Uploaded on 2014-12-07 by GeorgePapam

I live in Athens, the capital of Greece, a small country in the Mediterranean. The main part of Greece's GDP comes from tourism, thus making it an important sector. Tourism includes a number of stocks and flows and I will first concentrate on some of them which are closely interconnected: a) the flow of tourists, b) the stock of archeological sights and c) the stock of our coastlines and beaches. Secondly I would like to address two very important issues for Athens, namely the built environment in central Athens and the typical multi residence building mostly known as polykatikia as well as the entertainment sector and its expression throughout the urban fabric. So two more examples of stocks and flows will be mentioned: d) the stock of buildings in central Athens and e) the flow of entertainment shops in different neighborhoods. 2. a) Athens International airport has more than 6 million international passengers throughout the year, a number constantly rising since the '80s and till the economic recession of 2008 when the numbers stayed steady for a couple of years. Tourists is a flow in that people travel to Greece for some reason, manage their stay for a short period of time and finally they return to their homes. ![Tourists: A significant flow][1] b) All of these tourists come to Athens for a variety of purposes, the most usual to be these concerning the cultural and the natural heritage of our country. Part of the material expression of the cultural heritage is the stock of archeological sights, other being the stock of the museums. The archeological sights stand at their initial place, as a proof of other civilizations which existed and bloomed long ago. Sometimes it is just some ancient marbles with hardly any cohesion and some other times there are whole buildings or part of cities. ![The stock of archeological sights][2] c) Greece's complex coastline is offering many spots for swimming and other sea activities. All of these spots are considered a precious stock and Athens is blessed to have such spots in a good proximity to the city. In this way,the flow of tourists which is so important for the economy of the country, will have the possibility to take a day trip to visit some of these spots to take a swim, to do sea skiing or just enjoy the landscape. d) In central Athens, there are neighborhoods with very dense built environment where buildings from different eras can be found. In Kipseli one can spot neoclassical buildings from the beginnings of the 20th century, art deco and art nouveau buildings of the '20s, modern residences of the '40s and the typical multi residence buildings, well known as the "polykatikia" constructed in masses during the '60s. All of these buildings with the flats they enclose, form a significant stock with many possibilities. This stock encloses energy, materials, memories and social identity among others. ![enter image description here][3] e) Another very important element of the Athenian city is the entertainment shops, namely cafes, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, taverns etc. These are in constant change, having small life cycles and thus they consist a flow. Shops may close, others may emerge and others are being renovated, changing names or decoration. Some may start from scratch in a new neighborhood, or others open near already popular ones. This constant change is needed as locals and tourists want to learn new places to go, new neighborhoods to explore and new styles to try. 3. a) The quantity of tourists is already in high levels. The flow of tourists should be better controlled in the future. Many destructions of the natural environment and deterioration of the identity of the place has been realized from tourist businesses. Emphasis must be given in the quality of services and not on the quantity. Implementing the tourist flow does not necessarily means improvement. We must first learn to control the current flow. b) Archeological sights should be preserved and a better network of information around them should be built (maps, museums, online informative network etc). This stock is of primary importance both for the local identity and for the global cultural heritage. Managing this stock, means implementing the character of the place and will bring us a step forward to getting to know our roots. c) The coastlines should be preserved and saved from the aggressive booming of the built environment which tends to trespass their borders. Exploitation of the coast and the beaches in a way that harms them should stop and all of the natural heritage of the country should be open for the citizens and the visitors to enjoy as part of the natural landscape. ![Coastline: An amazing stock][4] d) The soonest we realize the importance of the stock of the built envoronment and the possibilities it has, the better. Nowadays, empty flats and buildings in central Athens can be found. Instead, low cost housing, community and public services and many others could take place. At the time of thousands of homeless people in the city, there can't be unexploited built environment. e) The current situation of the flow of entertainment shops seems to be quite healthy giving many possibilities around the city. However, the rising of the malls and other mass complexes containing entertainment threaten the existence of the scattered SMB's around the city. We have to understand that this scattering is making the city more livable and vibrant. So, this flow should be preserved and protected as a living mechanism inside the urban tissue. [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14179497513923213.jpg [2]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14179502524217182.jpg [3]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14179510676288405.jpg [4]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14179524498040731.jpg