Strategic Plan of Sustainable Urban Development of the Metropolitan area of Thessaloniki.

Thessaloniki is a lively, multicultural & polycentric city which requires cooperation in order to succeed Sustainable Urban Development. The key element was putting forward a participatory process with the citizens & various actors of the city at a metropolitan level. Strategic Plan of Sustainable Urban Development of Thessaloniki entails the collaboration of local citizens, civil society, Industry & various levels of government, in particular the Metropolitan Unity of Thessaloniki of RCM as intermediate body & 8 municipalities (Ampelokipoi-Menemeni, Thessaloniki, Kalamaria, Kordelio-Evosmos, Neapoli-Sykies, Pavlou Mela, Pylea–Chortiatis and Delta). A two-phase process was followed. Firstly, the Monitoring Committee was established. The main objectives of the Committee are: Initiate dialogue and broad engagement of the local authorities; Segregation of duties; Metropolitan planning and implementing. Secondly, a specific procedure of consultations, public meeting, exchange of knowledge & participatory events was used to ensure that the final proposed strategy would be accepted by all the stakeholders and will include their expectations. Data analysis & evaluation was made using multi-criteria analysis, a widely used framework to understand challenges, capabilities, weaknesses & perspectives at various dimensions of urban life. The vision is summarized in “Renaissance of the city and the formation of a sustainable living and working environment for the inhabitants”