Working from Rapsani

For centuries, Rapsani was a thriving community on the slopes of Mount Olympus, as evidenced by its schools, water mills, and other historic buildings. Today, however, it is a shrinking place where the public library is the last functioning government structure. In recent years, local civil society organisations and the Self-Help Promotion Program guesthouse, in collaboration with the library, have developed a series of community activities to revitalise the village. The existing connection to the Thessaloniki suburban railway, as well as the practice of telecommuting, which was particularly raised during the Covid-19 pandemic, have prompted some to consider whether Rapsani could become a remote working destination. A key question that runs through all the articles and interviews in this special series is, therefore, how and under what conditions this village could be a place to host digital nomads and, more broadly, remote workers in the knowledge economy, in the context of existing community activities and in collaboration with the local government.

Drawing by Yorgos Konstantinou, created especially for the dossier ‘Urban–rural divide’

Articles

ΠΠΑ

Integrating with a local community

How did the newcomers of the Self-Help Promotion Program integrate into the local community of a decentralised region like Rapsani, and how did they manage to influence it in a positive way? As the PPA workers who collectively wrote this article point out, over time and through the trusting relationships that have been developed, their actions have become more adapted to people’s needs, more enriched, more collaborative, and more participatory.
By Ersi Roumelioti and Alexandros Georgiou

Audio contributions

Interviews

Γιώργος Μανώλης

Giorgos Manolis, mayor of Tempi: 'It takes money, and that is where we small municipalities suffer'

A conversation with the mayor of Tempi, Georgos Manolis, on the problems of the municipality that hinder the development and revitalisation of its decentralised areas, such as Rapsani. The main issue is the lack of infrastructure in terms of transport, internet, hospitality, and teleworking spaces, as well as the lack of financial resources. Here are some initial proposals on our part to address the challenges. 
By Giorgos Melissourgos

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