Mapping urban green areas in Kallithea

The development of a digital registration platform for the Municipality of Kallithea aims to support the preservation and conservation of urban greenery. The greenery of Kallithea is characterised by intense fragmentation in small green areas, but also by the presence of four large parks, unfortunately on the outskirts of the city.

Apart from the structured greenery in large or small built-up areas, the city has also an extensive number of tree rows on its pavements. These rows of trees form an impressive pattern which, in addition to its aesthetic value, helps to mitigate the feeling of discomfort from high ambient temperatures, especially in the summer months, and generally reduces the phenomenon of urban heat islands. With the operation of the digital urban green recording platform, the public green spaces have been digitally identified by use (squares, parks, sports grounds, parking areas, playgrounds, street islands), while each tree and shrub has been digitised, recording their height, species, location, importance and other elements in order to create a greenery "register", with GIS, decision making and multimedia capabilities.

This registration allows us to understand, detect and map issues related to the health of the plants but also in relation to how greenery integrates and interacts in different aspects of urban life. It also facilitates maintenance interventions and urban planning that takes into account the city's green infrastructure.