Author(s)

I. FRANGOPOULOS, N. DALAKIS & D. KOURKOURIDIS

Abstract

In this paper, on the occasion of the decision to construct the Thessaloniki submerged tunnel (TST), we set the problem of the urban evolution of the city in correlation with mobility, through empirical investigation of the citizens’ views. As theoretical tools we use strategic planning and urban governance in order to achieve modern planning proposals that presuppose processes of social transaction between social actors and other social partners (active social groups, agents, etc.) for the sustainable development of the city. Methodologically, we worked with 621 questionnaires, within the urban agglomeration of Thessaloniki, which were given out and collected between 7 and 9 March 2007. The statistical analysis of the sample was carried out using the SPSS software. Primarily, we examine the development of the city during the 19th and 20th century in relation to the Thessaloniki linear sprawl problem as well as the communication between the two city poles, the west and the east. We continue with the presentation of the social and spatial features of the sample as well as the major issue of the assessment of the traffic, environmental and urban impacts of the TST. Then, we examine the structure of the urban mobility. This is followed by an analysis of the issues with regard to the housing areas and the intention to use the TST, the reasons for commuting from the west to the east and vice versa, and the evaluation of the impacts according to the housing areas. We also verify the correlation of demographic variables such as sex and age with the use of routes such as the TST, central streets and ring road. Finally, we evaluate the impacts of the TST in terms of the association between the intention to use it and variables such as sex and age.

Keywords

participatory planning, questionnaire survey, strategic planning, sustainable development, Thessaloniki submerged tunnel, urban mobility, urban structure