“They paved paradise and put up a parking lot, as Joni Mitchell once sang. Located in the somewhat typecast “anarchist” Athens neighbourhood of Exarcheia, Navarinou Park exemplifies something of a reverse scenario. The initiators and users of Navarinou are not working with something so static or “complete” a state as paradise though; rather, they are attempting to sustain this rare patch of open space amidst the density of the Greek capital via an ongoing process of autonomy and self-management that is not without its challenges.” Read online.
The wonderful Thinking City published two texts I wrote Urban School Ruhr: Explorations in Urban Practice. looking at Navarinou Park in the Greek capital and Homebaked in the Anfield neighbourhood of Liverpool in the UK. Special thanks to Francesca Perry.
Urban School Ruhr is a learning platform and pedagogical experiment investigating participative and artistic practices in urban space. An initiative of Open Raumlabor University developed in cooperation with Urbane Künste Ruhr – find out more here.
