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Planning tradition is contextually changing in response to the political, social and economic environment. The economic crisis of the previous decade challenged the conventional Greek planning and governance model, by introducing new planning instruments that changed the balance of public- and private-sector involvement in the planning process. These shifts engendered planning dysfunctions, as the new and existing instruments functioned in competition. The planning reform currently being implemented reinforces public planning and the concentration of power at the central government level, with the state being called upon to address long-standing deficiencies in the consistency of planning policy, efficiency and feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban identity is a composite idea that dates back to the 1960s and combines the concept of identity with urban features. It consists of both objective elements, such as a city’s characteristics, as well as subjective elements, such as perception, feeling and connection to a place. Urban identity has been mainly studied in relation to sense of place and place attachment, but it has also been studied, to a smaller extent, in relation to urban planning, public space and tourism. This study summarizes previously conducted research on urban identity, with a focus on studies that address the objective aspect of urban identity and especially those whose point of interest is on urban planning and public space. With a particular emphasis on quantitative research, the objective is to present the fields in which urban identity has been studied and the parameters that form it. The research reveals that urban identity requires further investigation in terms of urban planning and each of its components. This means that building codes, densities and land uses have a significant effect on urban identity and may even define it to some degree.

Sustainability and resilience are currently key analytical concepts with wide acceptance among different disciplines. This study initially attempts a comprehensive analysis of the current policy to specify the meaningful elements for integrating these concepts into spatial planning theory and practice. Then, a critical review of the Greek spatial planning policy aims to shed light on its evolution in relation to the two paradigms. The findings show that the actual shift from sustainability to resilience remains to be observed and that more attention should be focused on the political rather than the administrative aspect of planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]