Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, students:
- will have become familiar with the legal framework of spatial planning and environmental protection in Greece
- will have been trained in the formulation of a regional development plan that incorporates natural environment requirements into spatial policy.
- will have understood the main theoretical/methodological approaches/issues related to the integration of the environmental component in spatial planning.
- will be able to recognize the competitive but also the complementary relationship between economic development and environmental protection
- They will be able to assess the carrying capacity of economic activities in the natural environment
Course Content (Syllabus)
This course offers a comprehensive exploration of spatial planning concepts in the context of pressing environmental challenges. Emphasis is placed on analyzing regional policy issues with a focus on their environmental implications, including the impact of policies on ecosystems, the identification and assessment of environmental pressures, and the use of sustainability indicators for evaluation.
The course emphasizes regional-scale analysis, particularly within spatial units that have distinct environmental and geographic characteristics, such as coastal zones, mountain areas, and protected regions. Environmental issues specific to these areas are examined in depth.
A key component of the course is a collaborative group project. Students will address a real-world application issue through a structured process that includes: (a) diagnosing and assessing the current spatial, developmental, and environmental context, (b) conducting a landscape analysis at multiple scales, (c) evaluating the carrying capacity of various economic development options, and (d) drafting a comprehensive spatial plan, including a proposed intervention map.