Community Initiative URBAN II

The urban centres Greece are characterised by a series of dynamic factors and of problems which constitute opportunities and obstacles with their development simultaneously. 

Despite the differences that they present from the point of view of the importance of their population, these urban centres are characterised, to a large extent, by things in common at the level of their development mechanisms, both from the economic point of view and from the point of view of regional planning.

Certain developments of the development process gave rise, in certain areas of the urban centres, to particularly acute problems. Often, these problems appear independently of the size of the urban centres concerned. Sometimes even, the extent of the problems is conversely proportional to the size of the urban centres or of their areas. 

Among the principal characteristics of the urban centres of the country directly connected with the programme as well as with its objectives, one can mention:

• Their major diversity of size from the demographic point of view. According to certain figures, this divergence passes, from one extreme to another, from one towns of 10,000 inhabitants to the Athens and Thessaloniki metropoles, which count respectively 4.2 and of 1.3 million inhabitants.

• the relatively limited number of medium secondary urban centres, i.e. of urban centres from a population from approximately 75,000 to 200,000 inhabitants, since, between these cities and the metropoles, there are not other cities.

• the limited degree of organisation in network of the urban centres, which are characterised by hierarchical relations according to their radius of influence, of their size and of the urban administrative offices which are concentrated. Complementarities and specialisations do not constitute the main feature of the urban system of the country, even if certain elements carry to believe that the situation is to change in recent years, since certain administrative blocks of the country develop, between their urban centres, increasing interactions and complementarities. Development and the improvement of the infrastructures, such as it takes place within the framework of certain national and Community policies, contribute to the process of networking and accelerate it.

• the relatively common employment models and, therefore, the model of the structure of production of the urban centres. The tendencies to the change of these models, which have as a principal characteristic to limit employment in the secondary sector owing to the restricted competitiveness of this sector, led to the known deindustrialisation processes and brought about the increase in unemployment and important industrial facility abandonment. Moreover, they led to an increase in employment in the sector services, both those which address themselves to the companies and with those which address themselves to the individuals.

The development model resulting from these processes tends - this involves one of its consequences - to result in a final increase in unemployment, but also to encourage the creation of new SMEs, in reaction to this situation and as a protection strategy. One observes the same phenomenon -with certain disparities -in various areas of the cities: the SMEs, both old and the recent, which perform in a competitive middle, try to have the charge of some of their costs carried on their social and natural environment. These "negative" external economies are perceived as environmental problems. In the same time, they lead to the deterioration urban areas where one can observe concentrations of this type. And since such facilities concentrate in areas which already know problems, the result is a process of acceleration of the deterioration. 

It process develops with a different breadth and an intensity in all the cities of the country, and according to the place that it occupies within the urban fabric and within the social groups which insert themselves in, is passively, like it is the case of the groups socially disadvantaged made up by the former inhabitants of these areas, i.e. those which cannot leave and which are incompetents of finding of work, are actively, like it is the case of those which settle and work in these areas, precisely because it is the only places where they can find housing and work. 

In this context, it is obvious that there is in these areas a concentration process of the social groups most disadvantaged, including -in addition to the elderly people -the young people, the young unemployed and the long-term unemployed. In the minority and economic immigrant concentration also is seen. 

The overall dynamic development of the cities, but also the requirements for quality of life, created in all the cities a situation which can be described by quoting two characteristic elements of this process: the improvement of the quality of the habitat and the improvement of the social and urban infrastructures. 

In general lines, during few the last thirty years, the property park could be renewed in the majority of the cities, either by the system of "antiparochi"  [1] , or by construction by the private individuals themselves. This process went together with the migration of the favoured social groups towards the suburbs. 

The result of this process is complex. The density of the habitat is intensified, despite the increase in urban space, the quality of the habitat improves but, in the same time, certain urban areas generally located in the historical centre of the cities are deserted by the habitat. 

At the same time, social groups which, owing to their economic weakness, are unable to take part in the typical form of this process, seek solutions with their problem of housing while resorting to atypical means and settle either in less-favoured areas of the centre, or -in an anarchistic and improvised way -in emergency dwellings, located around the cities. 

In recent years, arrival in the economic immigrants' country, in addition to the impact that it had on the labour market and on the social fabric of the city, this phenomenon intensified, since some of these economic immigrants settle in districts disadvantaged of the centre of the cities, while others elect residence to the periphery of the cities. 

In addition to the development of the habitat described above, the development of the cities is also characterised by a delay in the development of the urban infrastructures, both social and technical. 

Despite the made great efforts and the progress observed in development and the modernisation of the infrastructures of the country, gaps concentrate on the territory of the less-favoured areas. Accordingly, the lack of infrastructures and limited public space can only accentuate these problems, especially in the districts where the groups economically and socially most disadvantaged are concentrated. 

In view of the characteristics that the problems of urban space in less-favoured areas from the urban point of view present, economic and social, three urban areas were selected and were proposed, of which each one reflects problems of an individual type, in an urban centre of a certain size. 

This involves the municipality of Perama, which forms part of the urban whole of the capital (EUC), of Agia Triada's district located in the municipality of Heraklion in Crete and of certain districts of the municipality of Komotini, in Thrace. 

These three geographical entities, although located in cities and in different areas, show common characteristics: they accumulate elements of environmental pollution, they are confronted with problems at the level of their urban fabric, and their production potential follows an extended restructuring and rehandling process. These characteristics make it possible to speak about a crisis, which results in job loss and an increase in the phenomena of unemployment of their inhabitants (long-term unemployment, the young people's unemployment, gaps at the level of the social infrastructures and difficulties, for women, of finding employment).

These regions see the concentration of social groups in prey with certain problems, such as the unemployed, newcomer in the city, the economic minorities and the immigrants. Accordingly, the extended economic difficulties with which these groups have to cope lead them to social exclusion and to discrimination. Thus, economic and social problems imbricate themselves to form uniform sets in geographical entities and give rise, generally, to problematic situations. 

None of the selected regions was included in the URBAN initiative for the period of previous management. 

Obviously, the cities in which these geographical entities are the policy recipients developed under other Community and national programmes and aiming at economic development, at training and at the reinforcement infrastructures, of employment and of the environmental policy. 

However, since these policies do not aim at these urban entities specifically, their benefits benefit mainly the inhabitants of the area as a whole and not by those of these urban entities. On the contrary, the latter, since they set up the economic and social groups most disadvantaged of the cities where they live, cannot exploit satisfactorily the benefits resulting from these policies, precisely owing to their characteristics and from their weaknesses.

The urban centres Greece are characterised by a series of dynamic factors and of problems which constitute opportunities and obstacles with their development simultaneously. 

Despite the differences that they present from the point of view of the importance of their population, these urban centres are characterised, to a large extent, by things in common at the level of their development mechanisms, both from the economic point of view and from the point of view of regional planning.

Certain developments of the development process gave rise, in certain areas of the urban centres, to particularly acute problems. Often, these problems appear independently of the size of the urban centres concerned. Sometimes even, the extent of the problems is conversely proportional to the size of the urban centres or of their areas. 

Among the principal characteristics of the urban centres of the country directly connected with the programme as well as with its objectives, one can mention:

• Their major diversity of size from the demographic point of view. According to certain figures, this divergence passes, from one extreme to another, from one towns of 10,000 inhabitants to the Athens and Thessaloniki metropoles, which count respectively 4.2 and of 1.3 million inhabitants.

• the relatively limited number of medium secondary urban centres, i.e. of urban centres from a population from approximately 75,000 to 200,000 inhabitants, since, between these cities and the metropoles, there are not other cities.

• the limited degree of organisation in network of the urban centres, which are characterised by hierarchical relations according to their radius of influence, of their size and of the urban administrative offices which are concentrated. Complementarities and specialisations do not constitute the main feature of the urban system of the country, even if certain elements carry to believe that the situation is to change in recent years, since certain administrative blocks of the country develop, between their urban centres, increasing interactions and complementarities. Development and the improvement of the infrastructures, such as it takes place within the framework of certain national and Community policies, contribute to the process of networking and accelerate it.

• the relatively common employment models and, therefore, the model of the structure of production of the urban centres. The tendencies to the change of these models, which have as a principal characteristic to limit employment in the secondary sector owing to the restricted competitiveness of this sector, led to the known deindustrialisation processes and brought about the increase in unemployment and important industrial facility abandonment. Moreover, they led to an increase in employment in the sector services, both those which address themselves to the companies and with those which address themselves to the individuals.

The development model resulting from these processes tends - this involves one of its consequences - to result in a final increase in unemployment, but also to encourage the creation of new SMEs, in reaction to this situation and as a protection strategy. One observes the same phenomenon -with certain disparities -in various areas of the cities: the SMEs, both old and the recent, which perform in a competitive middle, try to have the charge of some of their costs carried on their social and natural environment. These "negative" external economies are perceived as environmental problems. In the same time, they lead to the deterioration urban areas where one can observe concentrations of this type. And since such facilities concentrate in areas which already know problems, the result is a process of acceleration of the deterioration. 

It process develops with a different breadth and an intensity in all the cities of the country, and according to the place that it occupies within the urban fabric and within the social groups which insert themselves in, is passively, like it is the case of the groups socially disadvantaged made up by the former inhabitants of these areas, i.e. those which cannot leave and which are incompetents of finding of work, are actively, like it is the case of those which settle and work in these areas, precisely because it is the only places where they can find housing and work. 

In this context, it is obvious that there is in these areas a concentration process of the social groups most disadvantaged, including -in addition to the elderly people -the young people, the young unemployed and the long-term unemployed. In the minority and economic immigrant concentration also is seen. 

The overall dynamic development of the cities, but also the requirements for quality of life, created in all the cities a situation which can be described by quoting two characteristic elements of this process: the improvement of the quality of the habitat and the improvement of the social and urban infrastructures. 

In general lines, during few the last thirty years, the property park could be renewed in the majority of the cities, either by the system of "antiparochi"  [1] , or by construction by the private individuals themselves. This process went together with the migration of the favoured social groups towards the suburbs. 

The result of this process is complex. The density of the habitat is intensified, despite the increase in urban space, the quality of the habitat improves but, in the same time, certain urban areas generally located in the historical centre of the cities are deserted by the habitat. 

At the same time, social groups which, owing to their economic weakness, are unable to take part in the typical form of this process, seek solutions with their problem of housing while resorting to atypical means and settle either in less-favoured areas of the centre, or -in an anarchistic and improvised way -in emergency dwellings, located around the cities. 

In recent years, arrival in the economic immigrants' country, in addition to the impact that it had on the labour market and on the social fabric of the city, this phenomenon intensified, since some of these economic immigrants settle in districts disadvantaged of the centre of the cities, while others elect residence to the periphery of the cities. 

In addition to the development of the habitat described above, the development of the cities is also characterised by a delay in the development of the urban infrastructures, both social and technical. 

Despite the made great efforts and the progress observed in development and the modernisation of the infrastructures of the country, gaps concentrate on the territory of the less-favoured areas. Accordingly, the lack of infrastructures and limited public space can only accentuate these problems, especially in the districts where the groups economically and socially most disadvantaged are concentrated. 

In view of the characteristics that the problems of urban space in less-favoured areas from the urban point of view present, economic and social, three urban areas were selected and were proposed, of which each one reflects problems of an individual type, in an urban centre of a certain size. 

This involves the municipality of Perama, which forms part of the urban whole of the capital (EUC), of Agia Triada's district located in the municipality of Heraklion in Crete and of certain districts of the municipality of Komotini, in Thrace. 

These three geographical entities, although located in cities and in different areas, show common characteristics: they accumulate elements of environmental pollution, they are confronted with problems at the level of their urban fabric, and their production potential follows an extended restructuring and rehandling process. These characteristics make it possible to speak about a crisis, which results in job loss and an increase in the phenomena of unemployment of their inhabitants (long-term unemployment, the young people's unemployment, gaps at the level of the social infrastructures and difficulties, for women, of finding employment).

These regions see the concentration of social groups in prey with certain problems, such as the unemployed, newcomer in the city, the economic minorities and the immigrants. Accordingly, the extended economic difficulties with which these groups have to cope lead them to social exclusion and to discrimination. Thus, economic and social problems imbricate themselves to form uniform sets in geographical entities and give rise, generally, to problematic situations. 

None of the selected regions was included in the URBAN initiative for the period of previous management. 

Obviously, the cities in which these geographical entities are the policy recipients developed under other Community and national programmes and aiming at economic development, at training and at the reinforcement infrastructures, of employment and of the environmental policy. 

However, since these policies do not aim at these urban entities specifically, their benefits benefit mainly the inhabitants of the area as a whole and not by those of these urban entities. On the contrary, the latter, since they set up the economic and social groups most disadvantaged of the cities where they live, cannot exploit satisfactorily the benefits resulting from these policies, precisely owing to their characteristics and from their weaknesses.

The urban centres Greece are characterised by a series of dynamic factors and of problems which constitute opportunities and obstacles with their development simultaneously. 

Despite the differences that they present from the point of view of the importance of their population, these urban centres are characterised, to a large extent, by things in common at the level of their development mechanisms, both from the economic point of view and from the point of view of regional planning.

Certain developments of the development process gave rise, in certain areas of the urban centres, to particularly acute problems. Often, these problems appear independently of the size of the urban centres concerned. Sometimes even, the extent of the problems is conversely proportional to the size of the urban centres or of their areas. 

Among the principal characteristics of the urban centres of the country directly connected with the programme as well as with its objectives, one can mention:

• Their major diversity of size from the demographic point of view. According to certain figures, this divergence passes, from one extreme to another, from one towns of 10,000 inhabitants to the Athens and Thessaloniki metropoles, which count respectively 4.2 and of 1.3 million inhabitants.

• the relatively limited number of medium secondary urban centres, i.e. of urban centres from a population from approximately 75,000 to 200,000 inhabitants, since, between these cities and the metropoles, there are not other cities.

• the limited degree of organisation in network of the urban centres, which are characterised by hierarchical relations according to their radius of influence, of their size and of the urban administrative offices which are concentrated. Complementarities and specialisations do not constitute the main feature of the urban system of the country, even if certain elements carry to believe that the situation is to change in recent years, since certain administrative blocks of the country develop, between their urban centres, increasing interactions and complementarities. Development and the improvement of the infrastructures, such as it takes place within the framework of certain national and Community policies, contribute to the process of networking and accelerate it.

• the relatively common employment models and, therefore, the model of the structure of production of the urban centres. The tendencies to the change of these models, which have as a principal characteristic to limit employment in the secondary sector owing to the restricted competitiveness of this sector, led to the known deindustrialisation processes and brought about the increase in unemployment and important industrial facility abandonment. Moreover, they led to an increase in employment in the sector services, both those which address themselves to the companies and with those which address themselves to the individuals.

The development model resulting from these processes tends - this involves one of its consequences - to result in a final increase in unemployment, but also to encourage the creation of new SMEs, in reaction to this situation and as a protection strategy. One observes the same phenomenon -with certain disparities -in various areas of the cities: the SMEs, both old and the recent, which perform in a competitive middle, try to have the charge of some of their costs carried on their social and natural environment. These "negative" external economies are perceived as environmental problems. In the same time, they lead to the deterioration urban areas where one can observe concentrations of this type. And since such facilities concentrate in areas which already know problems, the result is a process of acceleration of the deterioration. 

It process develops with a different breadth and an intensity in all the cities of the country, and according to the place that it occupies within the urban fabric and within the social groups which insert themselves in, is passively, like it is the case of the groups socially disadvantaged made up by the former inhabitants of these areas, i.e. those which cannot leave and which are incompetents of finding of work, are actively, like it is the case of those which settle and work in these areas, precisely because it is the only places where they can find housing and work. 

In this context, it is obvious that there is in these areas a concentration process of the social groups most disadvantaged, including -in addition to the elderly people -the young people, the young unemployed and the long-term unemployed. In the minority and economic immigrant concentration also is seen. 

The overall dynamic development of the cities, but also the requirements for quality of life, created in all the cities a situation which can be described by quoting two characteristic elements of this process: the improvement of the quality of the habitat and the improvement of the social and urban infrastructures. 

In general lines, during few the last thirty years, the property park could be renewed in the majority of the cities, either by the system of "antiparochi"  [1] , or by construction by the private individuals themselves. This process went together with the migration of the favoured social groups towards the suburbs. 

The result of this process is complex. The density of the habitat is intensified, despite the increase in urban space, the quality of the habitat improves but, in the same time, certain urban areas generally located in the historical centre of the cities are deserted by the habitat. 

At the same time, social groups which, owing to their economic weakness, are unable to take part in the typical form of this process, seek solutions with their problem of housing while resorting to atypical means and settle either in less-favoured areas of the centre, or -in an anarchistic and improvised way -in emergency dwellings, located around the cities. 

In recent years, arrival in the economic immigrants' country, in addition to the impact that it had on the labour market and on the social fabric of the city, this phenomenon intensified, since some of these economic immigrants settle in districts disadvantaged of the centre of the cities, while others elect residence to the periphery of the cities. 

In addition to the development of the habitat described above, the development of the cities is also characterised by a delay in the development of the urban infrastructures, both social and technical. 

Despite the made great efforts and the progress observed in development and the modernisation of the infrastructures of the country, gaps concentrate on the territory of the less-favoured areas. Accordingly, the lack of infrastructures and limited public space can only accentuate these problems, especially in the districts where the groups economically and socially most disadvantaged are concentrated. 

In view of the characteristics that the problems of urban space in less-favoured areas from the urban point of view present, economic and social, three urban areas were selected and were proposed, of which each one reflects problems of an individual type, in an urban centre of a certain size. 

This involves the municipality of Perama, which forms part of the urban whole of the capital (EUC), of Agia Triada's district located in the municipality of Heraklion in Crete and of certain districts of the municipality of Komotini, in Thrace. 

These three geographical entities, although located in cities and in different areas, show common characteristics: they accumulate elements of environmental pollution, they are confronted with problems at the level of their urban fabric, and their production potential follows an extended restructuring and rehandling process. These characteristics make it possible to speak about a crisis, which results in job loss and an increase in the phenomena of unemployment of their inhabitants (long-term unemployment, the young people's unemployment, gaps at the level of the social infrastructures and difficulties, for women, of finding employment).

These regions see the concentration of social groups in prey with certain problems, such as the unemployed, newcomer in the city, the economic minorities and the immigrants. Accordingly, the extended economic difficulties with which these groups have to cope lead them to social exclusion and to discrimination. Thus, economic and social problems imbricate themselves to form uniform sets in geographical entities and give rise, generally, to problematic situations. 

None of the selected regions was included in the URBAN initiative for the period of previous management. 

Obviously, the cities in which these geographical entities are the policy recipients developed under other Community and national programmes and aiming at economic development, at training and at the reinforcement infrastructures, of employment and of the environmental policy. 

However, since these policies do not aim at these urban entities specifically, their benefits benefit mainly the inhabitants of the area as a whole and not by those of these urban entities. On the contrary, the latter, since they set up the economic and social groups most disadvantaged of the cities where they live, cannot exploit satisfactorily the benefits resulting from these policies, precisely owing to their characteristics and from their weaknesses.