IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/cog/urbpla/v4y2019i4p31-42.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Large Urban Developments as Non-Planning Products: Conflicts and Threats for Spatial Planning

Author

Listed:
  • Byron Ioannou

    (Department of Architecture, School of Engineering, Frederick University, Cyprus)

  • Lora Nicolaou

    (Department of Architecture, School of Engineering, Frederick University, Cyprus)

  • Konstantinos Serraos

    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Architecture, National Technical University of Athens, Greece)

  • Georgia Spiliopoulou

    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Architecture, National Technical University of Athens, Greece)

Abstract

The article approaches different concepts of Large Urban Developments (LUDs) as products of the notion of a “spatial fix” (Harvey, 2001), which explains why built or natural environments can be deployed in the process of creating opportunities for new investments. Greece and Cyprus are two countries in the south of the European Union that underwent delayed urbanisation and significant land fragmentation in the form of small size private ownerships and with limited experience in comprehensive development. Greece has adopted a well-structured but complex spatial planning system, bureaucratic with limited effectiveness, adaptability or flexibility of delivery processes. On the other hand, Cyprus has a flexible but centralized system, effective in processing change but problematic in regulating quality in the built environment. Both countries recently experienced major financial crises. In the early 2010s, both governments promoted, as part of an economic recovery policy, extensive real estate development on public or privately-owned land with emphasis on LUDs as ways of addressing economic shortfalls. Inappropriately, LUDs have been primarily “conceived” as opportunities to attract foreign investments rather than a means of tackling crucial current deficiencies. New spatial planning frameworks merely add greater “flexibility” to the system in order to accelerate large private real estate investment. The article attempts to reveal, through case studies’ reviews, the impact of LUDs in countries with no infrastructure or experience in accommodating large-scale investment. It explores how the experience in Greece and Cyprus differs in terms of the relevant legislation adopted, the effectiveness in fulfilling its primary objective in attracting investment, and what are the possible social and environmental consequences on the planning acquis.

Suggested Citation

  • Byron Ioannou & Lora Nicolaou & Konstantinos Serraos & Georgia Spiliopoulou, 2019. "Large Urban Developments as Non-Planning Products: Conflicts and Threats for Spatial Planning," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(4), pages 31-42.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:urbpla:v4:y:2019:i:4:p:31-42
    DOI: 10.17645/up.v4i4.2266
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/urbanplanning/article/view/2266
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.17645/up.v4i4.2266?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mirjam Büdenbender & Oleg Golubchikov, 2017. "The geopolitics of real estate: assembling soft power via property markets," European Journal of Housing Policy, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 17(1), pages 75-96, January.
    2. Mirjam Büdenbender & Oleg Golubchikov, 2017. "The geopolitics of real estate: assembling soft power via property markets," International Journal of Housing Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(1), pages 75-96, January.
    3. Megan Nethercote, 2018. "Theorising vertical urbanisation," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(5-6), pages 657-684, November.
    4. Byron Ioannou, 2019. "Ageing in Suburban Neighbourhoods: Planning, Densities and Place Assessment," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(2), pages 18-30.
    5. Byron Ioannou, 2019. "Ageing in Suburban Neighbourhoods: Planning, Densities and Place Assessment," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(2), pages 18-30.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Byron Ioannou & Lora Nicolaou & Konstantinos Serraos & Georgia Spiliopoulou, 2019. "Large Urban Developments as Non-Planning Products: Conflicts and Threats for Spatial Planning," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(4), pages 31-42.
    2. Shenjing He & Mengzhu Zhang & Zongcai Wei, 2020. "The state project of crisis management: China’s Shantytown Redevelopment Schemes under state-led financialization," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 52(3), pages 632-653, May.
    3. Jorn Koelemaij, 2022. "The world’s number 1 real estate development exporter? Assessing announced transnational projects from the United Arab Emirates between 2003–2014," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 54(2), pages 226-246, March.
    4. Hang Kei Ho & Rowland Atkinson, 2018. "Looking for big ‘fry’: The motives and methods of middle-class international property investors," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 55(9), pages 2040-2056, July.
    5. Efrat Eizenberg & Orly Sasson & Mor Shilon, 2019. "Urban Morphology and Qualitative Topology: Open Green Spaces in High-Rise Residential Developments," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(4), pages 73-85.
    6. Taro Hirai, 2022. "“Double Ageing” in the High-Rise Residential Buildings of Tokyo," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 313-324.
    7. Andrew Harris & Tom Wolseley, 2024. "Vertical Horizons: Dealing with luxury urban skies," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 61(4), pages 654-668, March.
    8. Zugayar, Maliha & Avni, Nufar & Silverman, Emily, 2021. "Vertical informality: The case of Kufr Aqab in East Jerusalem," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    9. Megan Nethercote, 2019. "Melbourne’s vertical expansion and the political economies of high-rise residential development," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 56(16), pages 3394-3414, December.
    10. Yi Jin, 2022. "Urban Verticality Shaped by a Vertical Terrain: Lessons From Chongqing, China," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 364-376.
    11. Brian Webb & James T. White, 2022. "Planning and the High-Rise Neighbourhood: Debates on Vertical Cities," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 208-212.
    12. Taro Hirai, 2022. "“Double Ageing” in the High-Rise Residential Buildings of Tokyo," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 313-324.
    13. Efrat Eizenberg & Orly Sasson & Mor Shilon, 2019. "Urban Morphology and Qualitative Topology: Open Green Spaces in High-Rise Residential Developments," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(4), pages 73-85.
    14. Efrat Eizenberg, 2019. "Large-Scale Urban Developments and the Future of Cities: Possible Checks and Balances," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(4), pages 1-3.
    15. Yi Jin, 2022. "Urban Verticality Shaped by a Vertical Terrain: Lessons From Chongqing, China," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 364-376.
    16. Lucía Cerrada Morato, 2022. "Opportunities and Challenges of Municipal Planning in Shaping Vertical Neighbourhoods in Greater London," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 267-283.
    17. Lucía Cerrada Morato, 2022. "Opportunities and Challenges of Municipal Planning in Shaping Vertical Neighbourhoods in Greater London," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 267-283.
    18. Brian Webb & James T. White, 2022. "Planning and the High-Rise Neighbourhood: Debates on Vertical Cities," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 208-212.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cog:urbpla:v4:y:2019:i:4:p:31-42. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: António Vieira or IT Department (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.cogitatiopress.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.