born Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, was the principal songwriter, lead singer, and bassist for the new wave rock band the Police from 1977 to 1984. He launched a solo career in 1985 and has included elements of rock, jazz, reggae, classical, new-age, and worldbeat in his music.

With the Police, Sting became one of the world’s best-selling music artists. Solo and with The Police combined, he has sold over 100 million records.

We live in an era of great changes, an era where finding sustainable solutions means everything. Read this week's newsletter and see how Athens embraces sustainability for its people!

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This week's newsletter is dedicated to Greek Culture.
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Summer may be over, things may be returning back to normal but Athens is filled with great happenings and experiences for everyone!

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Read all about a very special summer celebration that takes place in Greece, why it's important and how its celebrated by Greeks!

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Seas the day and make the most out the ultimate Greek summer experience!

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Explore a fascinating day-to-night guide for summer fun in Athens! 

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What is your definition of "The Good Life"? In this week's newsletter you'll learn what our version of the good life includes! 

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Photo credit: @georginaforest