Georgia Pozoukidou

The paper focuses on Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) and the importance of incorporating participatory democracy and inclusivity, from a region-wise perspective. Traditionally MSP is a top-down (central government) process. Most responsibilities, competencies and jurisdictions lie at the national level, with usually limited input from local or regional stakeholders. However, the growing complexity of marine activities and the need for sustainable management of the marine environment require more inclusive and collaborative approaches. In other words, it calls for a more bottom-up approach, where local and regional stakeholders are involved in a meaningful way. Drawing on the REGINA-MSP project, the study presented in this paper identifies categories of regional and local stakeholders relevant to MSP. The paper identifies seven categories of MSP stakeholders deriving from the local communities of coastal regions. Following an in depth stakeholder analysis and mapping, fishers were identified as the ones having the lowest level of engagement and degree of representativeness in the MSP process, despite being among the most traditional marine users. The general public is also considered a “weak” MSP stakeholder. Regarding regional authorities/governments (NUTS 2 level according to the EU classification), their role and voice may also need further strengthening in the—nationally driven—MSP process. Communities of Practice is a tool that may encourage and advance participation and inclusivity in MSP, especially as regards local stakeholders of coastal regions.

The paper focuses on the Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) and the importance of incorporating participatory democracy and inclusivity, from a region-wise perspective. Traditionally MSP is a top-down central government process. Most responsibilities, competencies and jurisdiction lie at the national level, with limited input from local or regional stakeholders. However, the growing complexity of marine activities and the need for sustainable management of marine environment re-quires more inclusive and collaborative approaches. Drawing on the REGINA-MSP project, the paper explores how regional stakeholders can be more effectively engaged in MSP processes. The project, co-funded by the EU/EMFF, aims to consolidate MSP in the member states, through the strengthening of the role of regions and regional stakeholders. It does so, by applying a 3-step methodology, using tools like stakeholder database and ranking, interest-influence matrices and questionnaires. The paper emphasizes that achieving inclusivity in MSP at the regional level is highly associated with involving all relevant stakeholders. The paper identifies seven categories of regional stakeholders. Among them fishers are the ones having the lowest level of engagement and degree of representativeness in the MSP process, despite being among the most traditional marine users, and by association the more experienced holders of citizen science. Regarding regions and regional authorities (NUTS 2), they may also be considered as “outsiders” in the -nationally driven- MSP process, although this can be reversed, using regional and cross-regional Communities of Practice. In conclusion, the paper highlights the value of participatory democracy in MSP, and the importance to go regional and explore a more bottom-up approach that works in favor of advanced participatory democracy and inclusiveness in terms of stakeholders. The REGINA-MSP project provides valuable insights into how this can be achieved through a structured stakeholder engagement and the development of Communities of Practice.

The most efficient way to reduce damage and losses in metropolitan areas with complex functions that are exposed to disaster risks is to reduce their vulnerability, which necessitates an assessment of the urban system’s vulnerability. Regarding the areas located near Seveso establishments, they are characterized by high levels of vulnerability, both spatially and sectorally, as they present an increased risk due to the possible occurrence of large-scale industrial accidents. In this study, a vulnerability assessment indicator system (VAIS) that assesses the vulnerability presented in the areas located near Seveso facilities was proposed. The VAIS consisted of social, environmental and spatial indicators, and an assessment of the indicators was carried out by collecting the appropriate data. The study area is located in the western part of Thessaloniki and includes the Seveso site and the adjacent municipal districts. Prioritization of the examined municipal districts based on their overall vulnerability was carried out using multicriteria analysis methods. The results showed that there was a convergence among the three categories of vulnerability (social, environmental and spatial) in the areas that presented the highest vulnerability. The MD of Kalochori (MD7) was the most vulnerable MD in the study, while the less vulnerable ones varied depending on the vulnerability category (social, environmental or spatial) considered each time. The proposed methodology may prove to be a highly useful tool in decision-making processes when used by the relevant authorities who are qualified to define and implement a site-specific security management system.

The 15-minute-city concept represents an increasingly popular urban policymaking and planning paradigm that seeks to shift attention to the neighborhood as a “place” rather merely a spatial and functional planning unit. The core premise of the concept is that critical urban services and amenities should be reachable within 15 min of walking or cycling from a residence. The urban-planning principles that enable the realization of the 15-minute city variably embody planning in mixed-use neighborhood units, proximity-based planning, planning for active transport, citizen participation in planning, and innovation and intelligence-driven planning. We revisit these urban-planning premises in the light of emerging social, physical, and structural developments through 2030, with a focus on European cases. The findings provide important additions and recommendations to the urban-planning principles of 15-minute cities along the themes of proximity-based planning, the use of land and urban form, urban governance and citizen participation, and inclusive digitalization. The paper moves the discussion on the 15-minute city forward and will be helpful for urban planners, policymakers, and scholars seeking to envision and create a more sustainable, inclusive, and vibrant future in cities.

Over the last two decades, spatial planning has been in constant transformation composing a narrative that acknowledges the complex and dynamic nature of cities. This implies the obsolescence of current planning practices to fulfil its scope as well as the need to view urban systems as generated rather than fabricated structures. To this end urban resilience has become a core concept in the contemporary spatial planning discourse, expressing an evolutionary, more flexible and dynamic approach. Nevertheless, transition from the theory of resilience to its practice drew attention to the intrinsic structural inequalities that it might be helping to strengthen, and to the institutional processes creating them to preserve the status quo. This paper attempts to emphasize the value of community and its prospect to create bottom-up, non-capital oriented and non-bureaucratic urban change. It introduces an alternative narrative for resilience that tackles the challenges of the involved entities being collectively active, function in a relational way and provoke change via novel and transformative action. The analysis of two prominent case studies highlight that bottom-up user-generated processes of interconnected actors can affect planning outcomes through valuable learning processes.