The study found that the urban sprawl is not limited to major international tourist destinations. ‘The percentage increase over the long term in construction outside designated boundaries is even greater on some of Greece’s emerging tourist islands,’ researchers said.
The rapid and often uncontrolled residential boom on the islands of the Southern Aegean over the last two decades is the focus of a new study carried out by a team at the University of the Aegean’s Department of Geography.
Titled “The Impact of Built-up Area Dispersion on the Cultural Heritage of the Region of South Aegean, Greece” and published in the International Journal of Geo-Information by Georgios Tsilimigkas, a professor of urban and regional planning, the study was carried out by Dr Efstratia Chatzi and PhD candidate Evangelia-Theodora Derdemezi, it considers the threat of overconstruction in a new light.
“Mykonos is a typical example of intensive residential development, with more than half of the island’s total built-up area being outside officially designated settlement boundaries,” the team members told Kathimerini, pointing out that the proportion of built-up areas outside official limits is comparatively higher in the Cyclades than in the Dodecanese.
They noted a similar situation on Kea and Patmos, where “significant urban sprawl” is likewise observed.
“The study also found that this urban sprawl is not limited to major international tourist destinations. The percentage increase over the long term in construction outside designated boundaries is even greater on some of Greece’s emerging tourist islands, posing serious risks to their landscape and cultural identity,” they added.
Innovative methodology
The study focuses on 38 islands belonging to the Cyclades and Dodecanese clusters, and represents the first quantitative and cartographic analysis of how construction activity “touches” or impacts their cultural heritage. The researchers used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and data from the European Copernicus Program to map the spread of development with a spatial resolution of 10 meters. For defining settlement boundaries, the researchers drew on various official geospatial portals, as well as orthophotomaps and topographic diagrams from the Government Gazette (FEK) delineating settlements. Data from the Archaeological Cadastre’s portal were used for the cartographic and quantitative representation of cultural heritage.
“The innovation in our study lies in the combination of different types of geospatial data – built-up areas, settlement boundaries, and cultural heritage, including archaeological and historical sites and monuments – in a single methodological framework that could lead to the creation of an open database. Such a database could be used by the state and relevant authorities as a practical tool for spatial planning and evidence-based decision-making,” said Tsilimigkas.
Key findings
Some of the key findings made by the researchers include that 80% or more of archaeological sites on Mykonos and Naxos have already been impacted by uncontrolled construction, while 60% and more of built-up areas on Antiparos, Irakleia, Kea, Mykonos, Paros and Patmos are outside official settlements, meaning in zones where the rules for construction are more relaxed. That ratio shoots up to 86% on Patmos, but only 2% concerns cultural zones.
80% or more of archaeological sites on Mykonos and Naxos have already been impacted by uncontrolled construction, while 60% and more of built-up areas on six islands are outside official settlements
On Santorini, 20% of the built-up area is within settlement limits, but 80% of its impacts affect cultural landscapes. In contrast, on Rhodes, 46% of construction is outside settlement boundaries, with 53% having an impact on cultural heritage sites.
Balanced growth
“The islands have a distinctive landscape, which is also a key resource for tourism development. Increased tourism activity and constant demand for new infrastructure put pressure on space, making a comprehensive plan that will ensure a balance between development and protection essential,” noted the researchers.
“Folegandros, Tinos and Kythnos are prime examples of islands where scattered, off-plan construction has an intense impact on cultural heritage sites,” they said, adding that such sites are not restricted to historical and archaeological monuments but also entail ordinary, everyday landscapes and locations.
Given that tourism is both a key economic pillar for the islands and a major source of pressure, we asked the researchers how a balance could be achieved between development and the preservation of cultural heritage.
“The key to balanced development lies in a comprehensive spatial planning system that is consistent over time and coordinated with sectoral and development policies,” said the University of the Aegean research team, noting that a recent European Parliament resolution on the EU’s islands highlights the need for research focused on island regions as the foundation for a sustainable development strategy.
“The active participation of local communities is also essential so that the communities accept their policies and feel like a part of efforts to safeguard their natural and cultural heritage,” the researchers added.
Oversights and delays
The study also points to fundamental shortcomings of the country’s existing zoning and construction framework, arguing that the available tools appear unable to contain the pressure from unplanned residential development.
“One of the most significant challenges facing Greece’s spatial planning system concerns the slow pace of completing and updating plans, which, among other things, results in inconsistencies between frameworks and plans at different levels,” the study’s authors said. “Moreover, the establishment of special frameworks critical to island areas – such as the one for tourism – has been delayed, while the revision of the Regional Spatial Framework for the South Aegean has yet to be finalized. Plans regulating land use and other aspects of spatial management at the local level, such as General Urban Plans and Spatial and Residential Organization Plans for Open Cities, do not cover all islands.
The ongoing effort to prepare new local and special urban plans is still in progress. As a result, large areas remain effectively without the necessary tools to ensure modern spatial management.”
The team also recommended the establishment of a Spatial Planning Observatory that would serve as a “database and documentation hub,” providing continuous monitoring of construction activity and reliable data for both authorities and citizens.
“Such an observatory could help enable interventions before irreversible problems arise,” the researchers noted, adding that public bodies can already make use of the work published in the study to identify high-pressure areas and prioritize their interventions accordingly.
