Community development in the east prefecture of Attica, Greece, following the 2004 Summer Olympic Games of Athens

Abstract

The present study examined how community development has been affected by social and economic changes in four specifi c semi rural areas which are located in the east prefecture of Attica in Greece. These semi rural areas are affected signifi cantly by social and economic changes, because of substantial new infrastructure development that took place in relation to the 2004 Summer Olympic Games of Athens. The aim of this study was to examine local entrepreneurship as well as local social and economic development in the study areas. Sample data were collected on the characteristics of residents and local enterprises and land use changes in these four areas of Attica. On the basis of these data a profi le of the residents and the characteristics of land use and local enterprises were constructed. The results of the study showed that there has been a substantial population increase and real estate construction. Also, residential land has increased at the expense of farmland. Furthermore, new enterprises are founded through private investments, which increase local entrepreneurship. Using cross-tabulation statistical methods it was found that the educational level of the responders is positively related with the occupation satisfaction (P = 0.0345). Also, the more an area was developed the more pharmacies existed in the specifi c area (P = 0.0437) and the closest an area was from the sea the more tourist character it had (P = 0.0000). In addition, the analysis of the logistic regression models showed that as private investment and urban planning increase local development increases, while as population density increases local development decreases (R = 81.2%). Furthermore, the more social services exist in a community such as help at home, shelter for elderly and there are more chances for employment then local sustainable development is increased In addition, as the number of homeless people increases local sustainable development decreases. (R = 80.2%). Also, Kruskal‐Wallis H - tests were performed for the comparison of the four areas concerning demographical and residential elements as well as development elements, which showed that the opinion of the respondents from all four areas is similar as regards quality of life and job satisfaction at a = 1% signifi cance level.