High Court Oks Athens Municipality’s Bid to Keep Height Restrictions Intact

Greece’s Council of State (CoS), the country’s highest administrative court, sided with the city of Athens last week in its bid to maintain current building height co-efficients in the municipality.

An earlier decision by Athens’ city council – taken by majority vote – was overridden by a local government but state-appointed entity, known as the Decentralized Administration of Attica (DAA) – the latter being the name of the prefecture in which the greater Athens-Piraeus area is located. The city of Athens is the biggest and most populous municipality in former agglomeration.

The city had petitioned for a temporary suspension of the higher-ranking entity’s decision to scrap its restrictions on increasing the height of buildings in much of the Greek capital.

City officials, including new Mayor Haris Doukas, hailed the decision as providing – temporary – relief from greater building heights in what they maintain is already a very congested urban landscape.

A permanent decision over building co-efficients is pending by the central government, with whatever action – in one or another direction – expected to again end up in the CoS’ chamber.