Meeting with Faidon Papatheodorou – Environmental Association Ampelokipoi

On Tuesday, 31 March 2026, our participants of the ECHOES project visited the Environmental Association Ampelokipoi and spoke to Faidon Papatheodorou, the president of the association, to discuss the importance of local environmental actions and climate policy making. As a city planner and civil engineer, Mr. Papatheodorou shared valuable insights into the key challenges of the urban environment in Athens. From his perspective, the most pressing problem is that various plans and even laws for the protection and development of more sustainable urban areas exist in theory. However, the local government and relevant authorities often do not apply them in practice. This issue is particularly noticeable in the lack of green spaces in the city, which leads to a range of negative consequences: from missed opportunities to significantly improve air quality, to difficulties in managing heat effectively during the summer months, and ultimately to a lower overall quality of life in Athens. 

We also spoke about the concept of circular economy, especially in the context of our meeting taking place in the association’s local second-hand book and media store. According to Mr. Papatheodorou, second-hand shopping is not yet very popular in Athens, due to limited awareness of circular economy principles and broader sustainability issues.

At the end of our visit, our participants accompanied Faidon Papatheodorou on a walk through the neighbourhood of Ampelokipoi to observe some of its environmental challenges first-hand. What particularly stood out was that the general infrastructure often seems poorly planned, with a clear prioritization of cars over people and their free movement in public spaces, as seen, for instance, in the widening of roads at the expense of safe and accessible sidewalks. 

Looking to the future, Mr. Papatheodorou emphasized that citizens generally need to be more politically active and engaged, particularly since ensuring the implementation of existing laws often requires continuous effort. Our participants likewise highlighted the importance of collective pressure on decision-makers and political engagement, even on a small scale within one’s own local neighbourhood.