! GENERAL PRESENTATION OF THE ATHENS METROPOLITAN REGION (AMR) C. SYKIANAKI, President, Organization for Planning and Environmental Protection of Athens. Athens, July 2006 1
! The capital city of Athens and its Metropolitan Region (AMR) constitutes the main gateway to Greece.! One third of the Greek population resides in the AMR (or, Attica Region) which produces around one third of Greece s GDP 2
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AMR (Attica Region) Outline (2004)! 152 municipalities in 4 prefectures! 3,94 million inhabitants! 3.808 square kilometers! 1.035 inhabitants/km 2! 63.639 millions Euro GDP 4
Sectors of employment (2004) 100 100 90 80 74 70 60 57 % 50 40 37 ATTICA GREECE 30 20 20 25 23 10 0 1 primary secondary tertiary total 5
Area % ATTICA REGION (2001) 3% 6
GDP % ATTICA REGION (2001) 38% 7
Population % ATTICA REGION (2001) 34% 8
Governance Issues In Greece and AMR (Athens Metropolitan Region)! Until the early 1990s, Greece had a highly centralised structure relying on deconcentrated government offices at the prefecture level (Nomos)! Major reforms undertaken in the past decade, have restructured and empowered the sub national level 9
Administrative Structure The State 13 Regions ATTICA REGION 51 Prefectures (2nd tier of LA s) The Organization for Planning & Environmental Protection of Athens is responsible for Planning issues of the Region of ATTICA 4 Prefectures Wide Prefecture of Athens-Piraeus Prefecture of Athens Prefecture of Piraeus Prefecture of Eastern Attica Prefecture of Western Attica 152 Municipalities (1st Tier of LA s) 10
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! The basic structure of the services for the Prefectural department includes planning and programming, economic development, social development, culture and quality of life, the sector of civic rights and protection and the sector of administrative support.! Many of the responsibilities exercised by the agencies of the Region are exercised in Attica by central agencies of the Ministries or special agencies 12
! Policies have until recently aimed to channel investment to other regions of Greece rather than to the Region of Attica with the objective of achieving more balanced demographic and economic development over the national territory! The recent infrastructure investments in the Athens region have broken with these traditional regional policies, providing long awaited investment in transport infrastructure for the Athens region (new airport, ring roads, new Metro, a tramway, upgrading of bus system, etc.). 13
Local and Central Government in the Athens Metropolitan Area! there are 91 municipalities and 31 communities in the Unified Super - Prefectural Department of Attica! there are more than 369 public agencies in Attica Region! 46.5% of civil servants work in Attica Region 14
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Governance in Athens Metropolitan Region Main issues to be considered! The governance framework in Greece is such that improvements will only be possible if there is a greater degree of devolution/decentralisation of power, coupled with studiously building capacity to deliver a new kind of land-use planning system.! There is a clear lack of local empowerment through local governance measures and a limited flow and dissemination of policy objectives and initiatives 16
Present Considerations on Governance for Metropolitan Athens The changing context of government! The Hellenic Ministry of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization (M.I.P.A.D) has started a dialogue with the Central Union of Local Authorities to determine the local administration s legal framework! Five scenarios were proposed for discussion 17
GOVERNANCE AND SPATIAL PLANNING! There is widespread municipal fragmentation coupled with a strong, but traditional, national planning legal system, and very weak capacity at the metropolitan and regional level. 18
Both governance and planning arrangements in the Attica Region are conditioned by! the function of Athens as the capital of Greece and its largest market! the critical role of central government in policy making! the lack of a clear and comprehensive vision for the future of the metropolitan region combining an economic development strategy, a social strategy and an environmental strategy! the lack of a coherent political/institutional/legal framework to support such a vision and strategy, encourage inter-municipal co-operation, and implement area wide planning and policies! the Cluttered and Fragmented Territorial and Sectoral responsibilities that create enormous difficulties in the realization of strategic projects 19
Prevailing scenarios on the best Metropolitan Government for AMR is towards the formulation of an elected regional council but with appointed (by the parliament) presidency. Basic role and responsibilities: Planning and implementation coordinator of all regional projects. 20
! The current Olympic experience in Athens Metropolitan Region demonstrates how very significant investments can be achieved by a national government focussing public finance and regulatory powers on key locations in the Capital city to achieve a step change in a short period! National government controls much of what is decided in Athens, but is highly departmentalised, making cross-sectoral integration difficult 21
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SPATIAL PLANNING AND STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR ATHENS METROPOLITAN AREA! The Structure Plan is the Strategic Plan for the Athens Metropolitan Area and is overseen by a national government agency, the Organization of Athens! The Structure Plan determines the guiding framework that sets the policy goals, orientations and specific measures for the sustainable development of Attica and suggests a number of priorities concerning urban and spatial structure 25
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! The realization of the Structure Plan goals is achieved by a series of plans, carried out by the Organization of Athens: the General Urban Plans (Master Plans) for each municipality! The Development Control zones that cover the entire sub-urban hinterland! The Major Structural Interventions and Urban Rehabilitation Projects 27
Main objectives of the Athens Plan a. Stabilization of the population of the Athens Metropolitan Region. b. Containment of the expanding economic activities in the capital and promotion of the capital to the national centre of administrative functions. 28
Planning Planning istruments Level Spatial - Environment - Planning Socio-Economic Planning National National Special National Development Plan Level Territorial Territorial Plan (NTP) Plan (NTPs Sectoral Operational Plans (in frame of CFS 2000-2006) Structural Plan of Athens Regional Regional Metropolitan Area Regional Development Plans Level Territorial (Law 1515/85) Plan (PTPs) Structural Plan of Thessaloniki (Law 2742/99) Metropolitan Area Regional Operational Plans (Law 1561/86) (in frame of CFS 2000-2006) Local Regularotary Plans (Master) General Urban Special Spatial Level (Law 2508/97) Plans (GUPs) Plan (SSPs) * (1st and 2nd City/Town Planning Special Environmental tier of Las) Concerning (Law 1337/83, Plan (SEPs) ** Urban and Large Urban centres Law 2508/97) (Law 1650/86, Law 2742/99) Local Concerning Development Cities Plans Towns Concerning Urbanised areas Countryside/rural space Cultural and natural Environments and Landscapes 29
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Key planning issues for the new structural Plan of AMR are:! controlling sprawl;! planning development in the outer Attica Region;! redevelopment of older former industrial areas;! regenerating the historic city centre, upgrading housing and infrastructure;! protection of environmentally sensitive areas; and! forming a development strategy that will promote public-private partnerships. 31
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