The landscape in spatial planning

critical evaluation of the approach of the degraded Greek insular landscapes in regional spatial planning  

Abstract

The Mediterranean landscape of the numerous Greek islands is characterized by its diversity and unique character. It is the product of osmosis of the outstanding natural and cultural heritage of the Greek islands during the centuries and is considered as an important characteristic for the insular identity. The insular area is of vital importance for Greece for historical, geographical, political, socio-economic and environmental reasons. Production activities are inextricably linked with the landscape. Degraded landscapes not only undermine the development of the economy and standard of living but also contribute to the loss of history and identity of places. For this reason, their restoration, protection and promotion as a valuable resource and comparative advantage of the country's sustainable tourism is a priority. The subject of the article is the critical approach of the degraded Greek insular landscapes in the regional spatial planning. The new Regional Spatial Frameworks were the first spatial planning tool to include the landscape as a critical component. In this context, the importance of landscape planning and management is highlighted by discouraging degradation practices. The methodological approach was carried out in three stages with the degraded landscape zones as a central tool and the selection of evaluation parameters. The new Regional Spatial Frameworks of the Ionian Islands, North Aegean, Crete, South Aegean, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace and Central Greece were examined. The synthetic assessment of the evaluation parameters as well as the proposed directions and management measures of the degraded insular landscapes highlights the overall conclusions and raises issues for discussion.