Spatial planning incompetence to discourage urban sprawl on Greek Islands. Evidence from Paros, Greece

Abstract

The urban sprawl is considered a major issue with irreversible impact on local socio-spatial systems mainly in peri-urban areas, coastal zones and on islands. Mass tourism development and the demand for a second house has led to residential pressure, mainly in exurban areas, where the spatial planning system has not been discouraged. This paper attempts a quantitative yeald of urban sprawl on Paros island, through a time series data analysis. The change in densities of built-up areas and the impact of the urban sprawl on natural and cultural heritage of the island are examined. The results are interpreted from a critical approach to Greek spatial planning framework. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.