Abstract
The aim of this paper is to outline the main legal and socio-political aspects relating to urban sustainability in Greece. This research focuses on the state of play of urban sustainability, as well as on the challenges relating to its implementation, based on an interdisciplinary approach, addressing legal, socio-political, and technical issues. Within this framework, emphasis is placed on Greece, a country that suffered through a long and severe economic crisis, whereby socio-spatial effects harmed a wide range of social groups. In this context, the paper focuses on the normative, jurisprudential, and policy reforms that took place due to and during the economic crisis,with respect to urban planning and land use. Moreover, it sheds light on smart city technologies, which ought to serve people’s needs,especially those in vulnerable social groups,and it emphasises sustainable development, which at risk of being overstretched during an economic crisis. Finally, the paper also analyses the interrelation between urban sustainability and resilience, in the context of the natural disasters that affected Greece. By focusing our research on a southern European country that suffered through a long and painful socio-economic crisis, while also being prone to natural disasters, this research aspires to create a forum for dialogue with other countries facing similar legal and social challenges, and, hence, to engage in a comparative analysis that will help academics and policy makers take a step forward in the examination and implementation of urban sustainability, resilience, and smartness. Keywords: urban sustainability, sustainable development law, human rights cities, urban planning,resilient cities, natural disasters DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/95-09 Publication date: March 31 st 2020
Highlights
Modern cities are constantly changing due to a set of complex and interdependent problems, such as global warming, overpopulation, public health issues, migration, financial crisis, marginalisation, natural resource depletion, and loss of biodiversity
The emergence and establishment of the concept of “resilience” The discussion on urban sustainability issues in the Greek landscape is directly linked to questions relating to the concept of “resilience”, given that Greece was recently hit by serious natural disasters with devastating consequences, as well as the socio-political shock of migration.In order to offset the effects of such pressures and crises, it is essential to build up a regulatory framework to efficiently cope with the interconnected and evolving risks and disasters in the urban landscape
Concluding remarks This paper aspires to shed light on the multidimensional and complicated concepts of urban and social sustainability, as well as the normative and policy framework relating to the interpretation and implementation of sustainable development, especially in the context of the financial crisis
Summary
Modern cities are constantly changing due to a set of complex and interdependent problems, such as global warming, overpopulation, public health issues, migration, financial crisis, marginalisation, natural resource depletion, and loss of biodiversity Given this increasing and multifaceted pressure, existing systems and the traditional structures are becoming more fragile to different shocks and stresses, especially if one takes into consideration that by 2030, 60% of the world’s population is expected to live in cities. The paper addresses the methods through which urban environments– especially those in economic crisis – candeal with emerging socio-legal problems linked to sustainability, as well as how complex it is for policy-makers or judges to strike a balance between the conflicting interests underpinning the sustainable development framework-concept. We look into urban sustainability in relation to resilience, a pertinent concept when examining the natural disasters that affected Greece
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