The usage and perception of pedestrian and cycling streets on residents’ well-being in Kalamaria, Greece

Pedestrian zones are public spaces intended for the continued and safe mobility of pedestrians and people with disabilities, and they provide multiple benefits to urban areas. They counterbalance the densely built-up areas, decrease atmospheric pollution, increase available green or social space, increase walking and cycling rates, and facilitate active play for children. Done properly, pedestrianization may also increase local business sales. Greece boasts open public spaces and the pedestrianization of common roads. The economic crisis that Greece has been experiencing since 2008 has led people to give up their vehicles and use the pedestrian streets more frequently. The purpose of this paper was to investigate residents’ perceptions and satisfaction rates concerning the pedestrian streets of Kalamaria, Greece, and evaluate their importance for residents’ well-being. Following a random sampling method, 400 residents were interviewed. A two-step cluster analysis was conducted. The survey showed that the urban residents visited pedestrian zones in Kalamaria at least once a week, and the visits lasted 46–60 min. The improvement of urban landscape aesthetics and people’s health and well-being were evaluated as important functions of pedestrian zones. The results also indicate that residents were not satisfied with their quality of life and the existing green infrastructures of the pedestrian streets, even though they have a positive disposition toward the construction or transformation of pedestrian streets. The residents expressed their unwillingness to pay more public taxes for the construction and maintenance of pedestrian and cycling streets. The safety and convenience of the mobility of residents were the most important advantages of the pedestrian streets. Meanwhile, overspill parking and difficulties with finding parking spaces were the main disadvantages for the residents. Local authorities can use the results of the present survey to manage the city’s green infrastructure and use this information in the urban planning framework.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cycling as a smart and green mode of transport in small touristic cities

Cycling as a mode of transport is a low-cost, health-improving way to travel and offers environmental benefits for the cities that promote it. It is only recently, though, with concerns over climate change, pollution, congestion, and obesity among others, that have cities throughout the world have begun to implement policies to promote cycling. In Greece, however, the use of the bicycle is limited. In Preveza, a small touristic city in Northwestern Greece where the use of the bicycle is prominent when compared to other Greek cities, there are efforts to promote cycling. Through the aid of a structured questionnaire, the residents evaluated the suitability of the city for cycling, the existing infrastructure, appropriate education, and behavior of cyclists and drivers. More than half of the residents use bicycles as their transportation and stated that bicycles are an inexpensive way of transport in the city and had the opinion that the state should encourage bicycle use by supporting subvention in bicycle acquisition. Two-thirds of the residents evaluated the cycling facilities of their city as adequate, but unsafe for young cyclists who do not follow the rules of transport. Adult cyclists, in contrast, were more loyal to the code, but stated that drivers did not respect their presence on the roads. This research provides important information on the perceived shortcomings of cycling as a transport mode in Preveza that may be of interest to towns/cities with similar characteristics.FCT-Foundation for Science and Technology [UID/SOC/04020/2013]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Corrigendum to “Visitor preferences and satisfaction in Attica zoological park, Greece” [Heliyon 9 (9) (September 2020) e04935]

In the original published version of this article, there were 2 minor typos in the Abstract and Conclusion sections, which reversed the intended meaning of these statements.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

CHARACTERISTICS OF EDUCATORS AND THEIR VIEWS ON THE WORK OF THE ENYIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER OF SOUFLI

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BIOLOGY , ECOLOGY AND DAMAGES THAT CAUSED OF THE CONE AND SEED INSECTS OF PINUSBRUTIA

ΣΤΙΣ ΠΕΡΙΟΧΕΣ ΕΡΕΥΝΑΣ (ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ ΚΙΛΚΙΣ ΚΑΙ ΚΑΒΑΛΑ) ΤΑ ΕΤΗ 1993-94 ΣΥΛΛΕΧΘΗΚΑΝ ΣΥΝΟΛΙΚΑ 19.200 ΚΩΝΟΙ , 1ΟΥ ΚΑΙ 2ΟΥ ΕΤΟΥΣ . ΣΤΟΥΣ ΚΩΝΟΥΣ ΤΟΥ 1ΟΥ ΕΤΟΥΣ ΒΡΕΘΗΚΑΝ ΝΑ ΠΡΟΣΒΑΛΛΟΥΝ ΤΑ EVETRIA BUOLIANA SCHIFF. , E. BUOLIANA VAR. THURIFICANA , DIORYCTRIA MENDACE LLA STGR. ΚΑΙ D. PINEAE STGR., CATEREMNA CONICOLLELA CONST. ΚΑΙ ERNOBIUS OERTZENI SHILSKY. ΣΤΟΥΣ ΚΩΝΟΥΣ ΤΟΥ 2ΟΥ ΕΤΟΥΣ ΕΚΤΟΣ ΑΠΟ ΤΑ ΠΑΡΑΠΑΝΩ ΠΡΟΣΕΒΑΛΛΑ ΚΑΙ ΤΑ CYDIA CONICOLANA HEYL., CLAVIGESTA SYLVESTRANA CURTIS ΚΑΙ E. MOLLIS (LINNE). ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΚΑΤΑΝΟΗΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΒΙΟΛΟΓΙΚΟΥ ΚΥΚΛΟΥ ΤΩΝ ΕΝΤΟΜΩΝΝ ΚΑΤΑΓΡΑΦΗΚΕ Η ΕΠΟΧΗ ΠΤΗΣΗΣ ΚΑΙ Η ΔΙΑΡΚΕΙΑ ΔΙΑΒΙΩΣΗΣ ΤΩΝ ΤΕΛΕΙΩΝ ΕΝΤΟΜΩΝ, ΚΑΘΩΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΜΕΓΕΘΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΝΥΜΦΗΣ ΚΑΙ Η ΔΙΑΡΚΕΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΝΥΜΦΙΚΟΥ ΣΤΑΔΙΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΜΕΓΕΘΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΝΥΜΦΗΣ . ΕΠΙΣΗΣ ΜΕΛΕΤΗΘΗΚΕ Η ΠΥΚΝΟΤΗΤΑ ΤΩΝ ΠΛΗΘΥΣΜΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΕΝΤΟΜΩ Ν ΚΑΙ Η ΣΥΓΚΑΤΟΙΚΗΣΗ ΤΟΥΣ ΜΕΣΑ ΣΤΟΥΣ ΚΩΝΟΥΣ ΕΝΩ ΕΓΙΝΕ ΑΠΟΤΙΜΗΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΒΛΑΒΩΝ ΠΟΥ ΠΡΟΚΑΛΕΣΑΝ ΣΤΟΥΣ ΚΩΝΟΥΣ ΤΟΥ 1ΟΥ ΚΑΙ 2ΟΥ ΕΤΟΥΣ . ΤΟ ΠΙΟ ΚΑΤΑΣΤΡΟΦΙΚΟ ΕΝΤΟΜΟΤΩΝ ΚΩΝΩΝ ΤΟΥ 1ΟΥ ΕΤΟΥΣ ΗΤΑΝ ΤΟ E. BUOLIANA SCHIFF ΕΝΩ ΤΩΝ ΚΩΝΩΝ ΤΟΥ 2ΟΥ ΕΤΟΥΣ ΗΤΑΝ ΤΟ CYDIA CONICOLAN A HEYL.IN THE INVESTIGATION AREAS (THESSALONIKI , KILKIS AND KAVALA)AT THE YEARS 19993-94 WERE COLLECTED TOTALLY 19.200 CONES OF THE 1ST AND 2ND YEAR OF GROWTH. THE FIRST YEAR CONES WERE ATTACKED FROM THE INSERTS : EVETRIA BUOLIANA SCHIFF. , E. BUOLIANA VAR. THUR IFICANA , DIORYCTRIA MENDACELLA STGR. D. PINEAE STGR. CATEREMNA CONICOLALA CONSTANT AND ERNOBIUS OERTZENI SHILSKY. THE CONES INTHE 2ND YEAR OF GROWTH WERE ATTACKED FROM THE INSERTS ABOVE AND ADDITIONALLY FROM CYDIA CONIROLELLA HEYL., CLAVIGESTA SYLVESTRAN A CURTIS AND E. MOLLIS LINNE. FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIOLOGICAL CYCLE OF THEINSECTS, MEASURED THE BURATION OF FLYING AND LIVING OF THE INSECTS IN THE STAGE OF ABULT AS WELLAS THE SIZE OF THE NYMPH AND THE DURATION OF THE NYMPH STAGE . ALSO STUDIE D THE DENSITY OF THE POPULATION OF ITS KIND OF INSECT AND HABITATION IN THE CONES , FINALLY ACCOUNT TOTALLY THE DAMAGES WAS DONE IN THE 1ST AND 2ND YEAR CONES . THE MORE DESTRUCTIVE INSECT FOR THE 1ST YEAR CONES WAS E. BUOLIANA SCHIFF. AND FOR THE 2ND YEAR CONES WAS C. CONICOLANA

CHARACTERISTICS OF EDUCATORS AND THEIR VIEWS ON THE WORK OF THE ENYIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER OF SOUFLI

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Indoor and Outdoor Design in Healthcare Environments: The Employees’ Views in the General University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Greece

Healthcare environments should be designed and operate as healing places for all their users. Therefore, the design of outdoor and indoor spaces, has to be oriented towards distressing solutions. The employees’ occupational stress affects their feelings and in turn their services they provide. Thus, this study aimed at the evaluation of the General University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Greece according to its employees’ views. With the use of two step cluster analysis and the hierarchical cluster analysis, important findings were derived, concerning the interior and landscape design of the healthcare environment. The hospital indoor and outdoor spaces were investigated in relation with environmental parameters and psychological effects on their users. The results have shown a lack of the appropriate green spaces—even though their beneficial role was acknowledged—and marginal satisfaction with available spaces. Conclusively, it should be noted that there is still room for improvements in both interior and outdoor premises of the hospital to reduce stress levels, especially for its nursing staff

Analyzing the Impacts of Information in the Prevention of Forest Fires in Greece

The forest fires which occurred in the prefecture of Ilia, Greece, in August 2007 resulted in significant losses in forest lands, property and human lives. The citizens behaved as simple spectators of the disaster. Although they could have reacted, they did nothing. The citizens, however, declare that they know what actions they need to take in case of fire. Their information regarding forest fires mainly comes from television and radio, family and friends, newspapers and magazines and education. Indeed, it seems that through interpersonal channels of communication better results are achieved. In confronting forest fires, knowledge alone is not sufficient. In order to effectively confront forest fires, the local population also needs to be trained and organized in a voluntary system of confrontation

Informing Residents to Natural Disasters: the Case Study Results from Northern Evros, Greece

Abstract. Greece is a country which is often affected by catastrophic natural phenomena (especially forest fires, floods and earthquakes).The study aimed to identify the information provided to residents of Northern Evros, concerning natural disasters. Primarily, residents were asked to express their opinion about the importance of recording their views via questionnaire and to evaluate natural disasters depending on their risk degree. Moreover, it was investigated whether the residents were informed for the recovering actions from a natural disaster, if they were aware about the role and the responsibilities of the Civil Protection Service and which sources of information they used. They were also asked about the way the information about the real size of a natural disaster should be formed by the media and the reason why scientists talked to the media after a catastrophic natural disaster. Furthermore, the views of the residents were analyzed regarding operations that would be done temporally, after a catastrophic risk for recovery and from which shared state services in their region, for every kind of natural disaster separately

The Citizens’ Views on Adaptation to Bioclimatic Housing Design: Case Study from Greece

Bioclimatic housing design is regarded as an important pillar towards energy policies. Additionally, it is closely affiliated with the performance of energy efficiency of buildings. The citizens’ views and their adaptation to energy saving practices can be utilized as an important data base in order to design, improve and properly manage urbanization and environmental challenges in the residential sector. For the capitalization of the citizens’ views in Orestiada, the newest city in Greece, simple random sampling was applied on data that were collected via personal interviews and with the use of a structured questionnaire. Reliability and factor analyses were applied for the data processing along with hierarchical log-linear analysis. The latter was utilized for the statistical clustering of citizens into given distinct groups—clusters, arising by factor analysis. The main findings revealed that the citizens are merely aware of bioclimatic principles, while only a small percentage of 28.8% adopts some primary bioclimatic disciplines. Conclusively, it should be noted that there is a need for effective planning towards empowerment on energy efficiency in the residential sector of the city. Notwithstanding, it should not be disregarded the need for the incorporation of conceptual frameworks in urban planning. This is an approach that prerequisites public awareness and the stakeholders’ participation in decision making processes