One major project of OSE  – the greek railway company – is to link Athens and Patras with a new, standard gauge, railway-line to enforce the connection between the capital an the third biggest town in Greece. Even if half of the line is already built it wasn’t clear, how to approach the city of Patras – and the western gate to Greece – by train. 

To clarify the existing options the ETH Zürich, the University of Patras and the NTUA (National Technical University of Athens) took the initiative and initiated a Test Planning Procedure, wich lasted from January till June 2015.  For Planning teams from Greece, Switzerland and Germany were invited to evaluate options of an integrated development of railway and urban landscape in the heart of Patras. 

In his function as lecturer at the chair of spatial development Markus Nollert from the bureau für RAUMENTWICKLUNG*, was part of the „International University Team“, consisting of professionals of the three universities. 

The concept „railscape“ – shows a way how a robust infrastructure development can be used to upgrade and not divide the city of Patras