Sustainable Planning and Development

SYNOPSIS

Contains the proceedings of the First International Conference on Sustainable Planning and Development, to be held on Skiathos Island, Greece, October 1-3, 2003.

Sustainable planning and development 2003 will address the subjects of spatial planning and regional development in an integrated way as well as in accordance with the principles of sustainability. It has become apparent, in the beginning of the 21st century, that planners, environmentalists, engineers, policy makers and economists have to work together in order to ensure that planning and development can meet our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own requirements.

In recent years, there has been in many countries an increase in spatial problems that has led to planning crises. Planning problems are often connected with uneven development, deterioration of the quality of urban life and destruction of the environment. The increasing urbanisation of the world coupled with the global issues of environmental pollution, resources shortage and economic restructuring demand that we make our cities places worth living in. On the other hand, problems of environmental management and planning are not restricted to urban areas. Environments such as rural areas, forests, coastal regions and mountains face their own problems that require urgent solutions in order to avoid irreversible damages. The use of modern technologies in planning, such as geographical information systems and remote sensing, give us new potential to monitor and prevent environmental degradation.

Effective strategies for management should consider planning and regional development, two closely related disciplines, and emphasize the demand to handle these matters in an integrated way. This conference is the first that faces the challenge of providing a common forum for all scientists, specializing in the range of subjects included within sustainable planning and development.