Public spaces as agents of inclusive and sustainable urban transformations. The case study of “Xersonisos tis Panagias” in Kavala, Greece

Abstract

Even though public spaces reshape urban areas and act as sites of hope, we note significant differences in their role in small and big urban areas. Considering the important challenges encountered worldwide, the paper tries to answer the question of how public spaces in small and medium-sized cities could work as agents of inclusive and sustainable urban transformations and thus lead to positive changes in the development of urban areas. The choice of the case study “Xersonisos tis Panagias” in the city of Kavala in Northern Greece was based on the necessity to propose a planning methodology for public spaces which focuses on existing local power dynamics as a means towards an inclusive and equitable living environment for the inhabitants of these areas.