Polycentricity in Policies: The Greek Case

Abstract

As in other European countries, globalization and European integration over recent decades have considerably influenced Greece's spatial structure. Its integration at a European level, however, has been somewhat tempered by its geographical remoteness vis-a-vis the rest of the European Union. Furthermore, the existence of an extended mountainous area, of peninsulas and an island region which is itself fragmented into small islands, has considerably influenced the Greek urban pattern. In the first three post-war decades, urban growth in Greece was concentrated in the Metropolitan Regions of Athens (MRA) and Thessalonica and in the S-shaped corridor of Patras Athens Thessalonica Kavala (see figure 1). However, in the 1980s and 1990s the Greek urban system changed considerably Looking only at the population of the MRA in relation to the total population of the country, the urban pattern remains very similar, but if we look at the urbanization process in more detail the pattern is more complex. At present, the MRA maintains its primacy, even though its administrative domination is now more limited. The population of its agglomeration as initially defined, i.e. the so-called Basin of Athens, has stabilized, but the metropolitan region now extends to include all Attica and maintains high rates of economic and demographic growth. The Metropolitan Region of Thessalonica has expanded as well, along with its influence over Northern Greece.