ROOFING THE FUTURE
A Blueprint for Water-Driven Urban Renewal in Athens 2050
A Blueprint for Water-Driven Urban Renewal in Athens 2050
Location: Athens, Greece
Time: Fall 2024
Type: Individual
Instructor: Bas Smets
Keywords: Urban Design / Roof Garden / Outdoor Comfort
Time: Fall 2024
Type: Individual
Instructor: Bas Smets
Keywords: Urban Design / Roof Garden / Outdoor Comfort
By 2050, Athens is expected to see its average temperature rise by 3°C compared to pre-industrial levels, accompanied by more frequent droughts and floods.
Historically, Athens relied on infrastructure that diverted water from surrounding mountains. Today, it depends on external sources such as Lake Marathon, Lake Yliki, the Mornos and Evinos reservoirs, and plans to tap into Lake Trichonis and the Acheloos River watershed. However, climate projections indicate a 10% drop in rainfall by 2050, further straining these water supplies.
As Athens expands, the watershed covering over 500 square kilometers—68% of which is urbanized—has significantly altered the natural water cycle. Under untouched conditions, this area would generate around 7 million cubic meters of surface runoff. However, due to widespread urbanization and the dominance of impervious surfaces, runoff now surges to approximately 112 million cubic meters. This drastic increase quickly overwhelms drainage systems, intensifying flood risk and underscoring the city’s vulnerability to climate-related water challenges.
The proposed solution introduces a water credit market. Rooftops in low-income neighborhoods would be redesigned to collect and filter rainwater, reducing flood-causing runoff. This water-harvesting effort would earn credits that could be sold to wealthier rooftop owners in the city center, where tourism dominates and rooftop space is used more for leisure and commercial activities than for water management. The income from these credits would help fund additional rooftop transformations, cover upkeep costs, and create jobs in underprivileged areas.
To maximize impact, a “blue-green” rooftop toolkit integrates water storage, productive landscapes, and accessible public spaces. Collected water would irrigate urban farms and small rooftop forests, cooling the environment through shade and evapotranspiration—particularly during Athens’ sweltering summer evenings. Public spaces on these renovated rooftops could also foster community and social interaction.
A pilot project in a western district demonstrates how rooftops of varying structural capacities can be adapted to carry green roofs, solar panels, or heavier amenities like sports courts. Over time, a connected network of elevated pathways and shared spaces would weave across Athens, mitigating water scarcity and flood risk while bringing new life to the city’s underused rooftops.