Measuring urban sprawl: methodology and indicators for Greek cities

Abstract

Since the early 80s many Greek cities have entered into a mutation process from the traditional "compact" urban development model into a dispersed and sprawled model, characterized by intense fragmentation of its structure and functions. This phenomenon is not solely Greek but rather global, having various manifestations related to the place and time of its occurrence. This paper explores the phenomenon of urban sprawl and attempts to establish a methodology for the identification and measurement of its structural and functional characteristics, by proposing indicators tailored to the specific characteristics of Greek cities. Application of the methodology for the wider area of Thessaloniki suggests that the proposed system of indicators can contribute to the study of the phenomenon of urban sprawl, since the results of the indicators validate the theoretical findings and recordings of the phenomenon for the city of Thessaloniki.