Concrete overreach
The Environment Ministry has presented its legislative proposals for construction outside designated zoning areas to the cabinet. Although the text of the draft law has not been disclosed, there is a prevailing impression that it aims to facilitate off-plan building activity. The ministry justifies this move by highlighting the predicament of property owners who, having acquired properties outside town zoning plans, find themselves unable to exploit them due to a Council of State decision prohibiting construction on plots lacking frontage on a recognized communal road.
My initial engagement with politics occurred at the Housing Directorate of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (which was succeeded by the Ministry of Environment), from 1977 to 1980. If there’s one lesson I gleaned from that experience, it’s that the significance and consequences of urban planning decisions manifest after many years, if not decades. While general rules are established with apparent logic at the time, subsequent years often reveal irreversible shortcomings and detrimental urban planning deadlocks.
In the realm of urban planning, most citizens remain indifferent until its impact directly affects them. Some view it solely through the lens of personal interest, often to the point of blindness. I recall people asserting, “No one cares if I add two extra floors against the rules; the nearest neighbor is 150 meters away!” However, when neighboring plots undergo development, the situation changes. Politicians, driven by concerns about re-election, often group together and seek to address such requests under the guise of “pressing social needs.”
The draft law proposed by the Environment Ministry, which facilitates off-plan construction, is being pushed forward ahead of the European Parliament elections. It appears to be a cynical attempt at garnering votes in a society that, unfortunately, seems indifferent. Despite comprehensive media coverage outlining the negative repercussions of the government initiative, public interest remains subdued, perhaps overshadowed by concurrent governmental initiatives such as the legislation on same-sex marriages.
A glance at the headlines reveals concerns such as “Concrete everywhere, without a plan or infrastructure,” “Method of destroying outdoor space,” “Dreadful draft law paves the way for the country’s cementing,” and “Off-plan construction and its attempted expansion are beyond reason.” Notably, these headlines were predominantly featured in pro-government press outlets.
In light of this, I hope the prime minister will reconsider advancing the Environment Ministry’s draft law, remaining true to his commitments regarding the preservation of the Greek environment. It is crucial to revisit some (perhaps) overlooked truths.
1. Since 1923, spanning over 101 years, the state has mandated that settlements evolve according to a predetermined plan. Settlements existing in 1923 were deemed to be based on an established plan crafted in the preceding (pre-1923) years. In instances where such settlements needed expansion to accommodate a growing population, legislation required the formulation of a new plan. However, the appropriate foresight of 1923 succumbed to the inevitable corruption within the political system, patronage relationships, and egocentrism. The municipal authorities, instead of planning, as they should have, in collaboration with the state, constantly changed the actual pre-1923 boundaries of the settlements. They permitted haphazard construction around settlements and then asserted that these illegal structures fell within the pre-1923 boundaries of the settlement. The incorporation of such illegal buildings into the “expanded” settlement boundaries subtly sanctioned the lawlessness of citizens who were facilitated by the fraudulent manipulation of settlement boundaries.
The significance and consequences of urban planning decisions manifest after many years, if not decades
Planning is generally unpopular among citizens because every plan inevitably impacts properties. The absence of a plan is often perceived as a preferable alternative. In practice, planning is applied to an arbitrary situation, leading to tragicomic results such as winding roads, sudden road narrowings to avoid encroaching on properties, the lack of communal green spaces, and the anathema of land contributions for plan development.
The pressure to build off plan is also due to the fact that planning in a pristine area is not desirable. Plan extensions are only made when a situation has been arbitrarily created without a plan.
2. In the past, high demand for housing resulted from population movements from rural regions to Athens because of the 1946-49 Civil War, coupled with increased employment opportunities in the city. The need for city plan expansion was evident, but delays led to construction outside the plan, even illegally, being considered justified (though not by me). Today, this justification no longer holds true; the current pressure for construction is primarily profit-driven. Particularly on islands, there is growing demand for construction outside the plan. Regrettably, after 20 years, we will likely lament this decision, but by then it will be too late.
3. On numerous islands, I’ve observed anarchically scattered, unfinished concrete structures outside the zoning plan, juxtaposed with vacant plots and abandoned houses within the contours of the old picturesque settlements, often tucked away in inaccessible locations.
In conclusion, I firmly oppose any facilitation of off-plan construction. It distresses me that politicians, presumably aware of the long-term consequences of their actions, would recklessly cause irreparable damage to their homeland merely to secure a few votes.
What do I propose? Today, unlike 35 years ago, the state possesses digital databases containing information on all Greek properties. I suggest conducting a comprehensive inventory of all unbuilt and uninhabited properties within settlements or designated plan areas experiencing pressure for construction outside the town plan. Subsequently, a program could be hammered out to encourage the development of these untapped properties lying within the zoning plan. The state could also provide support for social infrastructure where such properties are situated. The overarching message would be: It is both intelligent and advantageous to build within the plan.
Stefanos Manos is a former minister.
