Settlement delimitations: from the 1980s delimitations to the ‘Konstan-tinos Doxiadis’ program

Abstract

The article examines the historical trajectory of settlement delimitations in Greece, with a focus on their contemporary implementation within the framework of the “Konstantinos Doxiadis” Urban Planning Reform Program. The analysis centers on methodological issues, time constraints, alternative tools, and parallel studies, as well as challenges related to participation and public consultation. It also highlights the significant political and social dimensions of the issue and the difficulty of addressing contemporary socio-spatial challenges, reflecting an approach that treats settlements as “zoning” areas rather than as living social and productive spaces. The study is based on a qualitative analysis of institutional texts, case law, ministerial decisions, administrative documents, and empirical data derived from the authors’ involvement in Local and Special Urban Planning Studies (LUPs/SUPs). Significant problems are identified, including ambiguities in criteria, difficulties in documentation due to limited data, inconsistencies and unclear provisions in legislation and specifications, uncoordinated phases of study preparation, and differing approaches between LUPs/SUPs and standalone studies. The authors argue that settlement delimitations should have preceded the preparation of LUPs/SUPs and that the current approach reproduces methodological patterns from the 1980s, failing to respond to the contemporary needs and challenges of small rural settlements in the country.