Hierarchy in the Greek system of spatial planning

Abstract

The hierarchy of tools in spatial planning allows for decision-making to be guided downwards, with a broader purpose defined at an overriding level of policy-making. In the hierarchical systems there are two main categories of tools of guiding and regulatory character. This paper examines the components of the hierarchical structure of the Greek spatial planning system as they emerge from the basic institutional framework during the 1976 - 2020 period. The investigation concerns the relations between the levels of planning with the key questions concerning the determination of the intensity of the hierarchical structure but also the tendencies of its change, especially during the last decade with the introduction of the concept of “feedback”. The context of this investigation is the concept of harmonisation with the overlying planning based on the urgency resulting from the regulatory density of the provisions. The mechanism of harmonisation is being assessed, as it has recently been shaped by the reform of legislation which challenges but does not overturn the hierarchy of planning levels.