Resilient Thessaloniki A Strategy for 2030

ResilientThessaloniki AStrategyfor2030 2 Contents 3 TableofContents 1.ExecutiveSummary8 2.Introduction12 3.VisionforaResilientThessaloniki14 4.Thessaloniki:aCityinTransformation16 5.ResilienceJourney22 6.Thessaloniki'sGoals,ObjectivesandActions28 •Goal1:Shapeathrivingandsustainablecity34 •Goal2:Co-createaninclusivecity58 •Goal3:Buildadynamicurbaneconomy90 •Goal4:Re-discoverthecity'srelationshipwiththesea114 7.MonitoringandImplementation134 Appendix136 A.SummaryofGoals,ObjectivesandActions137 B.Indicators145 Glossary147 Acknowledgements148 Coverphoto:OlgaEvrenoglou 4 LetterfromMayor YiannisBoutaris YiannisBoutarisMayorofThessaloniki 2030isnotfaraway-itis13yearsinthehorizon.Lookingback13years,wewerecelebratingthe2004SummerOlympicsinGreece,onlyfewyearsfromtheeconomicandpoliticalcrisis.Significantchangescanhappenin13yearsandourcityhassurvivedmanyofthoseoverthecenturies. Thessalonikiusedtobeanimportantcrossroadofculturesandpopulations,ameltingpotofvariousreligionsandethnicitiesthatmanagedtocoexist smoothlyandpositively.Thisembeddedcomplexityisreflectedinthepresentculturalrichnessofthecity,theprideanduniqueidentityofthepeople. Ouradministrationwasthefirst,aftermanyyearsofintroversion,toopenupthecityagaintotheworld.Since2011,wedoubledthenumberofinternationalvisitorsinThessaloniki,wecreatedasafetynetforthemostvulnerable, weprovidedcommunitieswithspacesforexpressionandaction,whilstimplementingrobustinternaladministrationandfinancialreform. Nowistimetomaximizeoureffortsfurther,toensurealegacyforfuturegenerationsandtogether,createanewroadmapfortheongoingdevelopmentofthecity.Ourparticipationinthe“100ResilientCities”networkisanopportunitytobepartofaglobalcommunityofcitiesandpeople,andtodevelopaholisticstrategyforthefutureofThessaloniki. HowdowewantThessalonikitobein2030?Whatarethechallengestodayandtomorrow?Whatshouldthefocusofourworkbeoverthenextyears? •Designingandprovidingmobilitythatservesourcitizens •Developinganurbaneconomyagendathatinvestsinthehumantalentofthecityandsupportslocaleconomicclusterssuchastourism,creativeeconomy,andhistoriccentralmarkets •Makingthecitywelcomingtonewresidents,especiallythosecomingfromcountriesaffectedbywar •Co-creatingandactivatingpublicspacesandre-discoveringthecity’srelationshipwiththesea •DevelopingpartnershipsandenhancingcollaborationamongthemunicipalitiesofmetropolitanThessaloniki Thestrategycomprisesaround30ideasthatwilldefineouractionsandpolicies.Thessalonikiwas,isandwillremaingreat,itisopentochangeandprogress,itisaplaceforpeopletoactandinteract. WestrivetoachieveourvisionforaresilientThessaloniki,andweareconfidentwewillachieveit.ForThessaloniki,fortheprideofitscitizens,forfuturegenerations. 5 LetterfromPresidentof100ResilientCities MichaelBerkowitz MichaelBerkowitz Presidentof100ResilientCities Onbehalfoftheentire100ResilientCitiesfamily,IwanttocongratulatethecityofThessaloniki,MayorBoutaris,andChiefResilienceOfficerandDeputyMayorinUrbanResilienceandDevelopmentPlanning,LinaLiakouonthereleaseof“Thessaloniki2030”thecity’sResilienceStrategy,amajormilestoneforthecityand100RC’spartnershipwithit.Anancientcitywitharichhistory,Thessalonikibuildsonitspastasitlaysthefoundationsforaresilientfuture. Thessaloniki2030setsforthanextraordinaryvisionofurbanresilienceforalltheresidentswhocallthiscityhome. FromitsperchonThermaikosBay,Thessalonikihas,forthousandsofyears,servedasanimportantculturalcrossroads,withanuncommonlylonghistoryofdiversity,tolerance,andvibrantculture.Asthecitytransforms,ituses thispastasaguideformanyofthemodernchallengesitnowfaces,suchasshiftingdemographicsthatincludeanagingpopulationandwaveofrefugeesfromSyria.ThisStrategyisatestamenttoThessaloniki’sreorientationtowardsitsfuture,andacommitmenttoimplementingactionsthatensurethecitysurvivesandthrivesinthefaceofitsvariouschallenges.Fromtheoutset,MayorBoutarishasshownhiscommitmenttotherealizationofthisvisionbyappointingtheworld’sfirstDeputyMayorforUrbanResilienceand DevelopmentPlanning,ensuringthecityhastheresourcesandsupportforthisfar-reachingstrategytosucceed. Thisdocumentaddressesnotonlypotentialshockssuchasthesuddeninfluxofthousandsofrefugees,earthquakes,heatwaves,andfloods,butalsothecity’smultiplestresses,suchasairpollutioncausedbyanoverrelianceoncars,highunemployment,andthecontinuingeffectsofthenationalausteritymeasuresinstitutedin2008.Itisnotatheoreticalblueprint,butratheraconcretestrategyanchoredinthecity’soperationalprocedures,andinitsbudget.Itisacompletecommitmenttothecity’s,andtheregion’sfuture. ThroughherenergeticleadershipinThessaloniki,andthe100RCnetwork,LinaLiakouhasguidedthecitytothismajormoment.SheandherteamhavebeenactiveparticipantsandcontributorsinEuropeandtheMiddleEast,andlearnedimportantlessonsfrommembercitiesasfarawayasSanFrancisco.Lastyear,thecity’sresilienceteamwasakeypartnerinthedevelopmentofthe100RCGlobalMigrationNetworkExchangeinAthens,inwhichthecityshareditsownexperiencewithrecentmigration,absorbedlessonsfromothercitiesfacingsimilarsituations,andcollaboratedtodevelopnewapproachestoaddressingurbanmigra