PERIURBAN RURAL-AREAS IN GREECE - THE CASE OF ATTICA

THE ISSUE OF peri-urban areas and their future is of growing concern. Among the various developments that influence the future of rural area s, the pressure of modern evolution and the urban way of life are of p aramount importance, especially to the regions near urban centres. The consequences can be observed at socio-economic, cultural and politica l levels, as well as at individual farm level in terms of its organiza tion and management. This pressure expresses itself in various ways: ( i) land is subject to antagonistic interests and forces, (ii) the envi ronment and natural balance in particular are threatened (from an ecol ogical perspective), (iii) in the social and cultural sphere new lifes tyles and consumption patterns are introduced and, last but not least, (iv) the particular economic organization of the society undergoes ra pid change. The continuous expansion of most urban centres results in the gradual shrinkage of the surrounding rural area, which in turn ent ails significant sociocultural and economic restructuring. In other wo rds, the peri-urban area appears, more than any other geographical reg ion, to be a world in perpetual movement. At individual farm level, th is constant restructuring, as well as the adaptation of production and management practices to the ever-changing market needs are a prerequi site for survival.