On Palaion Patron Street, in the centre of Thessaloniki, Greece, one can see the first portable garden that has been temporarily installed. This structure, apart from a portable landscape design, is also accompanied by a bench, and aims to change the way that green spaces are created in the populous urban fabric of the city.

"Green Spots," as these kinds of portable gardens are generally called, are placed on the side of roads and occupy one parking space. The plan stipulates that these portable gardens will be transferred on a regular basis to different spots of the city. Depending on the area in which the garden is situated, there will be different kinds of seasonal plants. Additionally, the structure has been designed as a beautiful and utilitarian piece of urban equipment, as it gives passersby the chance to have a rest.

"What these parks aim to do, is increase the urban green spaces by offering an oasis in the centre of the city. At the same time, they hope to convert the tedious urban landscape into something special that will encourage people to discover different areas of the city and provide green spaces to the citizens that are surrounded by tarmac and cement," states the deputy mayor Konstantinos Zervas. "Especially now that finances are restricted, we ought to work on ideas from people from all around the world. These ideas can often be easily adjusted to Thessaloniki's needs and wants and lead to quick and inexpensive interventions. The citizens do propose ideas to make the city better and also contribute to them through donations. Thereby, citizens change their neighborhoods and offer many improvements not only for the people that live there, but also for passersby."

The "Green Spots" idea is part of a campaign, called "React Now 4 Thess." Thessaloniki's Municipality cooperated with "Epiloges" magazine in order to implement this idea.

Are there any "Green Spots" in the city you live?

The original article, published in Greek, can be found here.

Credits : Images and data linked to sources.