M6. COLOURING GREECE - colouring-cities/manual GitHub Wiki

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Academic institution/department or academic consortium

  • Urban Planning Research Lab - School of Architecture - National Technical University of Athens
  • Geochoros Geospatial Analysis and GIS Research Group - School of Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering - National Technical University of Athens

Host link

http://www.arch.ntua.gr/ https://www.survey.ntua.gr/en/

National research institution verification link

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City/Cities selected for initial testing

Athens

Platform link

Live link: https://athens.colouringcities.org/

Social media links

Please add

Articles, publications and events links

Please add to the group pagehere

CCRP membership start date

CCRP membership 14/09/2021.

Anticipated launch date

  • Demonstration model: Released May 2022
  • National rollout: tbc

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Academic Team (please record all significant contributions adding to/from dates where applicable)

  • Principal Investigators:
  • Prof Konstantinos Serraos - Project supervisor Professor of Urban Planning, Director of Urban Planning Research Lab, School of Architecture, National Technical University of Athens
  • Athina Vlachou - Project Coordinator and Researcher (part-time) - Architect/Urban Designer, Doctoral Student, School of Architecture, National Technical University of Athens
  • Dr Vasiliki Charalambidou - Project Coordinator and Researcher (part-time) - Urban Planner, School of Architecture, National Technical University of Athens
  • Dr Nontas Tsigkas, GIS Specialist (part-time) - Surveyor Engineer, School of Architecture, National Technical University of Athens
  • Dr George Panagiotopoulos, Developer specialised in GIS Applications (part-time) - Geochoros Geospatial Analysis and GIS Research Group, School of Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, National Technical University of Athens

Multidisciplinary expertise

Urban morphology research, GIS platform interface design, GIS expertise, architecture, urban design, planning, software engineering, crowdsourcing platforms, heritage, architectural history, environmental sustainability, housing, urban regeneration

Key collaborators

  • Athens Development and Destination Management Agency

Additional partners, advisors and Consultees

  • Athens Development and Destination Management Agency
  • City of Athens
  • Representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Energy
  • Monumenta
  • Elliniki Etairia (Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage -ELLET )
  • Global Sustainable Tourism Council
  • Thymio Papayiannis & Associates
  • Geochoros Meletitiki
  • Representatives of the Schools of Architecture, Electrical Engineering, Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, and Chemical Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens and of the School of Architecture of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
  • More than 500 professionals, academics and students who expressed their needs, opinions and ideas on the project at its initial phase by responding to our questionnaires

Funding

Grant 1:

Open building footprint source

We are using a hybrid polygon/building footprint basemap that was generated through a combination of OpenStreetMap (OSM) polygons and Hellenic Statistical Authority polygons.

OSM footprints are the most comprehensive, precise, up-to-date footprints available to us. However, they only cover part of the city of Athens. Specifically, after visual inspection it was estimated that OSM currently covers a considerable part of the city, and specifically municipalities located at the center of the city and the eastern, northern and southern suburbs.

The Hellenic Statistical Authority Census 2001 footprints are the only other available source for building footprints. However, these footprints reflect the condition of buildings as it was 20 years ago. Since then, significant modifications have been made to the buildings (demolitions, constructions, additions). As a result, the map does not correspond accurately to the current situation.

The above possibilities and limitations led us to the generation of a hybrid model, based on both building footprints from the 2001 Census and OSM, according to the following methodology. After a visual inspection for each of the 43 Municipalities covered by the project, it was found that the OSM background reflects better the current condition of the buildings for the following 23 central and semi-central Municipalities, including the Municipality of Athens: Agia Paraskevi, Agios Dimitrios, Athens, Alimos, Maroussi, Vrilissia, Vyronas, Galatsi, Glyfada, Dafni – Ymittos, Elliniko – Argyroupoli, Zografou, Ilioupoli, Kaisariani, Kallithea, Moschato – Tavros, Nea Ionia, Nea Smyrni, Palaio Faliro,Papagou – Cholargos, Philadelphia – Chalcedon, Filothei – Psychiko and Chalandri. The Census 2001 background was used for the remaining following 20 Municipalities where the OSM cartographic background is still insufficient: Ilio, Agia Varvara, Agioi Anargyroi – Kamatero, Aigaleo, Vari - Voula – Vouliagmeni, Heraklion, Keratsini – Drapetsona, Kifissia, Korydallos, Lykovrysi – Pefki, Metamorphosi, Nikaia - Agios Ioannis Rentis, Piraeus, Penteli, Perama, Peristeri, Petroupoli, Chaidari, Acharnes and Fili.

The final building footprint basemap consists of 292,579 Hellenic Statistical Authority Census 2001 buildings and 234,853 OSM buildings. In total we have a background of 527,432 buildings. For those buildings derived from OSM users will be able to download data in the form of a shapefile, under the ODBl license, while for buildings derived from the Hellenic Statistical Authority users will be able to download only images. In case that a new building footprint basemap is generated during Census 2021, the information will be transferable to the new polygons.

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Primary research interest/s in reproduction of platform code

We recognise that the availability of comprehensive information on the composition, operation and dynamic behavior of building stocks is fundamental in order to address critical issues such as the improvement of their quality, sustainability and resilience and the effective design and programming of cities. However, few systematised digital data are available for the building stock of the city of Athens and other Greek cities. In this context, Colouring Athens aims to contribute substantially in addressing a number of issues that concern Greek cities, such as the maintenance and reuse of buildings, their environmental and structural upgrade, the protection of cultural heritage and the identification of areas for regeneration.

The platform is designed as a pilot that could be easily applied to other Greek cities. The first, yet most important milestone, will be to collect basic information on the building stock, and specifically for: the use of the buildings, their age, typology, construction system, number of floors, streetscape quality, heritage status, building maintanance level, empty/abandoned properties.

Secondary research interest/s for reproduction of platform code

We want to highlight the importance of collecting data in the building analysis, push goverment and other bodies to release their restricted data sets (e.g. energy certificates of buildings), to highlight the importance of a regularly updated source of building polygons (currently we have official building polygons for 2001), and to open the discussion and support the research on urban morphology (adaptability/longevity of buildings, relationship among buildings and socioeconomic patterns etc.).

What are the most important aspects of the Colouring Cities Research Programme for you?

  • To collect data for the building stock, that are currently totally missing.
  • To attract users who will input information in the platform.
  • To properly incorporate open data principles in the design of the platform and to highlight the open character of Colouring Athens.
  • To support research on urban morphology (adaptability/longevity of buildings stock) and other domains, in order to help create a more sustainable Athens.

What are the greatest challenges you anticipate during platform set up e.g. open footprint access, engineering support funding etc?

  1. The lack of updated source of building footprints: OSM footprints are the most comprehensive, precise, up-to-date footprints available to us. However, they only cover part of the city of Athens. And the Hellenic Statistical Authority Census 2001 footprints are the only other available source for building footprints. However, these footprints reflect the condition of buildings as it was 20 years ago. Since then, significant modifications have been made to the buildings (demolitions, constructions, additions). As a result, the map does not correspond accurately to the current situation.
  2. Limited funding, that does not allow us to work enough hours on the project.

What could we add/do that would be of use? (e.g add features, new data categories, joint papers, joint funding applications etc.

  1. Joint fund applications for the development of common features and exchanging knowledge. For example, we would be interested to find out more on AI and populate Athens with automatically generated data. However, we lack knowledge on this domain. We could create cooperations and learn/teach other country groups.
  2. Create a common strategy for the communication of the project, in order to attract groups/people.
  3. Design of platform for 2 languages (english, in order to communicate with the CCRP, and the local language, that will be used by users)

Colouring Greece/Athens citations, articles etc.

Panagiotoulos G., Serraos K., Tsigkas E., Vlachou A., 2022. Colouring Athens - A Crowdsourcing Platform for the Collection of Data on Athens', 5th International Conference on “Changing Cities”. Making our Cities Resilient in times of Pandemics, 20-25 June 2022 Corfu Island, Greece

Relevant publications by academic team members

Plan of action 2022

Phase 1 (3 months - mid September to mid December 2021):

  • Specification or creation of building footprint basemap
  • Specification of variables for which users will be able to input data in Colouring Athens

Phase 2 (6 months - mid January to mid July 2022):

  • Development and delivery of beta platform Colouring Athens

Phase 3 (3 months - September to December 2022):

  • Testing, improvement and delivery of the final version of the Colouring Athens platform

Phase 4 (12 months - January 2023 to January 2024)

  • Platform maintenance
  • Promotion of the project through presentations/publications
  • Design of the continuation of the project

Updates

Please add all publicity/publication links here