A blueprint for capital’s ‘digital revolution’

Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis (right) points to a screen during a presentation by Digital Governance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakos (left) of the blueprint of new digital tools for the municipal authority, at City Hall, on Wednesday. Hailed by Bakoyannis as a “digital revolution,” the 19.8-million-euro initiative comprises eight projects, key among which are: smart sanitation and trash collection services; a rapid-response system for problems or incidents at public spaces and schools; fast internet points in all 129 districts that also collect data on things like air quality and temperature; charging stations for small electric vehicles; and traffic and parking monitoring systems in the city center. All eight projects are expected to be in full operation by 2026.