Restructuring local-level spatial planning in Greece amid the recession and recovery period: trends and challenges

ABSTRACT The paper examines the restructuring of local-level spatial planning in Greece during and after the crisis period. It analyses the reform paths that were developed and assesses the directions of change concerning the scope of planning, the actors and the practices. The paper concludes that the orientation has turned towards special-purpose planning, the privatisation of planning powers, and the transfer of planning power to the central state. However, despite these shifts, the domestic local-level planning maintains its long trends, such as clientelism and conformative approach, making the trajectory of planning unpredictable.