The park is located in the center of the city of Athens, just 1km away from Omonoia sq, amidst densely built and populated Athenian neighborhoods that face heavy daily traffic. The park underwent extensive renovation between 2008 and 2010. However, after the project’s completion, during the Greek recession and the migrant crisis, the park faced challenging conditions (extensive drug abuse, “refuge” of homeless people etc.) and was largely desolate and abandoned.

The selected site is located in the area of poor environmental quality, high level of air and water pollution and UHI effects, which expose the local citizens to health risk. The municipalities to the west sector of Athens are increasingly becoming home to new immigrants and are predominantly working-class areas. These areas are also considered as socially deprived, with high rates of unemployment, substance abuse, antisocial behavior. A large proportion of citizens are physically inactive, almost a quarter of them does not live up to World Health Organization’s recommendations, while half of the population is overweight or obese.

The park consists mostly of green recreation areas, pedestrian routes and places for resting and social interaction. It includes two playgrounds, sport facilities, water elements and open-air infrastructures for cultural activities. In HEART, the aim is to leverage and promote the park’s potential for improving health conditions to its regular visitors and to engage the citizens of the surrounding areas as well as potential visitors in meaningful activities for the purpose of enhancing PH and WB. Within HEART, neighboring area Attiko Alsos is planned to be used as an extrapolation area for training of planners/designers in implementating of innovative (HCPM) planning methodology