Spatial Planning focuses on planning and management of space, as a core axis towards sustainable development, as well as balanced sustainable development, closely related with economic determining factors, such as productivity, economic environment, investments and competitiveness. This paper attempts to analyze spatial planning framework and its contribution towards sustainable regional development. More precisely, this paper analyses the case studies of the region of the North Aegean and South Aegean, especially the islands of Lesvos, Rhodes, and Crete.
TopSpatial Planning And Sustainable Development
Until the end of 1980 decade, when the term of ‘sustainable development’ emerged, development has been mostly referred to economic growth. Sustainable development has been established as a scientific term comprising a three-dimensional meaning: namely economic, social and environmental. Developments in the theory of sustainable development sets as prerequisites the improvement of economic indicators, namely economic growth, also combined with improvements in social indicators, namely social development, also including the environmental sustainability (Delladetsimas, 1997). Figure 1 illustrates the three factors of economic and social development. Basic aim resulting from sustainable development policies implementation is the enhancement of welfare and living standards, the efficient management of available resources, pursuing not only present welfare, but also welfare regarding future generations.
Figure 1. Source: Own elaboration Within this framework, ‘space’ is considered to be as one of the major elements, determining the interrelations between socio-economic conditions and production, both in regional and sectoral level, as illustrated in Figure 2.
Spatial Planning within sustainable development planning is essential for spatial sustainable development across space (regionals, national and international space). Within this analysis, it is important that different regions are not moving within the same developing path, due to different geographical, social and economic conditions. Under this spectrum, spatial planning is an important driver in enabling coordination of services, infrastructure and authorities, towards a harmonious sustainable development widely provided to citizens.
Figure 2. Core determining factors of system of production
Spatial planning promotes coordination between different policy orientations, following the core principles of sustainable development, focusing on equilibrium between competitiveness, social integration, welfare and environmental protection (Gospodini, 2007). National Spatial Planning Policy is divided into three policy levels (Loukakis, 2002):
- •
Spatial Planning in National Level
- •
Spatial Planning in Regional Level
- •
Spatial Planning in Sub-Regional Level
In every period in question, main goals are set according to the national and regional priorities classification, in conjunction to the International and European Framework of Policies and Guidelines. This chapter attempts to analyze spatial planning framework and its contribution towards sustainable regional development. More precisely, this chapter analyses the case studies of the regions of: North Aegean, South Aegean and Crete.
In order to statistically illustrate the interrelationships between economic growth and economic development, along with regional development level, the chapter analyses, both inter-temporal and inter-regional data, describing the evolution of the core socio-economic indicators. More precisely, according to economic literature, here is a large amount of indices, which could be used as socio-economic indicators, with the most widely used those of production, income and growth. As far as the core variables are concerned, following a value added approach, our analysis comprises: