Greece’s ambitious ‘smart city’ by the sea begins to take shape: Video
Spanning 6.2 square kilometres on the site of Athens' former international airport, the €8 billion ($8.5 billion) urban regeneration project named the Ellinikon, is one of Europe’s largest of its kind.
The Ellinikon initiative, entirely privately funded, promises a complete transformation of the Athenian Riviera. Alongside the Riviera Tower, which will be Athens' tallest skyscraper upon its completion in 2026, the project will feature villas, shopping centres, a university, two hotels, a marina, and other residential and commercial spaces.
This expansive development is expected to create up to 80,000 jobs and generate more than €14 billion in tax revenue for the Greek government.
CEO of Lamda Development, Odisseas Athanasiou, highlighted the national impact of the project, calling it a major step forward in building Greece’s global credibility post-financial crisis. "It’s a huge opportunity to put Greece on the map globally. The Ellinikon will add more than two percentage points to Greece’s GDP and will establish the country as a serious destination for foreign investment,” Athanasiou told the AFP.
The Ellinikon also aims to establish itself as the world’s largest coastal park, designed to embody a “15-minute city” concept. Athanasiou shared his vision of a highly walkable city where residents can access everything within a 15-minute stroll or bike ride. “People are going to live in the largest coastal park in the world, designed for easy, sustainable living,” he explained.
With all infrastructure built from scratch, the development team has an opportunity to incorporate cutting-edge technology into every aspect of Ellinikon’s design, from energy-efficient buildings to high-tech connectivity. “It will be nature coupled with technology in a unique way,” Athanasiou noted.
By 2027, Ellinikon’s first phase will open to the public.
