The capital of the country, Athens, internationally represents an interesting example of a metropolis, bustling with life and struggling to achieve the difficult balance between the desired material well-being and social development, as well as the countervailing risks of aesthetic and environmental degradation.

However, our information about the evolution of this historic city remains fragmented. With the exception of a limited number of architects, urban planners, and historians, the majority of Athenians today live in an urban space that is neither familiar nor truly known to them. Yet, it is essential that we become acquainted with the space in which we live "with thought and with dream," with knowledge and feeling.

The book by Professor Alexandros Papageorgiou-Venetas methodically presents, with a wealth of historical plans, images, and texts, as well as a detailed critical perspective, the crucial first decade (1833-1843) of modern Athens, and primarily the urban planning proposals for the design of the new city.