Three new green spaces are set to transform part of western Thessaloniki, as the municipality prepares to create an urban forest, a community orchard and a pocket park along Mikis Theodorakis Avenue. The projects, funded by private donations, aim to introduce more greenery into a densely built neighbourhood and improve residents' quality of life.
According to Deputy Mayor for Technical Works and Sustainable Mobility Prodromos Nikiforidis, the three initiatives will be developed on neighbouring plots near the well-known "Twelve-storey" apartment buildings. The largest intervention will be an urban microforest covering approximately 1,200 square meters at the junction of Mikis Theodorakis Avenue and Agion Panton Street.
The project will apply the planting approach pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, which creates dense, fast-growing native ecosystems in small urban spaces. The forest will feature 19 tree species, including fig, wild olive, cypress, and pomegranate trees, as well as 17 shrub species, such as oleander, rosemary, and strawberry trees. The project is being funded through a €40,000 donation from L'Oréal Hellas, which has also committed to maintaining the site for three years.
Next to the micro forest, a previously underused plot will be converted into a pocket park through a donation from Piraeus Bank. The site had previously been controversial after more than 1,000 used tyres were installed there as part of a failed park project in 2013, before being removed in 2018 following residents' protests.
A third project will create a community orchard and recreational green area covering approximately 5,550 square meters between Mikis Theodorakis Avenue and the streets of Stelios Dragoumanos, Georgiou Ivanov and Galanaki. The orchard will include seating areas and pergolas, providing a new public gathering space for the neighbourhood.
Municipal officials say the projects aim to "improve the daily lives of residents" while creating public spaces that will enhance the area's image and serve as a new point of reference for the local community.
By Katia Gerakaritou - adapted from Greek by Vassia Barba
