Course Content
Introduction
Here you can get detailed information about the good practice example from Thessaloniki, Greece: Pavlos Melas Municipality Park
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Get to Know the Good Practice Example: Pavlos Melas Metropolitan Park 🏞️
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New European Bauhaus Integration
🏛️ Module 1: Political Dimension
In this module you'll understand the political dimension of creating a large-scale urban park creation and heritage preservation through Pavlos Melas Example. The concepts you will learn are: Phased Urban Development, PPP Models, and Policy Alignment
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Key Political Concepts
đź’Ľ Module 2: Economic Dimension
In this module you'll understand the economic dimension of creating a large-scale urban park creation and heritage preservation through Pavlos Melas Example. The concepts you will learn are: Sustainable Procurement, Circular Economy (CE), and Sustainability Assessment Tools
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Key Economic Concepts
🎓 Module 3: Educational Dimension
In this module you'll understand the educational dimension of creating a large-scale urban park creation and heritage preservation through Pavlos Melas Example. You will learn about the concept of Living Labs and how can you create one in the context of green building transformation
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Key Educational Concepts
🫱🏽‍🫲🏼 Module 4: Social Dimension
In this module you'll understand the social dimension of creating a large-scale urban park creation and heritage preservation through Pavlos Melas Example. You will learn about the concept of Stakeholder Engagement and Community Well-Being and learn about how to create a participatory design process step by step.
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Key Social Concepts
🌍 Module 5: Environmental Dimension
In this module you'll understand the environmental dimension of creating a large-scale urban park creation through Pavlos Melas Example. You will learn about the strategies for creating climate-resilient buildings and adapting existing buildings to be climate responsive. This module will conclude with Key Principles for Adaptive Reuse.
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Key Environmental Concepts
Asssesment
Please review the Final Exam Instructions for detailed expectations.
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Final Exam
Conclusion + References
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References
GP3: Reclaiming Urban Spaces Pavlos Melas Park in Greece

 

🏛️ Module 1: Political Dimension

The Political Dimension of Pavlos Melas Municipality Park

How can political leaders work with private partners to improve cities in ways that support local jobs and benefit the whole community? Let’s look at some of the key concepts that helped build the Pavlos Melas Municipality Park

Political Dimension of Pavlos Melas Municipality Park: Key Concepts

1. Phased Urban Development

Imagine you’re building a huge park or a big part of a city. Instead of doing everything all at once (which takes forever and costs a ton), you break it into smaller chunks and build it step by step. That’s what phased development is, doing big projects in pieces over time.

Phased Urban Development:

  • Definition of Phased Urban Development: Phasing development is when the project works can be divided into a series of smaller works, spaced out over a period of months or even years. (designingbuildings.co.uk, 2020).
  • Why Phases Urban Development is Needed? Completing certain sections of work can make funding more attractive to potential lenders and investors than if the project has not begun at all. It can also enable the client to begin to generate income from the completed parts of the development (designingbuildings.co.uk, 2020).
  • What is the Benefit of using Phased Development for Political Actors? Phased Urban Development allows political leaders to demonstrate visible progress within shorter timeframes, which is especially important during election cycles. By dividing large projects into manageable stages, it enables:

    • Strategic use of funding over time.

    • Reducing political and implementation risk, since each phase can be adjusted based on results and public feedback.

    • Creating windows of opportunity: In the early stages phased approach help prepare the political environment. This preparation means that when a favorable moment appears, action can be taken quickly and effectively to achieve change. (Folke et. al, 2005).

2. Policy Alignment

As a leader to a project it is important that your project also supports broader priorities like climate action, cultural preservation, or European goals for sustainable and inclusive development. This way, it becomes more than just a local initiative but a part of a larger, strategic vision.

Policy Alignment:

  • Definition of Policy Alignment: Policy Alignment is the deliberate process of ensuring that different policies, whether within an organization, across sectors, or at various levels of governance are pointing in the same direction. This synchronization is not just about avoiding contradictions; it’s about actively creating synergy, where the combined effect of aligned policies is greater than the sum of their individual impact (Source: climate.sustainability-directory.com)
  • Why Policy Alignment is Needed? Policy alignment ensures that local urban development projects are connected to broader municipal, national, or EU goals. This connection strengthens the project’s purpose and increases its chances of long-term success. Therefore you will have:

    • Stronger public and political support, by grounding the project in widely accepted goals such as climate action, housing equity, or cultural preservation.

    • Improved access to funding, especially from national governments or the European Union, which prioritize projects aligned with strategic policy frameworks.

    • Smoother regulatory approval, as aligned projects are more likely to meet existing standards, reducing delays related to zoning, permitting, and environmental regulations (Source: https://www.claremontlincoln.edu/).

  • What is the Benefit of using Policy Alignment for Political Actors? Aligning with higher-level policies increases eligibility for external funding (such as EU funds) and can significantly simplify the regulatory process, which is basically making it easier to secure permits, meet compliance requirements, and accelerate implementation.(Source: https://www.claremontlincoln.edu/)

3. Partnership Models

Consider a large urban regeneration project — a new transit hub, a cultural district, or a revitalized public park. The vision is bold, but the public sector sometimes doesn’t have all the money, expertise, or capacity to deliver it alone. This is where partnership models come into play. By forming structured collaborations with private entities, public institutions can use additional capital, technical know-how, and innovation

Public Private Partnerships:

    • Defininition of Public Private Partnerships: Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are a mechanism for government to procure and implement public infrastructure and/or services using the resources and expertise of the private sector. Where governments are facing ageing or lack of infrastructure and require more efficient services, a partnership with the private sector can help foster new solutions and bring finance (Source: worldbank.org)
    • Why PPPs matter for large municipal projects? 
      • To mobilize private capital and technical capacity: PPPs can be helpful so municipalities can deliver larger or more projects than public budgets alone allow.
      • To risk transfer and delivery speed: PPPs allocate construction and operational risks to private partners and accelerates project delivery through commercial incentives.
      • To increase performance and value for money:  PPPs can support long‑term maintenance and operations with incentives, improving service quality and delivering better value over the asset’s life.(Source: World Bank. 2019).

Lessons in Effective Urban Governance from Pavlos Melas Example

1) Phased, Long-term Planning

Strategic long-term planning demonstrates how phased development enables political continuity beyond electoral cycles.

Comprehensive master plans spanning multiple terms ensure attention to cultural, environmental, and community needs while maintaining public trust through ongoing consultation.

2) Partnership Models:

The public-private partnership model (PPP Model) that is used in the Pavlos Melas example shows how political leaders can optimize resources by blending public investment with private sector efficiency. Success requires clear legal frameworks, transparent bidding processes, and revenue-sharing models that protect public interests while enabling profitability.

3) Policy Alignment (with Heritage Preservation)

The Pavlos Melas Park project demonstrates heritage preservation as an important development catalyst, not just cultural conservation. By integrating heritage into economic and tourism strategies, governments can stimulate job creation, attract investment, and build civic pride while preserving local identity. Targeted workforce development and marketing further strengthen this competitive advantage.

These lessons provide a scalable, practical framework for political sectors pursuing sustainable urban regeneration with genuine community benefit.

With an understanding of how political continuity is achieved through effective governance, let’s now turn to the three core concepts of the Economical Dimension—Sustainable Procurement, Circular Economy, and Sustainability Assessment.

 

 

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