Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area
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The Thessaloniki metropolitan area, has traditionally consisted of the municipality of Thessaloniki and its immediate surroundings. However, since the mid to late 1990s, the area has succumbed to urban sprawl. What used to be agrarian communities are rapidly urbanizing and being developed into suburbs or exurbs. This is creating new problems for a region already facing issues such as pollution, traffic congestion, and social ills.
Thessalonians usually refer to 13 municipalities and one community as the City of Thessaloniki (or the Thessaloniki Urban Area); this is an urban area. However, this article focuses on the metropolitan area, that is a large population center consisting of a large city and its adjacent zone of influence.
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[edit] Scope of the Area
The municipalities that have been historically associated with the Thessaloniki metropolitan area (and are part of the current urban area), in descending order of population are Thessaloniki, Kalamaria, Evosmos, Stavroupoli, Ampelokipoi, Sykies, Polichni, Neapoli, Pylaia, Eleftherio-Kordelio, Menemeni, Triandria, Agios Pavlos and the community of Efkarpia.
However, with urban sprawl, more municipalities are being interconnected with the growing region. The region now consists of all the traditional areas noted above as well as the newly emerging suburbs and exurbs to the east, north, northwest, and southeast of the city. Also, the industrial areas to the west are becoming more interwoven with the fabric of the city as new infrastructure encroaches on these areas.
Two old suburbs that are increasingly coalescing into the metropolitan area, due to its expansion and new transportation networks are those of Oraiokastro and Panorama. Oraiokastro has traditionally been a middle class suburb. Panorama has been a more upscale suburb.
The main eastern and southern suburbs include the municipalities of Thermi, Chortiatis, Vasilika and Mikra. The western expansion includes the municipalities of Echedoros, and Chalastra.
[edit] Demographics
The municipalities to the west of Thessaloniki are increasingly becoming home to new immigrants and are predominantly working class areas. The newly emerging suburbs to the east are where the vast majority of the middle income residents are moving to. Many of these suburbs are seeing rapid growth and development, and infrastructure is not keeping pace.
[edit] Growth Issues
Planning is a serious issue. Housing is built before most infrastructure. Roads are paved well after developments have sprung up. Sidewalks, outside of the city center, are almost nonexistent. Where they do exist, they are in either poor condition, too narrow, or used for parking vehicles. The few Public spaces that do exist are either rundown, or show an utter lack of care and maintenance.
There is no commuter rail connecting the suburbs to the city center, nor is there a plan for one. At best, there are sporadic bus lines.
A lack of local zoning regulations means that one will find apartment buildings next to single family homes. Floor Area Ratios (FAR) are recommended by the national government and do not address the needs of the local people. It is common practice to violate the FARs by building structures that are larger than recommended.
Maisonettes and apartment buildings are the most common type of dwellings one will encounter in the area. Developers have taken advantage of a housing and population boom to build many units quickly. This has often come at the expense of quality workmanship and a care for the character of the neighborhood. A cookie cutter approach has been taken in order to maximize profits for the developers. One will see the same unimaginative box style dwellings throughout the metropolitan area.
No care is taken to save any trees or vegetation, which is frequently seen as an obstacle to development. The whole metropolitan area is awash in cement and there are no public space requirements in order to build.
[edit] Population of the Area
By far the largest municipality is Thessaloniki. The table below lists population from the 2001 Census.
Table source: National Statistical Service of Greece
| Municipality[1] | Population | Area in km2[2] (square miles) | Population Density in persons per km2 (persons per square mile) | Average Elevation in meters above sea level (feet above sea level) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thessaloniki | 385,406 | 17.817 (11.07) | 21,631.36 (34,812.3) | 20 (65.62) |
| Kalamaria | 90,096 | 6.401 (3.98) | 14,075.30 (22,652) | 35 (114.83) |
| Evosmos | 54,825 | 9.927 (6.17) | 5,522.82 (8,888.11) | 35 (114.83) |
| Stavroupoli | 43,576 | 3.175 (1.97) | 13,724.72 (22,087.8) | 50 (164.04) |
| Ampelokipon | 43,016 | 1.803 (1.12) | 23,858.01 (38,395.75) | 5 (16.40) |
| Sykies | 42,787 | 7.982 (4.96) | 5,360.44 (8,626.79) | 100 (328.08) |
| Polihni | 37,569 | 7.325 (4.55) | 5,128.87 (8,254.12) | 90 (295.28) |
| Neapoli | 31,830 | 1.168 (0.73) | 27,251.71 (43,857.38) | 70 (229.66) |
| Ehethorou | 23,565 | 103.147/102.922 (64.09/63.95) | 228.46 (368.48) | 14 (45.93) |
| Pylaias | 22,928 | 24.379 (15.15) | 940.48 (1,513.56) | 90 (295.28) |
| Eleftherio-Kordelio | 22,349 | 3.431 (2.13) | 6,513.84 (10,483.02) | 18 (59.06) |
| Thermaikou | 19,802 | 20.3 (12.61) | 975.47 (1,569.86) | 47 (154.20) |
| Thermi | 16,014 | 100.943 (62.72) | 158.64 (255.31) | 63 (206.69) |
| Menemeni | 15,133 | 7.989 (4.96) | 1,894.23 (3,048.47) | 18 (59.06) |
| Panorama | 14,456 | 21.321 (13.25) | 678.02 (1,091.16) | 340 (1,115.49) |
| Chortiatis | 12,538 | 109.934 (68.31) | 114.05 (183.55) | 475 (1,558.4) |
| Oraiokastron | 11,987 | 21.855 (13.58) | 548.48 (882.69) | 200 (656.17) |
| Triandria | 11,750 | 1.475 (0.92) | 7,966.10 (12,820.2) | 80 (262.47) |
| Mikras | 10,146 | 80.827 (50.22) | 125.53 (202.02) | 157 (515.09) |
| Chalastra | 9,903 | 121.415/117.690 (75.44/73.13) | 81.56 (135.42) | 8 (26.25) |
| Mihaniona | 9,186 | 21.569/20.994 (13.40/13.05) | 425.89 (704.17) | 29 (95.14) |
| Vasilika | 8,276 | 200.336 (124.48) | 41.31 (66.48) | 203 (666.01) |
| Agios Pavlos | 8,192 | 1.953 (1.21) | 4,194.57 (6,750.51) | 140 (459.32) |
| Epanomi | 8,138 | 91.541/91.491 (56.88/56.85) | 88.9 (143.15) | 58 (190.29) |
| Axios | 6,738 | 86.532/85.042 (53.77/52.84) | 77.87 (127.51) | 8 (26.25) |
| Pefka | 6,465 | 1.8 (1.12) | 3,591.67 (5,780.23) | 230 (754.59) |
| Efkarpia | 6,442 | 13.263 (8.24) | 485.71 (781.68) | 110 (360.89) |
| Urban Area | 815,899 | 108.088 (67.16) | 7,548.47 (12,148.08) | 61.5 (201.77) |
| Metropolitan Area | 973,113 | 1,089.608/1,083.543 (677.05/673.28) | 893.09 (1,445.33) | 100 (328.08) |
- ^ Municipalities in italics are part of the urban area
- ^ Number after slash denotes area exclusive of internal water bodies
