THE GROWTH POLES STRATEGY IN REGIONAL PLANNING: THE RECENT EXPERIENCE OF GREECE

In recent years, there has been an attempt to stimulate the developmental role of urban centres in Greece in the context of regional and spatial planning. In essence, through the recent basic programming texts for the periods 2000-2006 and 2007-2013, the growth poles strategy has once again been exploited in the development programming. This paper attempts initially to describe the new growth poles strategy through the aforementioned programming texts, and then to present the ensuing problems, as well as to outline the emerging capabilities of planning regarding growth poles in Greece. The main conclusions of the research refer to the lack of a fixed typology, which is based on a specific methodology that could form a hierarchical categorization of urban concentrations through clear, long-term criteria. They also refer to a relative weakness in the planning and implementation of urban development policy, as part of regional programming. The absence of a systematic investigation of the role of particular concentrations in the growth process at regional, national and broader level is also a key-conclusion. The formulation of necessary supplementary policies, as well as the administrative organisation issues of the country’s large cities, are of main importance too.Urban Development, Growth Poles and Axes, Regional and Spatial Planning, Greece.

Spatial cohesion in Greece: the impact of GDP revision in the measurement of spatial inequalities in Greece and policy dimensions

Το άρθρο περιλαμβάνει μια συγκριτική ανάλυ-ση της μέτρησης των χωρικών ανισοτήτων (σεπεριφερειακό και νομαρχιακό επίπεδο) της Ελ-λάδας, πριν και μετά την τελευταία αναθεώρησητου ΑΕΠ. Κύριος στόχος είναι να προσδιορισθείο βαθμός και το περιεχόμενο της μεταβολής τωνανισοτήτων μετά την αναθεώρηση, προκειμένουνα αξιολογηθεί η νέα κατάσταση και να τεθεί η πε-ριφερειακή πολιτική στις σωστές της διαστάσεις.Η ανάλυση βασίζεται σε στοιχεία ΑΕΠ (συνολικούκαι κατά κεφαλήν), για τα έτη 2003 και 2001, πρινκαι μετά την αναθεώρηση, καθώς επίσης και τουπληθυσμού της τελευταίας απογραφής της ΕΣΥΕ.Η στατιστική επεξεργασία γίνεται με τη χρήση ει-δικών μεθόδων περιφερειακής ανάλυσης για τηδιερεύνηση των χωρικών ανισοτήτων. Το συμπέ-ρασμα που προκύπτει, είναι ότι η αναθεώρησηέχει επηρεάσει τις χωρικές ανισότητες της Ελλάδαςκαι συνεπώς, η περιφερειακή πολιτική θα πρέπεινα προσαρμοσθεί κατάλληλα στις νέες συνθήκες.The paper provides a systematic comparativeexploration of the measurement of spatial inequalitiesin Greece, at regional and prefecturallevel, before and after the last GDP revision.The aim is to determine the rate and the contentof change in spatial inequalities - towardseither an increase or decline - after the revision,so as to evaluate the new situation andset regional policy in its proper dimensions.The analysis is based on the examination ofGDP data (total and per capita) for the years2003 and 2001, before and after the revision,as well as on population derived from the lastCensus (2001). The paper uses statistical methodsof regional analysis for the exploration ofspatial inequalities. The main conclusion isthat the spatial disparities have been affectedfrom the revision in a remarkable degree andtherefore the regional policy must be suitablyadapted in the new conditions

The coastal shipping network in Greek insular space : reorganising it towards a “Hub and Spoke” system using matrices of flows and connectivity matrices

This paper is based on the analysis of interinsular relations that have been shaped according to the existing coastal shipping network in the Greek insular space. It tries to contribute to the effort that was overwhelmed in the past few years for a more systematic investigation of the differentiation of the existing linear model of the coastal shipping network, with its modification into a “hub and spoke” model. The methods of analysis are based on the use of matrices of flows (coastal shipping origin-destination) and connectivity matrices, in which the direct connections are initially taken into consideration followed by the indirect ones between the islands. The insular area of the Kyklades prefecture in the Aegean Sea is the case study. The possible cohesive territorial units in the insular space of Kyklades, as well as the attainable nodal ports that may function in these units, are defined.peer-reviewe

Cohesion policy and regional disparities: The recent experience of Greece

Twenty years after the beginning of the implementation of EU Cohesion Policy in Greece in the current programming period, 2007–13, for the first time Greek regions have been excluded from Objective 1 ‘Convergence’, a situation that it seems will continue in the next period. As it appears, Cohesion Policy has helped the country and its regions to converge to the European average. However, at an intra-national level, it seems that this is not the case, since internal inter-regional disparities appear to have increased in recent years. To these developments should be added the impact of the economic crisis, which according to early indications has negative repercussions for almost all Greek regions, with varying levels of intensity. These findings, combined with the constantly deteriorating economic situation at national and regional level, sustain the argument that Cohesion Policy will continue to be one of the most important policies of the EU and should constitute a powerful tool against the crisis and its regional dimensions.Cohesion Policy; economic crisis; Greece; regional disparities; Regional Operational Programmes; Structural Funds

The spatial impact of EU Pan-European transport axes: City clusters formation in the Balkan area and developmental perspectives

This article explores the spatial and development implications of the Pan-European Transport Axes in the Balkans. For that purpose, the potential Development Poles and Axes are determined, on the basis of size, the location of cities, their interconnection and their role as hubs of the Pan-European axes. This is achieved by means of the formation and implementation of a methodology based on the use of special statistical applications. According to data analysis, three geographical units arise: Central Core, Peripheral Zone, Perimetric Zones. In the analysis that follows, Advantages, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats are examined in each case and suggestions are made as regards the policies required.

Coordinating Capacity Calculation via Electricity Market Coupling: Insights from the H2020 CROSSBOW Project

CROSS BOrder management of variable renewable energies and storage units enabling a transnational Wholesale market (CROSSBOW) is an EC-funded project, whose aim is to facilitate the shared use of energy resources by fostering cross-border management of variable renewable energies and storage units, enabling higher penetration of renewable energy sources (RES) whilst reducing network operational costs and improving economic benefits of clean energies and storage units. Towards these goals, CROSSBOW boosts regional cooperation among the system operators in Southeastern Europe (SEE), by deploying nine different tools to support the security coordination center (SCC) of the region. More specifically, the main CROSSBOW product, namely CROSSBOW Regional Operation Centre (CROSSBOW ROC) has proposed and demonstrated a set of functionalities for regional management and operation that enhance the existing regional structures, extending the capabilities of the already established Regional Security Coordinator (RSC) initiatives. Beyond enhancing RSC mandatory functions (including adequacy forecasts, coordinated security analysis, capacity calculations, and outage planning coordination), the ROC-BC product has developed new functions, linking the security considerations of involved TSOs with the operation of the fast-developing and harmonized electricity markets. In this paper, we investigate approaches for coordinated capacity calculation and cross-border trading via market coupling, developed within the ROC-BC product of CROSSBOW. Moreover, we present the final demonstration results as a part of ROC fundamental functionalities. Specifically, both net transfer capacity (NTC) and flow-based (FB) methods are examined and compared within a case study applying to the SEE region. The presented results demonstrate that the FB method exhibits better performance in all examined scenarios, considering three different key performance indicators (KPIs)

Coordinating Capacity Calculation via Electricity Market Coupling: Insights from the H2020 CROSSBOW Project

CROSS BOrder management of variable renewable energies and storage units enabling a transnational Wholesale market (CROSSBOW) is an EC-funded project, whose aim is to facilitate the shared use of energy resources by fostering cross-border management of variable renewable energies and storage units, enabling higher penetration of renewable energy sources (RES) whilst reducing network operational costs and improving economic benefits of clean energies and storage units. Towards these goals, CROSSBOW boosts regional cooperation among the system operators in Southeastern Europe (SEE), by deploying nine different tools to support the security coordination center (SCC) of the region. More specifically, the main CROSSBOW product, namely CROSSBOW Regional Operation Centre (CROSSBOW ROC) has proposed and demonstrated a set of functionalities for regional management and operation that enhance the existing regional structures, extending the capabilities of the already established Regional Security Coordinator (RSC) initiatives. Beyond enhancing RSC mandatory functions (including adequacy forecasts, coordinated security analysis, capacity calculations, and outage planning coordination), the ROC-BC product has developed new functions, linking the security considerations of involved TSOs with the operation of the fast-developing and harmonized electricity markets. In this paper, we investigate approaches for coordinated capacity calculation and cross-border trading via market coupling, developed within the ROC-BC product of CROSSBOW. Moreover, we present the final demonstration results as a part of ROC fundamental functionalities. Specifically, both net transfer capacity (NTC) and flow-based (FB) methods are examined and compared within a case study applying to the SEE region. The presented results demonstrate that the FB method exhibits better performance in all examined scenarios, considering three different key performance indicators (KPIs)