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FOTA: Friends of Trigono Athens
Published on 15 May 2020
Greece
Attiki
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
This area forms part of the Athens Trigono (triangle), the old commercial core of Athens, and was the first paved street of Athens. It has historically functioned as a major commercially and socially important street for the biggest part of the 20th century. The FOTA collective is a spin off that voluntarily came out of the most recent processes of ‘revitalization’ of Athens’ downtown. Since 2016, there have been efforts by the Athens Trigono (Triangle), a non-for-profit organization funded by the Stavros Niarhos Foundation in collaboration with the Athens Municipality, to create a better quality public space with more pedestrianized streets and less cars. As the program ended in June 2019, the FOTA collective took over as an association (since Feb 2020 a non profit organization) of local businesses, entrepreneurs, residents and other stakeholders.
The goals and activities of the organization are heading towards:
A) the undertaking of initiatives related to the promotion of parts of the Athens Commercial Triangle,
B) the promotion of initiatives related to the arts and culture
C) the promotion of initiatives related to cleanliness, safety, implementation of infrastructure projects, preservation and promotion of Athens' cultural heritage, land uses, tourism development and the sustainable development of the historic city center Of Athens
D) raising awareness in relation to matters of social, cultural and environmental interest
E) the promotion of healthy entrepreneurshi
The goals and activities of the organization are heading towards:
A) the undertaking of initiatives related to the promotion of parts of the Athens Commercial Triangle,
B) the promotion of initiatives related to the arts and culture
C) the promotion of initiatives related to cleanliness, safety, implementation of infrastructure projects, preservation and promotion of Athens' cultural heritage, land uses, tourism development and the sustainable development of the historic city center Of Athens
D) raising awareness in relation to matters of social, cultural and environmental interest
E) the promotion of healthy entrepreneurshi
Resources needed
Being a non profit organization, FOTA, depends for its economic survival on the contributions of its members. Nevertheless, a number of other ways of funding is under consideration, like sponsorships and taking part in EU funded initiatives.
Evidence of success
In a city (Athens) where there have not been many initiatives to bring together local businesses, the FOTA collective is a welcoming development. As argued, it is a collective mostly representing entrepreneurs and shop owners with a stake in the area’s future. It is definitely good that local businesses come together to create a common agenda through dialogue and to find ways to efficiently communicate their demands to the municipal authorities.
Potential for learning or transfer
Main elements that could be potentially interesting for other initiatives to learn from:
Creating an urban collective as a spinoff of an urban revitalization program
Ways of networking and bringing together different stakeholders in a form of a non profit organization
Creating and maintaining a dialogue about the present and future of the area
Establishing a sense of community among different stakeholders without necessarily avoiding conflicts and frictions
Producing a sense of urban pride and positivity within a part of a city that has experienced socio-economic disadvantages and problems
Creating an urban collective as a spinoff of an urban revitalization program
Ways of networking and bringing together different stakeholders in a form of a non profit organization
Creating and maintaining a dialogue about the present and future of the area
Establishing a sense of community among different stakeholders without necessarily avoiding conflicts and frictions
Producing a sense of urban pride and positivity within a part of a city that has experienced socio-economic disadvantages and problems
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
FOTA-non profit organization
Greece
Attiki