Antonis Tritsis

Antonis Tritsis (Greek Αντώνης Τρίτσης, born 1937 in Argostoli, † April 7, 1992 in Athens ) was a Greek architect, urban planner and politician who was known as the Athens mayor.

Biography

Tritsis was born in 1937 in Argostoli on Kefalonia, his family left after the earthquake of 1953, the city and moved to Athens. In 1959, he graduated as an architect at Politechneio, thanks to a Fulbright scholarship in 1960 he continued his studies in the United States continued in 1963 and returned back to Greece.

As a member of an electoral district on Kefalonia, he was elected to the Greek Parliament. For his home town of Argostoli, he worked as a city planner. He reached a relocation of the institutions of the " automotive activities" ( where all the citizens by car breaks forth as the bus station and gymnasium ) to the outskirts.

From 1981 to 1985 he was Minister for construction projects in the government of Pasok and in 1989 founded his own party, which he failed. In 1990 he was elected as Pasok party member with the support of New Democracy to the mayor of Athens, but he died in 1992, leaving many of his projects remained unrealized. He visited Baghdad in 1991 to get an idea of the devastation of war

After a massive stroke in his office at City Hall, he fought a few days with his life before he died. His entire fortune went into a foundation that supports urban projects, as he had requested in his will.

Project

Tritsis was planting trees throughout the city, could of which in his opinion, a city barely have enough. All major archaeological sites he wanted to open up with a pedestrian walkway (implemented in 2000). Best known he was with his demand for the introduction of a streetcar and as a staunch opponent of subways, which he denied urban qualities altogether. That the Tram Athens was realized, is also due to him. Has not realized his idea to tunnel under intersections to create more public spaces.

Trivia

Tritsis used as a service vehicle, a moped, sometimes the running boards of the municipal garbage truck.

Commemoration

Him a park of Ornithology was founded in Illion honor. In Argostoli a sports hall and a street was named after him.