Memorandum of cooperation for the promotion of Sheikh Sou and Hortiatis Forest
PEDKM signs a memorandum of cooperation for the promotion and utilization of the peri-urban forest of Thessaloniki (Sheikh Sou) and the Hortiatis forest
Her stay and development of the Institute of Technical Seismology and Antiseismic Constructions (ITSAK) at Thessalonikias well as his request to join the AUTh is supported by a unanimous decision of the Board of Regional Union of Municipalities of Central Macedonia (PEDCM), recognizing that this is an important and particularly critical scientific structure for the city.
The research body which, by law 4002/2011, the ITSAK was abolished as an independent legal entity and merged with the Organization for Antiseismic Planning and Protection (OASP), while it was transferred to the Ministry of Climate of Crete and Civil Protection does not exist today as an independent legal entity, as a Research unit under the supervision of the OASP. This mitigates the risk of its removal from Thessaloniki, as it is constantly deteriorating.
The Board of Directors of PEDC University recognizes the problems faced by the institution, supports its request to move as soon as possible to Aristotelio Thessaloniki, which is also its natural host, a request which is submitted to the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.
The need for the rescue and upgrading of ITSAK and its stay in Thessaloniki was mentioned at yesterday’s meeting of the Board of Directors of PEDKM by the chairman, mayor of Pylaia – Hortiatis Ignatios Kaitezidis, saying that “despite the efforts being made to remove ITSAK from Thessaloniki, we unanimously ask
to remain, because it is a very important scientific institution that we support and trust”.
The course and work of the Institute of Technical Seismology and Antiseismic Structures, as well as the problems they face today, were mentioned by their intervention, during the PEDKM meeting, the Research Director, Technical Seismologist of ITSAK Vassilis Margaris and the honorary member Vassilis Lekidis, the that this institution offers a lot and its request to remain in Northern Greece and to develop, through its affiliation to AUTH, is absolutely fair.
“The compared choke unit under the supervision of the OASP which is not designed to receive such a body. The Result does not suffer a continuous degradation, even though it has critical infrastructures, while it has not received the slightest grant for research infrastructures from the OASP, which is a heterogeneous and unrelated operational Organization”, Mr. Margaris emphasized.
Memorandum of cooperation for Sheikh-Sou and the Hortiatis forest
Besides, the Board of Directors of PEDCM decided unanimously for the signing a Memorandum of Cooperation for the promotion and utilization of the peri-urban forest of Thessaloniki (Sheikh Sou) and the Hortiatis forest with the aim of its functional interconnection with the urban areas.
The Memorandum is signed by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Ministry of the Interior of Macedonia – Thrace, the Region of Central Macedonia, the Regional Union of Municipalities of Central Macedonia, the Development Major of Thessaloniki S.A. – Development Organization of Local Macedonia and Solidarity and Relief.
The object of this cooperation is the preparation of a Master Plan with the aim of maturing the actions for the functional interconnection of the peri-urban forest of Sheikh Sou with the city of Thessaloniki with an emphasis on its coastal front. The proposed interconnection can be completed through the aesthetic and functional redesign of the areas’ recreational infrastructure in a way that motivates citizens to be active along the so-called “green corridor” that starts from Sheikh Sou and will end at the beach.
These actions will contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of residents and visitors, to the development of the tourist added value of the area in the axis of alternative and twelve-month tourism, to the protection and promotion of greenery and to the adoption of a healthier lifestyle with good practices.
In addition, the Board of Directors of PEDC discussed the issue of providing school meals to students of Primary Education all over Greece, supporting the request of the municipalities of Neapolis – Sykes and Oreokastro to immediately start the implementation of the program in the schools of the two areas, which were excluded . .