Factors, mechanisms and challenges of planning in Cyprus: a historical narrative of Limassol’s urban development

This paper describes the factors that influenced urban development in Cypriot cities and how the Cypriot planning system evolved to address such factors. Limassol is chosen as the case study for an in–depth approach in order to come to general but precise conclusions. The paper offers an interpretive–historical narrative of the urban development of the city from the latter part of the Ottoman period to the present day in order to understand the mechanism through which Cypriot cities have grown and the role of planning in shaping their form and influencing how they function. The objective is to provide a comprehensive description of factors, mechanisms and actors involved in the emergence and transformation of Limassol, and in particular the role of planning in its historical evolution and in more recent regeneration and development projects. The narrative was constructed using a variety of primary and secondary sources, including travellers' reports, historical cartography, press articles and interviews with expert stakeholders. The paper concludes with an assessment of the current state of planning in Cyprus, its potential future directions, and remarks on the effectiveness of the narrative in interpreting causal pathways of development and evaluating the impact of planning actions and policies.