Speaker
Description
In the last four decades and especially during the 21st century we observe a strong interest in discourses, strategies and norms regarding the form and functions of urban areas in a sustainable way (Michalina and al, 2021). Even though in documents of international organizations, such as the Agenda 2030, there is a strong commitment for the equal growth of urban areas despite their economic growth and their geographical position (UN, 2015), we note significant differences in the development of small and big urban areas, urban and rural areas as well as areas of the Global North and Global South (Nagendra and al, 2018). Considering the framework of the Sustainable Development Agenda and the need for equitable, inclusive and resilient communities, the paper tries to envisage the future of peri-urban spaces, that is to say the visions, tactics and models that lead to the economic, social and environmental sustainability of these areas. The purpose is to question the appearance of new planning policies for areas outside the cities’ limits, which are not fully urbanized and maintain the traces of their past (physical and social).
The research proposes an experimental approach in order to investigate the ways which potentially could lead to the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the above areas. A critical point is to recommend planning methods and tools which could be used as narratives for the development of peri-urban areas that face either economic or social difficulties as economic growth and social equity are, together with environmental protection, the three pillars of sustainable development. The choice of the case study was based on the necessity to reflect and change old narratives and discourses in the planning processes for poor urban and peri-urban areas and to propose a safe and equitable living environment for the inhabitants of these areas. “Stena tou Nestou” (in English it could be translated as narrow pathway alongside Nestos River) is located near the city of Xanthi in the region of Thrace in Northern Greece, an area that maintains its physical and social characteristics since the 20th century and which is nowadays used as a space for leisure and sports. It is important to underline the particular characteristics of the region of Thrace as it is among the less developed at national (Greek) level, while at the same time the presence in the region of the Greek Muslim Community poses challenges regarding the just and peaceful transition towards a safe and equitable living environment for all despite their ethnic and cultural background.
The research method used was the descriptive-analytic. The descriptive method was used in order to define planning narratives for the development of peri-urban areas and relate it to previous studies in areas facing significant economic and social difficulties. The analytic method was used as a first step in order to develop later our strategy and model for the development of these areas. Through the above method we identified the reasons that led to economic decline and social injustice and made the necessary correlation between environmental sustainability, economic growth and social equity for the development of the area. In order to achieve these goals, we proposed a development scenario based on the internal strengths and external opportunities for the region of Thrace such as the presence of Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) and local enterprises. The study of a real-world setting and its particular characteristics revealed the necessity to consider planning in poor peri-urban areas as a transformative action which seeks to achieve sustainability goals through strategies and tools at different governance levels (national, regional, municipal) and in different sectors (economic, environmental, social).
References
Michalina, Denis, Mederly, Peter, Diefenbacher, Hans and Held, Benjamin (2021) Sustainable Urban Development: A Review of Urban Sustainability Indicator Frameworks, Sustainability, 13(16), 9348; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169348
Nagendra, Harini, Bai, Xuemei, Brondizio, Eduardo S. and Lwasa, Shuaib (2018) The urban south and the predicament of global sustainability, Nature Sustainability volume 1, pp 341–349.
United Nations (2015) Agenda 2030. [Online] available at: https://sdgs.un.org/sites/default/files/publications/21252030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20Development%20web.pdf
| Keywords | planning narratives, peri-urban areas, social and economic injustice, Xanthi (Greece) |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
