Study by the University of Aegean on unregulated construction

With information from ecopress.gr

The study from the Department of Geography of the University of Aegean was carried out under the leadership of Dr. Georgios Tsilimigkas, Professor of Spatial and Urban Planning, Dr. Evangelia–Theodora Derdemezi, and Efstratia Chatzi, PhD candidate.

“Unregulated construction on the islands of the South Aegean has become one of the most critical factors in the degradation of the natural and cultural landscape,” the study emphasizes, presenting data showing that:

• 80% and above of archaeological areas on Mykonos and Naxos have already been affected by unregulated construction.
• 60% and above of built-up areas in Antiparos, Irakleia, Kea, Mykonos, Paros, and Patmos lie outside settlement boundaries, meaning in zones with more “relaxed” building regulations.
• In Patmos, this figure reaches 86%, though only 2% concerns cultural zones.
• 20% of Santorini’s construction is outside settlement boundaries, but 80% of that affects cultural landscapes.
• In Rhodes, unregulated construction reaches 46%, with 53% impacting cultural heritage sites.

The research covers 37 islands of the South Aegean Region, presenting detailed data on the extent of unregulated construction and documenting overlaps between built areas and zones of cultural protection.

The region has 48 islands in total, of which only those with legally defined settlement boundaries and recorded cultural assets are examined. The area includes 15 Dodecanese islands and 33 Cycladic islands, covering 5,286 square kilometers, with a population approaching 400,000 inhabitants according to official censuses.

On many islands, the percentage of construction outside settlement limits is high:

• Syros: 53.63% within settlements, 46.37% outside
• Mykonos: 89% outside
• Paros: 60% outside
• Naxos: 48% outside
• Patmos: 86% outside
• Andros: 53% outside
• Santorini: 20% outside

In the Dodecanese, the percentages confirm the presence of extensive unregulated construction. Kos shows 52% of construction outside settlements, and Rhodes 46%. These values show that the pressure is not limited to smaller islands or those with the highest tourist traffic but extends across the entire island group.

The researchers identify six islands where out-of-boundary construction exceeds 60%: among the Dodecanese, Patmos; and among the Cyclades, Antiparos, Irakleia, Kea, Mykonos, and Paros. This situation is linked to tourism development and the spread of second homes.

The key question of the study concerns the extent to which unregulated construction intersects with culturally significant zones.

In Patmos, construction outside settlements reaches 86% of the total built area. The island has strong monumental elements and, according to the study, pressure on cultural landscapes is increasing due to new constructions in non-urban areas.

Based on the study’s conclusions, ten fundamental policy directives are proposed to establish a new balance between development and protection on the islands:

1. Curbing the uncontrolled spread of construction
2. Completing and activating urban plans
3. Ensuring coherence between local, regional, and national planning
4. Strengthening the implementation and enforcement of legislation
5. Creating a spatial planning observatory
6. Absolute protection of coastal and culturally sensitive zones
7. Reforming the tourism development model
8. Regulating the expansion of second homes
9. Integrating advanced geoinformation tools
10. Linking planning with socioeconomic data

Conclusions for Patmos

Before reading the study’s data for Patmos, we believed that – despite the strict protection laws governing the island (historical site, area of special natural beauty, sacred site, ZOE zoning status) – there were indeed violations of the legal framework for unregulated construction, but we did not imagine that the percentage of construction in out-of-plan areas on Patmos (86%) would rival that of Mykonos (89%).

The warning that the island risks becoming “another Mykonos” had seemed like an exaggeration.

And yet—it wasn’t.

Uncontrolled construction by the responsible authorities has reached a critical point, and unless strict measures are taken, with absolute adherence to and enforcement of the laws, we will face the irreversible destruction of Patmos’ unique landscape.

The continuous building of vacation homes or houses intended for tourist exploitation serves the voracious pursuit of profit and consumerist dreams (villas of over 200–300 sq.m. with pools, if not private beaches) and in no way serves the housing needs of the local population.

On the contrary, not only outsiders, but now impersonal investment companies are becoming owners of the increasingly expensive plots and houses being built. Locals are gradually becoming spectators of a type of development that threatens their properties and businesses and transforms their homeland into foreign land, identical to other tourist destinations worldwide.

The signs are now indisputable evidence, and the responsibility for the future we want concerns all of us.

Access the full study HERE