Public space in Athens is scarce – and therefore precious. The Attica Regional Authority, however, doesn’t seem to share that view. Inside Pedion tou Areos park – which falls under its jurisdiction – just a few meters from the recently unveiled “Prometheus” sculpture dedicated to small and medium-sized entrepreneurship, new illuminated bench-like structures have appeared. In fact, they are a bit like bus stops. They occupy significant space, are ungainly metal constructions, and are supposedly designed to let passers-by charge their phones, access free Wi-Fi, and receive updates on city events.
Following an inquiry by the citizens’ group “Pedion tou Areos – Our Park,” residents were informed that the regional authority’s project for installing this “smart mobility system” as part of an “integrated smart city platform” cost 2.5 million euros.
But how much intelligence can even a “smart city” take? Why must passers-by charge their phones, go online, and learn about what’s happening from glowing digital panels – instead of simply sitting and talking, listening to their children shriek as they splash in the fountains, and disconnecting from the internet? What is truly more necessary – and therefore more smart? Endless browsing and digital dependence on a park bench, or the analogue life of dogs, friends, and children? And really, how far away is the nearest outlet or modem from the park?
I don’t know whether there’s mismanagement involved – though given that, despite the 2.5-million-euro price tag, many of the “smart” benches are already out of order, one might suspect as much; but what’s clear is that this reflects the broader mindset toward public space in Greece – the same mentality behind controversial monuments, from “Prometheus” recently to the statues of Maria Callas and Melina Mercouri in earlier years.
Every tier of authority – municipal, regional or sectoral – seems intent on leaving its arbitrary mark on the public sphere: to have its name etched in marble, to cement its legacy, or at least see its signature glow on a “smart” screen. A green railing here, a grimy fountain there, tactile paving for the blind that leads to nowhere, a “Great Walk” project that never ends, a 3D statue.
Citizens don’t participate in these decisions – they merely endure them. And pay for them.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Xenia Kounalaki
Dieser Artikel ist neu veröffentlicht von / This article is republished from: ekathimerini, 15.11.2025
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