Agrinio, as a medium-size city of Greece, is suffering by the economic crisis that is infesting the country. However, besides the harsh phenomena that the country, as a whole, is experiencing - increased unemployment and illiteracy rates, poverty, brain drain, population migration, social exclusion, spatial and environmental degradation -, it is also demonstrating a few more, depicting the urgency of interfering. Despite being an important city of the Western Region of Greece, it remains unknown not only for people outside the country but also for the inhabitants of the country itself. Its recognition can not be compared to its former glory of the 19th and 20th centuries, during which it was experiencing a huge production and occupation in the primary sector with exportations of products to many countries. Over the years, along with the crisis, these qualities started to retreat, distorting the local identity. High levels of unemployment, shrinkage of population, environmental degradation, informal settlements, traffic congestion, urban sprawl that undermines the local quality, marginalisation of its components, inadequate infrastructures and public spaces are, in general, its basic characteristics. All of them are fiercely influencing the urban fabric and are clearly evident in the city’s tissue, in the sense of limited qualitative spaces.
This project is a design approach to alleviate the current issues of the city by developing a strategic vision not only for Agrinio itself, but also for the whole region since its qualitative characteristics can benefit each other. The main objective is to re-generate space, and especially the public one, with the belief that the intermediate scale, by using public space as a catalyst within its context, can be used as a strategic urban project , having the power to meld different scales, integrate different programs and spatial qualities, bind a city together, and advert the estrangement of the urban environment. Hence, it is attempted to re-create a spatial narrative of the city, by making use of its public space and heritage. By re-generating space, a strong and distinguishable identity is formed that, in its turn, generates a stronger and more sustainable economy. Ultimately, it redefines the role of the municipality in the context of Greece and brings Agrinio again to the front line of the competitive cities of the country.