Exarchia parents sound alarm over nursery place reductions: “We’re being priced out of our own neighborhood”

Report by Nektaria Psaraki

From 125 to 32: Nursery places vanish in Exarchia

The Parents’ Assembly of Exarchia Nursery Schools blames a 2017 presidential decree that imposed stricter, EU-aligned building regulations on nurseries. Though the new standards aim to improve safety and quality – requiring, for instance, 3.5 square meters of outdoor space per child – they’ve had a disproportionately harsh effect in dense urban areas like Exarchia, where space is notoriously limited.

While municipalities were told to comply by 2019, repeated extensions have delayed enforcement. Yet now, with the grace period ending in 2025, the consequences are becoming clear: no new facilities have been found, and existing ones are being deemed unfit under the new rules.

Gentrification disguised as regulation

“This isn’t about safety – it’s a political choice,” says a member of the Assembly, arguing the city’s inaction is part of a broader trend to gentrify and touristify Exarchia, long known as a politically active, working-class neighborhood.

“Private providers are managing to find suitable buildings, while the municipal authorities tell us nothing is available,” one Assembly member told The Press Project, suggesting that this is part of a broader push to gentrify and touristify Exarchia, ultimately displacing long-term residents.

The City’s defense: “It’s a matter of process, not policy”

Municipal officials, however, reject any accusations of ulterior motives. Popi Giannopoulou, vice president of the Municipal Nursery Foundation of Athens, insists that the lack of space is a real and practical issue. “This isn’t about policy. It’s about process,” she said in response to the claims. “The public sector doesn’t work like the private one. We need approvals, procurements, zoning. It’s not that simple.”

Empty buildings, unused potential

Still, many parents remain unconvinced. They point to dozens of underutilized or abandoned buildings in Exarchia, some of which they say could be adapted – if the city were willing to invest in them. But the municipality has said it cannot fund such renovations directly, as the decree mandates that costs must be covered by the Ministry of the Interior.

One nursery, located on Themistokleous Street, has even been deemed unsafe due to ongoing metro construction in Exarchia Square – its emergency exit now blocked by sheet metal barricades.

At a recent city council meeting, Giannopoulou assured residents that no child would be turned away this year – but acknowledged that without new premises, next year would be another story. She urged parents to suggest any suitable spaces they may know of, promising to inspect them personally.

“If our children go, we go too”

In the meantime, families are being referred to nurseries in other neighborhoods such as Vathi Square, where spots remain available – but many parents are reluctant, citing issues like drug use and safety in those areas. “It’s not realistic,” one parent says. “For working families, having to commute across the city with toddlers is just not viable.”

Many see the situation as part of a broader social shift. Rents have soared in Exarchia, Airbnb listings have proliferated, and long-time residents feel the squeeze. “They’re telling us: if there’s no place for your kids, just move elsewhere,” a parent says. “But if our children go, we’ll go too.”

The Parents’ Assembly isn’t backing down. They’ve already held two protests this month, demanding 100 new places in local nurseries. “We won’t stop until we see real change – not just for us, but for the families who’ll come after us,” one member said.

Their message was echoed in banners, leaflets, and chants outside Athens City Hall:

“Give us the buildings to build schools – before everything becomes bars and hotels.”

“They’re not fifteen, they’re not thirty-two, they’re a hundred – and they need a school.”

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