The central place system of the Thessaly region of Greece

The settlement system of Thessaly is examined within the framework provided by central place theory. The adoption of a systems approach to the research determines the organization of the work. Firstly, there is an analysis of the sectoral structure of the Greek economy with particular reference to retail trade. The importance of tertiary activity in the economy is indicated and the traditional nature of most Greek retailing is considered. Next, the physical, historical, economic and demographic background of Thessaly is described. The region consists of a fertile plain surrounded on all sides by mountains. The economy is dominated by agriculture and the secondary and tertiary sectors are strongly oriented to it. In the post-war period the population of the area has stagnated because of heavy rural emigration focussed primarily on Athens, The analysis of the settlement system then falls into three parts. The functional regions of Thessaly are identified by subjecting an interaction matrix of bus traffic flows to factor analysis. These describe the general structure of the settlement system and allow the subsequent detailed analysis of the settlement system of West Thessaly to be placed within a wider context. This detailed analysis is based primarily on data collected in the field. It consists of a study of the hierarchical and spatial structure of the system and the aggregate relationships between its components. A well developed hierarchical structure is found, and its historical evolution is examined. Following this, a study of consumer movements in West Thessaly is made which is based on data collected from questionnaires circulated in the region. The behaviour of the settlement system as revealed by this analysis accords closely with the structure of the system. A composite assessment of the settlement system is then made which relates its structure and behaviour to the theoretical framework of the research, and comparisons are made with other studies of settlement systems in-Greece. Finally, the Greek regional problem is examined, one element in which is the nature and role of the provincial settlement system, and the implications of this research for future planning strategies are outlined

The structural characteristics of the central place system of West Thessaly

[Δε διατίθεται περίληψη / no abstract available][Δε διατίθεται περίληψη / no abstract available

Northern Gannet foraging trip length increases with colony size and decreases with latitude

Density-dependent competition for food influences the foraging behaviour and demography of colonial animals, but how this influence varies across a species’ latitudinal range is poorly understood. Here we used satellite tracking from 21 Northern Gannet Morus bassanus colonies (39% of colonies worldwide, supporting 73% of the global population) during chick-rearing to test how foraging trip characteristics (distance and duration) covary with colony size (138–60 953 breeding pairs) and latitude across 89% of their latitudinal range (46.81–71.23° N). Tracking data for 1118 individuals showed that foraging trip duration and maximum distance both increased with square-root colony size. Foraging effort also varied between years for the same colony, consistent with a link to environmental variability. Trip duration and maximum distance also decreased with latitude, after controlling for colony size. Our results are consistent with density-dependent reduction in prey availability influencing colony size and reveal reduced competition at the poleward range margin. This provides a mechanism for rapid population growth at northern colonies and, therefore, a poleward shift in response to environmental change. Further work is required to understand when and how colonial animals deplete nearby prey, along with the positive and negative effects of social foraging behaviour

Dynamic and turbulent change: food retail developments in Greece.

Analyzes the revolutionary changes in Greek retailing industry from 1991 to 2003. Merger and acquisition activity; Information on the format development that has emerged; Proportion of food stores operated by multiple retailers in 2001; Assessment of potential effects of legislative changes

Retailing for communities: issues of inclusion and exclusion - guest editorial

Local shopping is a topic that has been neglected for many years by both retail researchers and policy makers. However, in recent years it has come on to the agenda again, mainly because a number of government policy areas – including social exclusion, regeneration and sector competitiveness – have recognised the vital community role played by small shops, and the problems of maintaining their vitality and viability. Within that context, introduces the special issue of IJRDM which presents a number of papers on the general theme of retailing for communities that were given at the CIRM Conference held in Manchester on 13 September 2002. They fall into three main groups: local shopping areas; business strategy and operations; and, learning, training and support for small retailers. The papers illustrate the diversity of research that needs to be undertaken in this area, and there are close parallels with work being undertaken in other management and social science disciplines

Marketing town centres: retailing and town centre management

The role of town centre management (TCM) schemes in the UK has expanded to incorporate a more overt and explicit focus on marketing and promotion. This paper considers the marketing/promotional activities of TCM schemes in the UK. TCM schemes operate at the interface of the public and private sectors. The implications of this are discussed, including the need for a consensual approach by a wide range of urban stakeholders, and the actual activities undertaken, influenced by the funding imperative under which such schemes operate (which impacts on the feasibility of certain activities and the efforts made to evaluate them). Comparisons are drawn between specific place marketing practice by TCM schemes and wider place marketing strategies

Retailing and the marketing of urban places: a UK perspective

Notwithstanding the importance of retailing to urban economies, the role of retailing in the marketing of urban places has been an area neglected by both academics and practitioners alike. It is acknowledged that the principles of marketing can be applied (albeit with modification) to the context of urban places. The theoretical implications of this are considered using Corsico's (1993) metaphors of the city as enterprise, market and commodity. Such issues are considered via a survey of place marketing actors within the specific context of the marketing of towns and cities as shopping destinations in urban places classified as sub-regional and above. Particular attention is paid to responsibility for the marketing of the retail provision, the emphasis given to retail in the marketing/promotional activities of various urban stakeholders, the perceived role of retailing, and the factors influencing the nature of the urban retail provision. Promotion of retailing was found to be important for all urban stakeholders to a greater or lesser degree. However, prime responsibility lay with town centre managers and shopping centre managers. The implications for both theory and practice are discussed