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Under the deep and protracted recession that plagues the Greek regions, exports have shown some positive signs of resilience. This paper explores through a spatial econometric analysis of SUR models, first, the changes that occurred in exports by the (NUTS 3 level) regions for the period 2008–2012 to offer resistance against the crisis and to stimulate growth, which entail expansion of export demand, improvement in the quality of agricultural products, deeper specialization in broad low‐technology sectors and simultaneous increases in the variety inside these sectors and second, the ability of exports to transfer their growth gains to the broader economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the impact of public investment on regional economic growth and convergence at the NUTS 3 level in Greece. Using a new database of public expenditure per region for the period 1978-2007, it proposes a model which captures not just the impact of public investment in Greek prefectures, but also the spillover effects related to the existence of externalities from neighbouring regions. The results point to a positive long-run impact of public investment per capita on regional economic growth - but not on convergence - which also generates considerable spillover effects. However, the returns vary according to different types of public investment, with education and infrastructure spillovers having the highest impact. In general, public investment externalities seem to be more relevant for regional growth than direct public investment in each region. Finally, the impact of different types of public investment in Greece is mediated by politics and political factors, but the effect of politics disappears once we control for political-period-specific spatial-invariant variables. Resumen Este artículo estima el impacto de la inversión pública en el crecimiento económico regional y la convergencia a nivel NUTS 3 en Grecia. Haciendo uso de una nueva base de datos de gasto público por región para el periodo 1978-2007, se propone un modelo que identifica no solamente el impacto de la inversión pública en las prefecturas griegas, sino también los efectos de spillover relacionados con la existencia de externalidades procedentes de regiones vecinas. Los resultados apuntan a un impacto positivo a largo plazo de la inversión pública per cápita en el crecimiento económico regional - pero no en la convergencia - el cual genera unos efectos de spillover considerables. Sin embargo, los retornos varían de acuerdo con los diferentes tipos de inversión pública, siendo la educación y los spillovers de infraestructura los de mayor impacto. En general, las externalidades de inversión pública parecen tener una mayor relevancia para el crecimiento regional que la inversión pública directa en cada región. Para terminar, el impacto de los diferentes tipos de inversión pública en Grecia se ve influido por sus políticas y otros factores políticos, pero el efecto de las políticas desaparece una vez que se controlan las variables espacialmente-invariantes de tipo político ligadas a un periodo específico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are crucial nodes of global economic networks. A city's economic success largely depends on its social capital and the existence of a hegemonic coalition for development. This paper focuses on Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece, a country on the European periphery. The slow pace of development during the last 20 years has placed Thessaloniki in a vicious circle. It is argued that given the significant structural problems in Greece, a wide social coalition for development that embraces a large segment of the socio-economic, political and intellectual forces is necessary to boost Thessaloniki's development and ensure that its fruits will be reaped by all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to test regional convergence and to investigate interregional disparities in terms of per capita income in Greece. The novelty of our study lies in the use of a disaggregated dataset for an extended time period (1971–2003) at two regional levels (NUTS II & NUTS III). Our results indicate that there is β convergence between prefectures but not among regions, while no evidence of σ convergence is found at both regional levels. Also, the GDP geographic concentration and population density have a negative impact on growth, which outweighs the positive growth effect of population geographic concentration and GDP spatial inequality. Thus, policies aiming at the decentralization of economic activity in Greece might enhance growth and regional equality simultaneously. Finally, we do not find economic dualism across geographic areas; however, rich prefectures seem to converge faster than poor ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the 2001 income mosaic of Greece at the local level. It constructs a model based on occupational, territorial, and demographic factors to isolate their impact on declared income and study clusters of income at the disaggregated territorial level. The new cluster-based spatial specification provides a better econometric fit compared to the specification based on the existing official regional framework. This suggests that the economy does not operate according to the country's administrative divisions, but rather according to local-specific factors and transportation linkages, as is the case in a fragmented land united by its transportation network. Accordingly, if income disparities are larger within rather than between administrative regions, regional economic development policy might best be conducted within a functional-area framework rather than the current administrative-region framework. These findings entail important policy implications for EU regional development and resource allocation, and are also useful in additional tentative policy proposals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at mapping and analyzing the determinants of industrial activity in Greek regions in order to assess current investment patterns. For this purpose, we estimate a conditional logit model of 226 new established firms for 1996 and 1997. Results give interesting insights that are likely of particular importance to regional policy makers. Noteworthy is the spatial concentration of firms in different prefectures while the large metropolitan cities, Athens and Thessalonica, although with declining shares, prevail as the dominant hosts. European regional policy seems to enhance firms’entry via its effect on economic development variables, in contrast with the Greek Development Law, which turns out non-influential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greece is witnessing a series of international developments which necessitate an adjustment process, but also offer a new perspective for development. CAP reform, the Uruguay Round Final Act, market liberalization and the prospect of European Union enlargement by Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) imply new problems, but also new opportunities. In order for Greece to confront adjustment problems successfully, it is necessary that an integrated strategy for sustainable rural development be developed. National regional and inter-sectoral policies for rural sustainable development should be supplemented by increased, mutually beneficial economic co-operation in the CEEC and in the wider Black Sea region. This paper examines and identifies patterns of trade, production and investment that Greece should adopt, in order to establish fruitful and mutually beneficial economic co-operation with the CEEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the ways in which cultural policy in rural areas in Greece has attempted to confront the ‘de-traditionalization’ of rural communities provoked by the integration process of the agricultural economies of the country in a global context. It is argued that the establishment of infrastructures at local level that were expected both to support local cultures and to enable the diffusion of forms and products of contemporary culture, have failed to satisfy the needs of the local communities involved in the process of modernization and to counteract the deprivation experienced by members of the younger generation in matters of leisure and entertainment. Therefore, it seems necessary to proceed with a re-orientation of cultural policies that will abandon conventional tendencies to folklorize whatever is construed as ‘rural culture,’ and will re-establish the connections between past and present, as well as farm economy and local social and cultural contexts. Moreover, paying attention to ethnographic findings concerning the ongoing construction of collective cultural identity at local level, as well as to local histories and peculiarities, may provide a basis for ‘rethinking’ the aims and methods of cultural policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]