Athens Metropolitan Research Articles

Aggressive driving behavior: road rage incidents in Athens from the clinical forensic point of view

Abstract Background Aggressive driving behavior may lead to interpersonal violence. The Athens Metropolitan area has over four million inhabitants. Public transportation has improved over the last decades, mainly due to the work performed before the 2004 Olympic Games but is still lacking in the coverage of the Attica region with fixed track transportation. Thus, traffic in Athens is usually heavy during the day, a fact that combined with limited parking spaces available, acts as fuel to aggressive driving behaviors. For this retrospective study, data from forensic clinical examinations performed at our department by the authors were reviewed. More specifically, cases examined from January 1st, 2012, to September 30rd, 2021, all concerning allegations for road rage were included, totally 177 cases. The data obtained was analyzed by utilizing SPSS Statistics. Results Most victims and perpetrators were drivers of their vehicles. In most cases (85.3%), perpetrators acted alone. 80.2% of victims reported that the incident was triggered by a minor conflict. Perpetrators used mostly just their hands and feet, or even their head as a blunt force instrument to inflict injuries (72.3%). Hammers, crowbars, and brass knuckles were used in 12.4% of cases, while in 9.6% the vehicle was used to overrun the victim. In 2.8% of cases, perpetrators attempted to strangulate the victims, while in 1.7% they used a sharp force instrument. In 9.6% of cases, victims did not sustain any visible external injury. 18.1% of victims sustained just a single injury, while in 72.3% multiple injuries were observed. 69.5% victims sustained merely external injuries, while in 20.2% at least one internal organ injury was sustained. The predominant injury site was by far the head-neck region. In more than one third of the road rage incidents, the injuries could be characterized as grievous. Conclusions Most people involved were male motorists. Females are rarely victims of road traffic violence, and even more rarely act as perpetrators. Commonest injury site was the head-neck region, with second commonest the upper extremities.

Spatially Explicit Analysis of Landscape Structures, Urban Growth, and Economic Dynamics in Metropolitan Regions

Assuming that settlement morphologies and landscape structures are the result of economic transformations, the present study illustrates a statistical framework investigating metropolitan growth due to the inherent changes in landscape configurations vis à vis socio-demographic functions. Focusing on the evolution of their spatial drivers over time, metropolitan development was studied by adopting land parcels (or ‘patches’, as they are referred to in the ecological literature) as the elementary analysis unit—with the individual surface area and a specific shape indicator as the dependent variables and background socioeconomic attributes as predictors of landscape change over time. We specifically ran a Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) testing the spatial dependence of the size and shape of landscape parcels on a vast ensemble of socioeconomic factors in a dense region (metropolitan Athens, Greece) with natural landscapes exposed to increasing human pressure. To investigate the spatial direction and intensity of the settlement expansion and landscape change, local regressions using the parcel area and fractal index (perimeter-to-area ratio) as the dependent variables and the elevation, distance from selected economic nodes, transport infrastructures, and natural amenities as the predictors were run separately for 1990 and 2018, representative of, respectively, a mono-centric configuration and a moderately polycentric organization of economic spaces. In a strictly mono-centric setting (1990), the parcel size showed a linear dependence on the distance from business districts, elevation, and wealth. Changes in the relationship between the parcel size and spatial (economic and non-economic) drivers may suggest a latent process of settlement de-concentration, and a possible shift toward polycentric development (2018), as documented in earlier studies. By integrating socioeconomic and ecological dimensions of landscape analysis and land evaluation, the empirical results of this study outline the increased complexity of dispersed landscape structures within dense metropolitan regions and along urban–rural gradients in Europe.

Revisiting the Spatial Cycle: Intra-Regional Development Patterns and Future Population Dynamics in Metropolitan Athens, Greece

Being intertwined with economic development, urbanization determines the present and future development path of regions and countries. The intimate relationship between urban expansion and economic development is of particular interest in the case of large regions with complex (and mostly non-linear) socio-demographic dynamics and a relevant primacy in the metropolitan system of a given country. Typical examples of advanced economies with settlement systems characterized by a high degree of city primacy are peripheral and disadvantaged European countries such as Portugal and Greece. For instance, the administrative region of Attica—centered on Athens, the Greek capital city—represents the largest metropolitan area of the country, hosting almost 3.8 million inhabitants in 2021 (36.2% of the Greek population). In this context, this study investigates the internal redistribution of the resident population in metropolitan Athens and the progressive development of satellite cities over a relatively longtime interval, testing the assumptions of the Spatial Cycle Theory (SCT) between 1951 and 2021 and predicting future development paths up to 2051. To investigate past, present, and future intra-regional population trends, we used data released from decadal (1951–2021) censuses and demographic forecasts for the years 2031, 2041, and 2051. Being in line with the SCT, the empirical results of our study document how demographic dynamics of individual centers influence largely—and independently—the long-term development of metropolitan regions, both with policy/planning regulation and in conditions of non-intervention (spontaneous urban growth).

Reproducing displaceability in the Greek asylum accommodation system and its margins

Since 2015–2016, in the context of the so-called ‘refugee crisis’, new asylum policies altered the landscape of accommodation, housing, displacement, and (il)legalisation in Greece. This paper aims to explore the impact that the reception system established in 2016 has on everyday accommodation and urban experiences of refugees as regards their relationships with space and social connections. In doing so, it brings to the forefront the concept of ‘displaceability’ as an ongoing, non-linear, and relational sociospatial process, interrelated with housing precarity and illegalisation, through which the connections between people and places are ruptured. The paper, first, focuses on how processes and experiences of displaceability emerge for those entitled to asylum accommodation in Greece. Secondly, it examines how displaceability also concerns displaced people found at the margins of accommodation after their asylum claim has been processed, including both the cases of recognised beneficiaries of international protection and refugees with a negative decision. Thirdly, it discusses aspects of the experiences of those outside the reception system and accommodation sites, such as people arriving in Athens through informal and unregistered mobilities. The paper is based on research conducted in metropolitan Athens, Greece, as part of the TRAFIG Horizon 2020 research project.

Betting against mono-centrism? The impact of economic crisis on city vertical profiles in metropolitan Athens, Greece

Betting against mono-centrism? The impact of economic crisis on city vertical profiles in metropolitan Athens, Greece

Cities’ Hands Are Tied: Short-Term Economic Impacts of COVID-19 on Natural Population Growth in Metropolitan Greece

To delineate new directions of urban development in a context of demographic shrinkage in Southern Europe, the present study illustrates a comparative analysis of the demographic balance in metropolitan Athens, Greece (1956–2021). The analysis delineates short-term and long-term dynamics of the natural population balance, considering the impact of the Great Recession and COVID-19 pandemic, and assuming a contemporary increase in gross mortality rates and a marked fertility reduction associated with birth postponement. To address such objectives, we have compared the natural growth of population (the ratio of the total number of births to deaths) at ten year intervals (1956, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2009, 2019, 2020, 2021) in 115 municipalities of metropolitan Athens, controlling for the local context. The empirical results of descriptive statistics, spatial analysis, correlation statistics, non-parametric inference, and exploratory multivariate techniques outline the indirect impact of COVID-19 on population dynamics, being in some ways additive to the already observed effects of the Great Recession, reinforcing demographic shrinkage in specific local contexts. The COVID-19 pandemic and the Great Crisis likely accelerated the typical outcomes (population aging and low fertility) of the second demographic transition in Greece. These dynamics are associated with more volatile (and possibly reduced) immigration flows and with enhanced emigration, fueling urban shrinkage and a progressive economic decline of metropolitan regions, as our evidence suggests for Athens. Additional research should ascertain the aggregate, indirect role of pandemics in population dynamics as a proxy of urban and regional decline in European regions exposed to long-term aging.

Examining the impact of bicycle-oriented multimodality on accessibility and transport equity in the metropolitan area of Athens, Greece

ABSTRACT Bicycle-oriented multimodality (cycling and fixed-route public transport) could be considered as an efficient tool in developing a sustainable transport system offering adequate transport services to everyone. This study, therefore, explores whether multimodality can support transport equity in a metropolitan urban environment. To this end, a combinatorial approach is adopted; specifically, spatial accessibility as well as horizontal and vertical equity measures related to four scenarios illustrating different transport futures are estimated. These scenarios are the following: (a) existing fixed-route public transport, (b) addition of a new metro line, (c) existing fixed-route public transport and addition of a new metropolitan cycling network, and (d) both a new metro line and a metropolitan cycling network. This method is applied to the Athens Metropolitan Area (AMA) in Greece which comprises a challenging example of a car-oriented metropolis. The main results indicate that bicycle-oriented multimodality influences accessibility positively; however, when it comes to equity (both horizontal and vertical), results require further analysis. Fully multimodal scenarios (Scenario 3) do not lead to better horizontal equity, or they do not support low-income groups; on the contrary, balanced multimodality solutions (Scenario 2) illustrated the most equitable conditions. These findings are indeed surprising, indicating to researchers and practitioners that urban and transport planning should embrace holistic ways to achieve transport equity.

High Resolution WRF Modelling of Extreme Heat Events and Mapping of the Urban Heat Island Characteristics in Athens, Greece

In recent decades, large-scale urbanisation has developed rapidly, resulting in significant changes in the local and regional environment and climate. Large metropolitan areas worldwide induce significant changes in local atmospheric circulation and boundary layer meteorology by modifying the underlying surface characteristics and through the emission of anthropogenic heat and pollutants into the atmosphere. We investigate the urban heat island (UHI) characteristics in the city of Athens, Greece, which is one of Europe’s largest metropolitan complexes with a population of approximately 3.7 million inhabitants. The UHI effect is intense due to the city’s size, dense construction, high incident solar radiation, and almost complete lack of natural vegetation, with previous studies suggesting a temperature rise of 4 °C on average in the city centre compared to summer background conditions. We used high-resolution WRF simulations (1-km horizontal grid) driven with ERA5 reanalysis data to produce surface temperature maps in the city of Athens and the surrounding areas (Region of Attiki) during the summer period of 1 July–20 August 2021. Different model parameterizations were tested, both with respect to urban characteristics and physical parameters. The daily minimum and maximum temperatures (Tmin and Tmax) derived from the model were validated against observational data from a dense network of weather stations covering metropolitan Athens and surrounding locations. We further investigate the influence of different meteorological conditions on the UHI gradients as produced by the model and the observational dataset, including the extreme heat wave of 28 July–5 August 2021, during which persistent maximum temperatures of >40 °C were recorded for nine consecutive days. The results indicate a strong correlation between WRF output and recorded minimum and maximum temperatures throughout the test period (R ranges from 0.80 to 0.93), with an average mean absolute bias (MAB) of 1.5 °C, and reveal the intensity and spatiotemporal variability of the UHI phenomenon in the city of Athens, with UHI magnitude reaching 8–9 °C at times. Our work aims to maximise the potential of using high-resolution WRF modelling for simulating extreme heat events and mapping the UHI effect in large metropolitan complexes.

An Index-Based Method to Assess the Resilience of Urban Areas to Coastal Flooding: The Case of Attica, Greece

The aim of this study is to assess the resilience of coastal urban areas and their exposure to sea-level rise and coastal flooding, using the proposed Coastal Resilience Index (CResI). The CResI is an innovative combination of diverse characteristics. It includes 19 parameters and is implemented using GIS techniques. The parameters included in the CResI are classified into six category factors (geomorphology, flooding, wave exposition, land use, socioeconomic, and infrastructure/functional). The Analytic Hierarchy Process is used to assign weights and rank the parameters. The framework is tested in the southwest waterfront of the Athens Metropolitan Area in Greece. The study identified that around 25% of the coastal area could be at risk of coastal flooding in the upcoming years, including areas in both the metropolitan and suburban environments. As a result, the need for adaptation measures cannot be overlooked.

There’s no time like the present: path-dependent urban growth, agglomeration economies and congestion externalities in contemporary Athens

AbstractDespite a long settlement history, empirical investigations of the role of path dependency in the long-term evolution of human populations are scarce in Europe, and especially in the Mediterranean countries. Using spatially explicit econometric techniques, our study discusses the empirical evidence stemming from a quantitative analysis of the spatial distribution of population growth rates in 115 districts of metropolitan Athens (Greece) over one century, distinguishing path dependency from the impact of other socio-economic forces on long-term urban expansion. The empirical findings of this study clarify how path-dependent regulation of population growth was heterogeneous over time and space, and depends on the specific stage of the city life cycle. After an initial period when path-independent population expansion reflected the inherent impact of exogenous shocks, path-dependent growth was associated with compact urbanization governed by agglomeration and scale advantages. Path-dependent growth was less intense during suburbanization, when the population spread over larger areas.

The air and dust invisible mycobiome of urban domestic environments

Air and dust harbor a dynamic fungal biome that interacts with residential environment inhabitants usually with negative implications for human health. Fungal air and dust synthesis were investigated in houses across the Athens Metropolitan area. Active and passive culture dependent methods were employed to sample airborne and dustborne fungi for two sampling periods, one in winter and the other in summer. A core mycobiome was revealed both in air and dust constituted of the dominant Penicillium, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Alternaria and yeasts and accompanied by several common and rare components. Penicillium and Aspergillus diversity included 22 cosmopolitan species, except the rarely found Penicillium citreonigrum, P. corylophilum, P. pagulum and Talaromyces albobiverticillius which are reported for the first time from Greece. Fungal concentrations were significantly higher during summer for both air and dust. Excessive levels of inhalable aerosol constituted mainly by certain Penicillium species were associated with indoor emission sources as these species are household molds related to food commodities rot. The ambient air fungal profile is a determinant factor of indoor fungal aerosol which subsequently shapes dustborne mycobiota. Indoor fungi can be useful bioindicators for indoor environment quality and at the same time provide insight to indoor fungal ecology.

Associations between meat type consumption pattern and incident cardiovascular disease: The ATTICA epidemiological cohort study (2002−2022)

BackgroundMeat consumption has shown from detrimental to beneficial effects against cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence, mainly depending on the type of meat studied (i.e., red/white, processed/unprocessed) and quantity consumed. ObjectiveTo examine the associations between meat type consumption patterns and incident CVD among apparently healthy adults. DesignATTICA study was conducted in the greater metropolitan Athens area, Greece, during 2001–2002 studying adults free-of-CVD at baseline. Twenty-year follow-up was performed in n = 1988 participants (n = 718 incident cases). Meat consumption during the follow-up period was categorized as: never/rare meat consumption (i.e., <1 time/week), mostly red meat (i.e., compared to other types of meat or processed meat), mostly white meat, and mostly processed meat products (e.g., bacon, sausage). ResultsApproximately 38% of the participants reported rare or no consumption of any type of meat, 31% consumed mostly red meat, 19% mostly white meat and the remainder 12% mostly processed meat. In multivariate analysis, compared to never/rarely consuming any type of meat, consuming mostly processed meat [HR: 2.89, 95%CI: 1.05, 7.89], but not red meat [HR: 1.22, 95%CI: 0.81, 1.82], was positively associated with incident CVD during 20 years of follow-up, while consuming mostly white meat was inversely associated with incident CVD [HR: 0.35, 95%CI: 0.17, 0.71]. ConclusionsThe findings of this study suggest that the type of meat, irrespective of the frequency of consumption, plays a role in the risk of developing CVD. In clinical practice, emphasis should be placed on avoiding processed meat and replacing it with white unprocessed meat.

Toward Sustainable Development Trajectories? Estimating Urban Footprints from High-Resolution Copernicus Layers in Athens, Greece

Land imperviousness reflects settlement growth and urban sprawl. Grounded on a comparative approach, a set of multidimensional statistical techniques were adopted here to quantify the evolution of land imperviousness from Copernicus High-Resolution Layers (HRLs) in a representative case study of Southern Europe (Athens, Greece). A two-way data matrix reporting the percent share of the surface land exposed to different sealing levels (101 classes ranging continuously from 0% to 100%) in the total municipal area was computed for two years (2006 and 2018) individually for 115 municipalities in metropolitan Athens. This matrix represented the information base needed to derive place-specific urban footprints and a comprehensive (global) profile of land imperviousness. Results of a Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) delineated a metropolitan structure still organized along the density gradient, moving from dense settlements in central locations with dominant land classes sealed for more than 90% of their surface area to completely pervious land (0%) typical of rural locations. While the density gradient became less steep between 2006 and 2018, it continued to aliment a socioeconomic polarization in urban and rural districts with distinctive profiles of land imperviousness. Intermediate locations had more mixed imperviousness profiles as a result of urban sprawl. Differential profiles reflect place-specific urban footprints with distinctive land take rates.

Doxiadis’ Ekistics Imperative and the Paradox of Ecumenopolis

Constantinos A. Doxiadis was a leading architectural and urban theorist during the 20th century. At the dawn of the Information Age, he renewed the call for a science of human settlements, which he termed ekistics. Current debate inevitably revolves around his legacy in the field. Our paper briefly reviews Doxiadis’ thinking about settlements and science, focusing on the state of ekistic thinking today based on the case study of Metropolitan Athens and the Attica Region in Greece using space syntax. We also evaluate the inherent potentials and pitfalls of his ecumenopolis (a world city) concept, arguing that it remains too abstract and impractical of an idea for today’s world. Nonetheless, Doxiadis’ intellectual legacy is profound. We conclude that architects, urban designers, and town planners should continue to develop Doxiadis’ ideas about dynapolis (dynamic city) and entopia (in place) in addressing placemaking in cities for people today and tomorrow

Easy come, easy go: Short-term land-use dynamics vis à vis regional economic downturns

The present study postulates distinctive land-use dynamics along the economic cycle, and tests against diverging trends over time of urban and non-urban land-uses with characteristic economic potential. Short-term land-use changes over seven time windows encompassing the last three decades (1992–2020) were investigated in metropolitan Athens (Greece), a mono-centric region experiencing complex economic downturns. Based on diachronic land-use maps with homogeneous spatial resolution and nomenclature derived from ESA Climate Change Initiative (ESA-CCI), a change detection analysis was run considering mean patch size, distance from downtown, and specific entropy-based metrics of landscape diversification (Shannon-Wiener H’ diversity index and Pielou J evenness index). Results of a canonical correlation analysis document differential intensity and spatial direction of change during expansions and recessions associated with distinctive socio-demographic profiles. Metropolitan growth followed a radio-centric (land-saving) model during economic expansions with intense urbanization of fringe land. A more dispersed settlement model – reflecting urban sprawl – was associated with economic stagnations, involving land at progressively distant locations from downtown. Landscape diversification was higher under stagnations and lower during expansions.

Perceptions of urban green infrastructure in two contrasting municipalities of the metropolitan area of Athens, Greece

The primary goal of urban parks and green spaces is to provide ecosystem services, not only for the visitors that use them but also for the entire urban population. Athens metropolitan area has a limited number of green spaces. The present paper uses a structured questionnaire to record residents' views in two socioeconomically contrasting municipalities of Athens concerning the urban green infrastructure of their municipality. More specifically, the residents were asked to evaluate the parks and green spaces regarding their amount and size, suitable design, safety for children, the variety and care of plants, and the facilities for people with disabilities. They were also asked to record problems such as noise pollution, a mess from stray animals or pets, unpleasant odors, lack of information, signposting, and other facilities. The resident's satisfaction regarding the local authorities and their contribution towards improving parks and green spaces were also evaluated. Additionally, the residents were asked for satisfaction concerning their well-being and their intention to give more money to buy a house with a view to green space.

Mixed Land Use as an Intrinsic Feature of Sprawl: A Short-Term Analysis of Settlement Growth and Population Distribution Using European Urban Atlas

This study investigates the land-use/population mix over time as the base to derive an indicator of urban sprawl. Land-use individual patches (provided by Urban Atlas, hereafter UA, with a detailed spatial geometry at 1:10,000 scale) were associated with the total (resident) population based on official statistics (census enumeration districts and other public data sources), providing a comprehensive mapping of the spatial distribution of population density by land-use class in a representative case study for the Mediterranean region (metropolitan Athens, Greece). Data analysis adopted a mix of statistical techniques, such as descriptive statistics, non-parametric curve interpolation (smoothing splines), and exploratory multivariate statistics, namely hierarchical clustering, non-metric multi-dimensional scaling and confirmative factor analysis. The results of this study indicate a non-linear gradient of density decline from downtown (dominated by compact settlements) to peripheral locations (dominated by natural land). Population density in agricultural land was locally high and increasing over time; this result suggests how mixed land use may be the base of intense sprawl in large metropolitan regions. The methodology implemented in this study can be generalized over the whole sample of European cities included in Urban Atlas, providing a semi-automatic assessment of exurban development and population re-distribution over larger metropolitan regions.

Functions follow structures? The long-term evolution of economic dynamics, social transformations, and landscape morphology in a Mediterranean metropolis

Identification of the intrinsic properties regulating complex systems’ development contributes to a refined comprehension of their inherent transformations over time. Seen as a local context undergoing non-linear changes as a response to socioeconomic dynamics, landscape evolution over time provides a paradigmatic issue when examining the key property of ‘rapidity-of-change’ characteristic of any complex system. The present study introduces an exploratory approach grounded on mathematical morphology to investigate ‘rapidity-of-change’ of a landscape system evolving in response to external stimuli over 70 years (1948–2018). This framework was applied to a real case (metropolitan Athens, Greece) assessing structural changes in built-up settlements reflected in seven landscape types derived from mathematical morphology. A Multi-way Factor Analysis (MFA) quantified the evolution of landscape types from diachronic land-use maps. A standardized metric of ‘rapidity-of-change’ was calculated from MFA outcomes over six sub-periods and confronted with the background socioeconomic context. Taken as an intrinsic attribute of complex systems, ‘rapidity-of-change’ in Athens’ landscape was largely heterogeneous over time, being more intense during the last economic expansion (2000–2006) under the impulse of the Olympic Games. Intermediate values of ‘rapidity-of-change’ were associated with population growth and intense social transformations. The lowest level of ‘rapidity-of-change’ was finally recorded in correspondence with 2007 recession. Reflecting the intrinsic pressure of socioeconomic growth in contemporary cities, ‘rapidity-of-change’ in landscape systems demonstrated to be a honest proxy of metropolitan cycles, economic downtowns, and socio-demographic dynamics. Delineating long-term transformations in the ‘form-function’ relationship allows evaluation of (direct or indirect) planning impacts on metropolitan development.

The Spatial Variability of the Sex and Age- Specific 10-Year Incidence of Cardiovascular Diseases and its Clinical Risk Factors in Athens Metropolitan Area: a Local Statistical Modelling Approach in the Context of the ATTICA Epidemiological Study

According to the published European public health policies, emphasis should be given on the identification of high-risk areas, in terms of both Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) incidence, as well as of its main clinical risk factors. Thus, we aimed to investigate: (a) the geographical variability of the sex and age-specific 10-year incidence of CVDs and its clinical risk factors in the Athens metropolitan area, the most urbanised city in Greece accounting for about 35% of the total Greek population, and (b) the spatial heterogeneity of the association between the main clinical risk factors and the 10-year CVD incidence at an aggregated level. Data regarding the 10-year CVD incidence (% of population in each municipality with any CVD after the 10-year period), as well as the prevalence of the risk factors (obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolaemia; expressed as % of population in each municipality) were provided by the ATTICA epidemiological study for 2020 individuals found during the 10-year follow-up with complete data for locality geocoding. Socio-economic, demographic, and environmental characteristics for each municipality of the Attica region, were obtained from official national and international databases. A local statistical modelling approach, namely the Geographically Weighted Regression, was implemented in order to investigate the associations at a local level and therefore give emphasis on the design of more effective public health programs, taking into account the special characteristics of each area. Hypercholesterolaemia was found to be the most prevalent clinical risk factor in the study area, while higher prevalence for all the risk factors were presented in areas of lower socioeconomic status (SES), where a significantly higher number of new CVD cases in the decade were detected as well. 10-year CVD incidence was also found to be significantly elevated in areas characterized by worse health status in terms of the risk factors’ prevalence, while the sex and age- specific CVD incidence rates were found to be differently affected by these factors. Interestingly, despite the fact that CVDs are acknowledged as a man’s disease, areas of higher (South & North) and moderate (East) SES were found to be characterized by higher CVD incidence rates in females, while in areas of lower SES (West), higher CVD incidence rates were found in males. In line with the current European policy, the identification of areas where the intensity of the studied associations is stronger, can be considered a crucial methodological aspect for the design and implementation of more effective CVD prevention programs at the community level.

Agglomeration vs amenities? Unraveling the latent engine of growth in metropolitan Greece

Economic downturns, social change, and migrations shape population expansion and shrinkage, making city life cycles particularly complex over time and intrinsically diversified over space. Identifying local drivers of population change plays a major role when addressing metropolitan cycles of growth and decline and provides insights to any policy and planning strategy aimed at promoting together local development, economic competitiveness, and socio-environmental sustainability at large. Timing of metropolitan cycles is, however, heterogeneous and reflects the individual development path of any city. Assuming economic downturns and the associated social processes at the base of spatially heterogeneous patterns of population growth and decline in Mediterranean Europe, we adopted a spatial econometric approach investigating short-term and long-term demographic dynamics (1960–2010) in metropolitan Athens (Greece), with the aim at identifying contextual drivers of population change. Spatial regressions evaluated the role of economic and non-economic dimensions of metropolitan growth, quantifying the impact of agglomeration, scale, accessibility, and amenities at different phases of the city life cycle. Settlement models grounded on scale and agglomeration processes—with growing population in high- and medium-density municipalities—were observed under economic expansion. Recession consolidated a settlement model with population growth in socially dynamic and accessible (low density) districts with natural/cultural amenities, reflecting the inherent decline of agglomeration economies. Based on such dynamics, the polarized hierarchy of central and peripheral locations resulting from radio-centric population expansion was replaced with a settlement model grounded on population increase in “intermediate-density,” attractive locations.