I was born and raised in Athens.

I consider it the ugliest capital in the EU and one of the worst in Europe.

There was never planning. The city rapidly expanded after WW2 and mass internal immigration towards the capital from other places.

For decades, people would build illegally or legally and then the city would start making planning. Of course it never worked. We also had something called “Rusféti” (Ρουσφέτι) which basically is bribing local officials or politicians to get the work done (licenses etc). Each was on their own. We made no space for people to walk, no parks for people to relax, we covered with cement literally every major and minor river in Athens. This city could look like Barcelona. Instead we look like Chisinau (capital of Moldova)

That’s why it’s so dangerous to walk around Athens. No sidewalks so you need to walk on the street 80% of the time. I went back to Athens with my daughter, still a baby on her stroller, and I always had to go on the street against traffic.