INTERREG III C POLYMETREXplus RINA: North-South Interface Inception Meeting ATHENS JULY, 2006
MAGDALINI K. SEGKOUNI E-MAIL: msegkouni@orth.gr ORGANISATION OF PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OF THESSALONIKI (OR.TH.)
CONTENTS 1)GREECE IN EUROPE POSITION GEOMORPHOLOGY THE 13 REGIONS OF GREECE THE REGION OF KENTRIKI (CENTRAL) MAKEDONIA 2)THESSALONIKI IN EUROPE THE PREFECTURE OF THESSALONIKI POSITION GEOMORPHOLOGY - ENVIRONMENT
CONTENTS 3)HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 4)TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS 5)STATISTICS 6)SOCIAL COHESION 7)THESSALONIKI-THE FUTURE ORGANIZATION OF THESSALONIKI (OR.TH.)
GREECE IN EUROPE (TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS)
POSITION OF GREECE IN THE SE EUROPE
THE REGION OF CENRAL MACEDONIA (KENTRIKI MAKEDONIA)
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION Greece is divided into 52 Prefectures, which constitute the thirteen- (13) regions of our country. The population of Greece is 10.964.020 people (N.S.S.G. 2001). The Region of Central Macedonia (EUROSTAT NUTS CODES: GR 12, NAME: KENTRIKI MAKEDONIA), has 1.710.513 inhabitants (N.S.S.G. 1991). The Region of Central Macedonia, comprise the nomi (or prefectures) of Thessaloniki, Imathia, Kilkis, Pella, Pieria, Serres and Chalkidiki.
THESSALONIKI IN EUROPE POSITION Greece is a country at the south east of the European continent. It is the southeast part of the Balkan area and its main body constitutes an important peninsula into the Mediterranean Sea. FYROM and Bulgaria bound the Region of Central Macedonia to the north, the region of Western Macedonia to the West, the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace to the east and the Aegean to the south. In demographic, economic and cultural terms it is Greece s second most important center after Attica. the country.
THESSALONIKI IN EUROPE POSITION The regional capital is Thessaloniki, Greece s second largest city. The region is low-lying, and the Macedonian plain is one of the largest in Greece and exceptionally fertile. Thessaloniki is the second largest city of Greece and is the capital of the Region of Central Macedonia. It is sited at the north part of Greece, approximately at the same distance from the eastern and western borders of
THE PREFECTURE OF THESSALONIKI
THESSALONIKI IN EUROPE
GEOMORPHOLOGY-ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT
THESSALONIKI IN EUROPE GEOMORPHOLOGY-ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT The region of Central Macedonia is low-lying, and the Macedonian plain is one of the largest in Greece and exceptionally fertile. The combination of green plains, wooded mountains, clear rivers, extensive coastline and archaeological and historic monuments lend a variety to the landscape. The region has a satisfactory communications network, and has extensive road and rail links with the rest of Greece and Europe. Thessaloniki also has Greece s second largest international airport and the country s second port.
THESSALONIKI IN EUROPE GEOMORPHOLOGY-ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT In and around the Thessaloniki conurbation there is a concentration of population and economic activities, particularly in the fields of manufacturing, commerce and culture. In the western parts of Central Macedonia agricultural production predominates, and manufacturing activities are closely linked to agriculture.
THESSALONIKI IN EUROPE GEOMORPHOLOGY-ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT Tourist development is centered largely on Chalkidiki, whose natural beauty has made it the region s summer resort. However, the environment has suffered because of the unchecked tourist development. Land prices and the cost of living have both increased. Central and northeastern Chalkidiki is an area of intensive quarrying activity. However, there is little development potential in this sector.
THESSALONIKI IN EUROPE GEOMORPHOLOGY-ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT The environment of Central Macedonia is one of many contrasts. Within the same region the environmentally polluted area of Thessaloniki and the Gulf of Thermaikos, coexist with the scenic beauty of Chalkidiki and Mound Athos, the waterfalls at Edessa and Naousa and three internationally significant wetland areas. The city of Thessaloniki and the area around it are beset with severe pollution problems. The death of the Gulf of Thermaikos, the atmospheric pollution,
THESSALONIKI IN EUROPE GEOMORPHOLOGY-ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT the major problem of urban and industrial waste and noise pollution are the most obvious signs of damage to the region s environment. The mouths of the Axios, the Aliakmonas and the Loudias rivers, together with the Volvi, Koronia and Kerkini lakes, make up northern Greece s chain of ecologically important biotopes, protected under the Ramsar Convention.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Central Macedonia is the land of Philip and Alexander the Great, with great historical and cultural richness. It is home to the self govern monastic republic of Athos (or the Holy Mountain), with its inestimable orthodox heritage. Its geographical and strategic position has made it a crossroad for trade with the Balkan countries and Eastern Europe. Thessaloniki is the capital of Macedonia and second largest city of Greece. It was first established in 316 BC by Kassandros and named after his wife, Thessaloniki, sister of Alexander the Great.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND It is here that Paul, the Apostle of Nations, first brought the message of Christianity (50 AD) and that Demetrius, a Roman Officer died in martyrdom, thus becoming forever the holy patron of the city (303 AD). Thessaloniki becomes the second important city of the Byzantine Empire, next to Konstantinople, ornamented with numerous majesticand glamorous architectural works that display all forms of Byzantine art. After this illustrious era, the enemies take over. But each time, after every catastrophe, Thessaloniki reexalts in splendour, dressed in eternal garment of ancient and Byzantine glory.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Today, Thessaloniki with its University and the International Trade Fair a crossroad for peoples friendship and collaboration is a lively modern city bustling with life and movement.
THESSALONIKI IN EUROPE TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS
THESSALONIKI IN EUROPE TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS International Airport linked to many important cities in Europe, to Athens and to many other cities of Greece. Rail services and links with Athens, Cities of Macedonia and Thrace, Central and Western Europe (through FYROM), Eastern Europe (through Bulgaria), Near East (through Turkey). Coach services by KTEL to all the big cities of Greece Sea connections with the islands Lemnos, Lesvos, Chios (all year around) and summer connections with Sporades, Dodecanese, Cyclades. No subway yet
Thessaloniki as a node of the transport network The problems of the incoherent connection of the metropolitan areas as well as the resulting insufficient regional development of Greece were points of interest for governments and policy makers for decades. Many major transport infrastructure inefficiencies and dysfunctions of Greece dealt for decades basically with the lacking of a fully explored and systematically applied multimodal transport syetem. Of course, urban traffic congestion as a part of a larger transportation problem in cities is regarded as a major issue in European metropolitan areas. It appears as a basic urban trip-making inefficiency, difficulties in pedestrian mobility, environmental degradation, traffic accidents, more fuel expenditures, time delays, lacking of valuable parking spaces and poor quality of service offered by the public transport systems.
Thessaloniki as a node of the transport network Egnatia Motorway along with the Patras-Athens- Thessaloniki-Evzoni expressway serves to be the largest and most important public infrastructure projects for the regional development of Greece. The port of Thessaloniki is a basic node of the transportation system of the area. These systems will automatically form a combined transport system to enhance Thessaloniki s position in the SE mediterranean basin. Investments such as the above are designed to improve the infrastructure of transport and transport access both for the Greek part of the corridor as well as for improving the intermodality of the basic terminal nodes, i.e. Thessaloniki, Kozani, Kavala and Alexandroupolis. Other types of investments such as projects in port, airport and railway infrastructure (both in capacity and equipment) are equally important for the terminal nodes.
THESSALONIKI IN EUROPE TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS
STATISTICS (POPULATION) The population of Greece is 10.964.020 people The region of Central Macedonia has 1.710.513 inhabitants The Perfecture of Thessaloniki has 1.057.825 inhabitants The Metropolitan area of Thessaloniki has 981.963 inhabitants The population of Central Macedonia grew by 23% between 1951 and 1971 due to internal migration Recently a great number of emigrants are coming to this area from the countries of the FSU, from Albania, from the CEEC but also from the Pakistan, Turkey etc.
SOCIAL COHESION Twentee three centuries of continuous progress and evolution Capital city of Macedonians, Roman stronghold, Byzantium Empire s second greatest city Strong geopolitical location Turkish occupation one of the darkest periods 1868-1869 new period of modernisation and new urban organization By the end of 19th century, Thessaloniki presented a dual face, with «Europeanised» quarters in some parts of the town and refugee camps creating disressed areas in and around the city core. 1912 year of liberation «the most modern city in Ottoman Empire» Great Fire of the city s historical center in 1917 1940 Greece s entry into the World War 2
THESSALONIKI: THE FUTURE The Organisation Planning and Environmental Protection of Thessaloniki, or simply the Organisation of Thessaloniki (OR.TH.), is a legal person governed by public law. It belongs to the Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works (henceforth simply referred to as the Ministry) and is overseen by the relevant Minister. OR.TH. was founded in 1985.It commenced operation in 1986 Since 1988, successive efforts have been made and plans submitted to legally establish OR.TH. as an organisation, but the approval procedure has yet to be finalised. Hence OR.TH. has been functioning with personnel assigned from other departments formerly belonging to the Ministry and today belonging to both the Ministry and the Region of Central Macedonia (RCM).
THESSALONIKI: THE FUTURE Today, a great effort is being made to upgrade OR.TH., an effort which in our opinion all the city's bodies are in agreement with. OR.TH., as the body responsible for the Master and Strategic Plan in its area of responsibility, which includes Environmental Protection, currently has the following action plan in progress, while also striving to: a. Promote a series of proposals at the executive planning level by highlighting the city's metropolitan role, and b. Deal with a number of major problems in Thessaloniki which were detected many decades ago and whose confrontation and the effort to find solutions fall, in any case, within the metropolitan sphere.
THESSALONIKI: THE FUTURE OR.TH. is also responsible for : The Strategic Plan of Thessaloniki Updating the Master Plan of Thessaloniki Promotion of Presidential Decree on the Determination of a (Land Use) Urban Control Zone in the outskirts of Thessaloniki Promotion and approval of General Land Use Plans (GLUPs) in Greater Thessaloniki Completion and promotion of the proposals stemming from the "General Traffic Study of Thessaloniki" assigned to engineering firms (Law 716/77) and overseen by OR.TH. Completion of study on the city's army camps in association with the Ministry of Defence etc.
STRATEGIC PLAN
STRATEGIC PLAN
MASTER PLAN
MASTER PLAN
MASTER PLAN
RINA North/South Interface Athens 10-11 July 2006
Overview of Thessaloniki polycentric region Position of Thessaloniki along the Corridor
Overview of Thessaloniki polycentric region Position of Thessaloniki along the Corridor
Overview of Thessaloniki polycentric region Socio economic Development of the area (GDP) Greek GDP fluctuation 1995-2003 Million Euros 160.000 140.000 120.000 100.000 80.000 60.000 40.000 20.000 0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Total Greece Total Central Macedonia Thessaloniki 1. 11% of the Greek GDP comes from the Thessaloniki polycentric region 2. Average growth of GDP by 9,82% annually fro the region of Thessaloniki region. Higher than the national rate 3. The total GDP has been doubled over the last 9 years
Overview of Thessaloniki polycentric region Socio economic Development of the area (Industry) Agriculture Industry Main Gross Value Added indices and Labour Distribution of economic Sectors Difference between 1999-2003 Sector Agriculture Sector Industry Sector Services GREECE -3,50% 0,50% 5,50% ANATOLIKI MAKEDONIA, THRACE (GR) -14,30% -6,50% 6,40% KENTRIKI MAKEDONIA (GR) -9,40% -5,60% 2,00% DYTIKI MAKEDONIA (GR) -2,00% 9,90% -3,60% THESSALIA (GR) 4,50% -7,10% 7,80% IPEIROS (GR) 5,60% 17,30% 15,80% IONIA NISIA (GR) -29,50% -17,40% 19,70% DYTIKI ELLADA (GR) -7,70% 5,00% 16,80% STEREA ELLADA (GR) 6,40% 9,50% 24,50% PELOPONISSOS (GR) 9,00% 11,40% 20,40% ATTIKI (GR) -14,60% -1,70% 1,10% VOREIO AIGAIO (GR) -9,40% 21,40% 26,90% NOTIO AIGAIO (GR) -2,00% 21,20% 17,80% CRETA (GR) 1,30% 17,50% 1,90%
Overview of Thessaloniki polycentric region Socio economic Development of the area (Industry) Negative rhythms in industrial development in the region of Thessaloniki Positive trends of development of special industrial sectors and services Relocation of the industrial sites in regions in accordance to accessibility improvement Exchange of Know-how and experience among the cities/regions of the RINA Corridor is expected to the beneficial Greek agglomeration
Overview of Thessaloniki polycentric region Transport infrastructure-services The gateway of the Greece to the North The Pan European Corridors TEN-T priority projects
Overview of Thessaloniki polycentric region Transport infrastructure-services Overall Status of the Thessaloniki region on the logistics industry Gross Added Value for the transport and logistics Sector In million
Overview of Thessaloniki polycentric region Transport infrastructure-services The port of Thessaloniki The closest significant commercial port of the European Union to Southeastern Europe countries and the Black Sea region Links to land transportation networks: Tran European networks in Greece (Via Egnatia and PATHE) Pan European corridors (ΙΧ / ΙV) Markets: Northern Greece Balkan Countries
Overview of Thessaloniki polycentric region Higher Education Thessaloniki is well known for its active scientific community with three Universities The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki The University of Macedonia The Alexandrian Technological Institute
Overview of Thessaloniki polycentric region Culture Culturally Thessaloniki prospers offering numerous museums within the city The International Film Festival of Thessaloniki, which is hosted by the Port since 2001. Within the Port area you will also find Thessaloniki's Cinema Museum. The Concert Hall has been added and the National Theater of Northern Greece and together with the renovated theaters of the city continue the cultural dominance of Thessaloniki in the area. Strong influence from the Byzantium period with numerous churches and monuments
Methodological Framework Objectives for the participation of Thessaloniki in the North-South RINA Corridor 1. Assessment of the main characteristics of the polycentric region of Thessaloniki 2. Identification of the main territorial performances 3. Correlation of the territorial performances within the regional development 4. Identification of future development plans of synergetic fields for further exploitation along the Corridor on National and Transnational level Improvement of cohesion and accessibility Promotion of further transnational cooperation between Greece and Northern Countries along the Corridor Strengthening of liaisons between all Eastern Europe countries Identification of the Greek centers role in the Corridor and in the wider Northern space
Methodological Framework Action Plan 1. Consolidation of key indicators to be analysed for studying territorial performances and profile of Thessaloniki polycentric region 2. Acquisition of data and information 3. Identification of specialized fields of synergies with other agglomerations of the Corridor using SWOT analysis 4. Development of action plan for Thessaloniki for priority fields and thematic areas 5. Mobilization and motivation of local community and stakeholders for dissemination and active participation for securing added value results in each study field. 6. Finalisation of action plan for future clustering activities
Implementation of action plan Consolidation of key indicators (1/2) Creation of Greek agglomerations and corresponding regions future profile by studying the tendencies of the following indices: i. Socioeconomic Development a. Current and future Regional socioeconomic indices b. Socioeconomic indices at agglomeration level c. Services, sector tendencies d. Tourism, sector tendencies e. Culture f. Education
Implementation of action plan Consolidation of key indicators (2/2) ii. iii. Transportation and mobility increase a. Infrastructure and Terminals development b. Mobility characteristics Routes and transport chains of freight and passenger services c. Regional potential for Intermodal transport development Environmental Policy a. Increase of Renewable energy sources (only for the organization of Athens) b. Increase for use of new sources of energy These indices are a first approach and may vary in accordance to the needs emerging from the project
Implementation of action plan Acquisition of data and information (1/3) Information sources for all territorial performances National studies Other Research projects European studies EU framework for all the territorial performances Statistics Offices and regional databases European Databases Survey among Local authorities and consultation of experts in each territorial performance form the Greek Side For each territorial performance different sources would be examined for the optimum results of the analysis
Implementation of action plan Acquisition of data and information (2/3) Socio-economic Development Review of the National social studies Agglomerations Development plan Eurostat database on socioeconomic indices Greek statistics office Other INTERREG and research projects IMONODE ESPON other Outcome: Sectorial analysis and identification of critical socioeconomic indices in regard to transregional perspectives and cooperation. Impact of transport infrastructure (Corridor) on regional development
Implementation of action plan Acquisition of data and information (3/3) Transport Development European Guidelines and strategies TEN-T priorities, Pan-European Corridors White paper of transport Other Eurostat National plans and strategies Other INTERREG and research projects REMOMED IMONODE GILDANET Others Outcome: Impact of transport operation and services on regional development. Identification of general trends in the field of logistics along the North-South Corridor
Implementation of action plan Analysis of Synergies in priority fields (1/2) 1. Priority fields for Thessaloniki polycentric Region Socioeconomic development and population mobility Transport and Intermodality development Touristic development Technological industry development
Implementation of action plan Analysis of Synergies in priority fields (2/2) 2. Exchange of information and best practice results with other agglomeration regions in the North-South RINA Corridor 3. Definition of threats and opportunities for achieving synergies in selected fields Comparison of Greek studies with other studies performed in the context of the Corridor SWOT analysis by priority field Definition of synergies at National Level Definition of Synergies at transnational level
Implementation of action plan Development of Action Plan by priority field 1. Definition of cooperation strategy 2. First level identification of clustering activities using Polymetrex networks Local workshops experts and involved actors 3. Preparation of Action plan by field for Thessaloniki Foreseen content Future vision-objectives Opportunities and threats Clusters Presentation Description of activities with time plan
Implementation of action plan Mobilisation of actors approval of the Action Plan 1. Identification of the related stakeholders and potential participants 2. Dissemination of action plan inside Polymetrex plus project. 3. Dissemination of action plan in local actors 4. Enhancement of action Plan taking into account the input received from dissemination activities 5. Finalisation of action plan for future clustering activities
What a pretty blue planet!
Even submerged in darkness it is a beautiful sight!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Magdalini Segkouni E-mail: msegkouni@orth.gr