Strengthening the Resilience of Coastal Cities against Climate Change through Spatial Planning: Evidence from Greece

Abstract

Coastal cities are complex and ever-changing social, spatial, economic, and environmental systems. The equilibrium in such systems is challenged, while resilience is described as their ability to transform and adapt to cope with the pressures and disturbances they receive. The importance of enhancing the resilience of coastal cities has been recognized to such an extent that it now seems to complement the “traditional” approach to sustainable development, giving it new features and priorities. The pressures on Greek coastal cities are further compounded by climate change, one of the top policy issues at the international and European Union (EU) levels. The EU attaches increased importance to formulating adaptation policies against climate change effects. This factor is the main reason for the recent institutionalization of a series of laws and plans in Greece to promote adaptation policies to the expected effects of climate change. However, at the national level, a framework for exercising adaptation policies to the expected effects of climate change has been introduced only in the last few years. This framework sets the rules for shaping future national and regional policies. The spatial planning of Greek coastal cities is recognized as one of the main challenges in adapting the resilience of Greek coastal cities to the expected effects of climate change. According to the National Adaptation Strategy, Greek coastal cities are expected to suffer significant pressure due to climate change. However, until today in Greece, despite its coastal character, the search for those policy directions and methodological planning tools for its coastal cities has not been studied sufficiently and in adequate depth. This paper introduces a methodological framework for integrating the principles, priorities, structures, and policies in spatial planning policies to ensure and strengthen the resilience of Greek coastal cities against climate change.