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Session 28

Integrating Geography and Planning: Urban types, mobility patterns and spatial justice in contemporary planning research

Organisers: Yannis Paraskevopoulos (National Technical University of Athens), Staefanos Tsigdinos (University of West Attica), Efthimios Bakogiannis (National Technical University of Athens)

  • Saturday, 28 November 2026 · 09:30–11:00, 11:30–13:00, 14:00–15:30

    Room 5, Harokopio University of Athens (HUA)

About this session
Planning in the era of complexity should function as a converging nexus involving multiple disciplines and methods. Hence, practice and academic research should strive for integrated approaches that take a comprehensive view of urban and transport dimensions, while utilising diverse knowledge sources to decode (and plan) the contemporary city. Over the past decade, rapid urban redevelopment, touristification, and housing financialisation have reshaped central areas, amplifying patterns of exclusion and inequality. Against this backdrop, this session explores urban types, mobility patterns and their interrelations, bridging urban geography and planning to reconsider spatial planning through an inclusivity and justice perspective. To this end, spatial analysis that incorporates both evidence-based and community-based layers can be key to a more inclusive interpretation of the ongoing urban processes, towards socially-biased planning approaches. Scenario development constitutes another centrepiece of this session, treating future-oriented planning not as a simple projection but as a structured conceptual and methodological process capable of addressing the various challenges and uncertainties of planning. To achieve this, a critical approach that revisits traditional planning principles is particularly relevant. The session, therefore, foregrounds questions of inclusivity and justice: are (current or future) planning strategies prioritising local communities and vulnerable groups, or do they reproduce existing inequities? This session welcomes methodological, empirical, and theoretical contributions that examine the interplay between urban form, mobility patterns and socio-spatial inequalities across different contexts and scales. Particular emphasis is placed on spatial analysis as a core analytical lens, encouraging mixed-method or quantitative approaches, while also inviting critical reflection on the role of urban data and spatial metrics in planning processes. Contributions may also engage with scenario-building approaches or relevant participatory methodologies, and submissions that bridge analytical insights and planning implications, while remaining attentive to questions of equity and inclusion, will be particularly relevant to this session.

Presentations are currently listed in alphabetical order (by first author). The final order of presentations has not yet been confirmed and will be announced soon.

Presentations12

  1. A MICMAC-Based Analysis of Urban Accessibility: Interdependent Infrastructure and Public Space Factors Affecting Older Adults and People with Disabilities

    Erika Aliaj, Ioannis Chatziioannou

    • National Technical University of Athens
    Abstract
    Access to transport systems, public buildings, healthcare, education, and daily activities is a fundamental social right that underpins autonomy and social inclusion. Despite significant technological advancements that offer new opportunities to improve accessibility, major barriers persist in the urban environment, often reinforcing social inequalities and exclusion. Older adults and people with disabilities continue to face physical, sensory, and cognitive obstacles in everyday urban life, including inaccessible transport systems and inadequate infrastructure that generate a hostile environment for them, keeping them isolated within their houses and without the opportunity to be seen by the rest of the population, to interact with them, and the city. Using a solid participatory planning methodology such as Structural Analysis–MICMAC, this study identifies and evaluates the factors in the urban environment that shape the everyday experiences and inclusion of vulnerable social groups. Through experts' consultation, this research maps and organizes in order of importance the interdependencies among critical social, built environment, and spatial variables, focusing specifically on urban infrastructure and public space elements that shape how vulnerable populations navigate and experience urban space. The paper aligns these factors with existing urban and social policy frameworks and proposes actionable recommendations, including targeted investment in accessible transport, inclusive public infrastructure, and user-centred technological innovation. This work provides valuable insights for shaping urban environments that respond more effectively to social vulnerability and promote resilient, inclusive, and human-friendly cities.

  2. How to govern mobility hubs for integrated transport and urban planning

    Vasiliki Amprasi, Panagiotis Papantoniou, Dimosthenis Pavlou

    • University of West Attica
    Abstract
    Mobility systems today reflect territorial inequalities. While metropolitan areas are typically characterized by congestion, environmental pressures, and overburdened infrastructure, rural and peri-urban regions often experience limited connectivity and inadequate public transport provision. These uneven conditions restrict access to opportunities and raise critical questions of spatial justice in contemporary planning. Within this context, mobility hubs have gained attention as integrated nodes that combine public transport, shared mobility services, and complementary non-mobility functions in a single location. Beyond their operational role, mobility hubs can act as spatial instruments to rebalance accessibility and improve first- and last-mile connectivity across different territorial settings. This study explores how governance structures can support the effective integration of mobility hubs into existing transport systems, with a particular focus on their potential to address spatial disparities. Drawing on evidence from good practices and desktop research in six Mediterranean countries (Greece, Spain, Italy, Malta, Cyprus, and Bosnia and Herzegovina), the study examines institutional arrangements, coordination mechanisms, regulatory frameworks and public–private collaboration models that influence implementation. The analysis highlights the importance of context-sensitive and participatory governance approaches, capable of aligning diverse stakeholders while responding to local spatial characteristics. Special attention is given to how planning and governance decisions shape accessibility outcomes, user inclusion and the integration of mobility and non-mobility services. By linking governance structures with transport and urban perspectives, the study contributes to ongoing debates on inclusive and integrated mobility systems. It argues that well-designed governance frameworks are critical not only for enabling the operational success of mobility hubs, but also for enhancing territorial cohesion and supporting more equitable mobility patterns across urban and rural areas. Keywords: mobility hubs, governance structures, integrated transport planning, multimodal integration

  3. Governing the Urban Periphery: TOKİ as an Apparatus of Neoliberal Governmentality in Turkey

    Orçun Çobangil

    • Dokuz Eylül University
    Abstract
    Over the past decades, the Mass Housing Development Administration in Turkey (TOKİ) has radically transformed the Turkish urban landscape, facilitating a massive transition from informal squatter (gecekondu) settlements to standardized, high-rise social housing complexes. While existing scholarship predominantly critiques TOKİ through the lenses of political economy and neoliberal urbanism, there is a notable gap regarding the subtle mechanisms of power that regulate the daily lives of residents. My presentation will address this gap by employing Michel Foucault’s concept of governmentality to analyze TOKİ not merely as a provider of shelter or an instrument of neoliberal urban policies, but as a sophisticated apparatus for the “conduct of conduct.” In this regard, I will employ a critical Foucaultian discourse analysis of official TOKİ policy documents and a meta-synthesis of existing ethnographic case studies. By re-evaluating this secondary-data through this framework, I will argue that TOKİ neighborhoods function as laboratories of conduct for this transition from informality to state-sanctioned housing necessities the production of a specific neoliberal subject who is he disciplined, modernized and indebted homeowner. Accordingly, I will explore how spatial normalization, architectural uniformity, and long-term mortgage obligations act as technologies of the self, prompting these homeowners to self-regulate in alignment with state and market interests. Ultimately I will attempt to illustrate that how the biopolitical management of populations founded mostly within the urban periphery is exercised through TOKİ policies.

  4. Mobility and the production of inequality: an intersectional reading of everyday movement

    Angeliki Coconi

    • University of Florence
    Abstract
    Urban mobility unfolds as a relational practice shaped through intersecting positions of gender, cultural background, linguistic fluency, socioeconomic position and bureaucratic accessibility, and this paper draws on travel diaries from international students in Florence to examine how movement takes form within these overlapping conditions. The analysis follows how a set of pressures reconfigure mobility by narrowing spatial reach, fixing certain areas as off-limits, and orienting everyday travel around anticipation and embodied memory, so that the city is encountered through a continually adjusted map of where one can go and how. Within this field, movement is sustained through strategies that both enable and reveal its conditions — cycling is mobilised as an anti-harassment technology, valued for the possibility of remaining in motion and limiting unwanted interaction, while the reshaping of self-presentation, including the projection of a more masculine presence, allows some travellers to pass through space with reduced scrutiny, effectively borrowing a different position within the social order of the street. Mobility thus becomes the terrain through which uneven urban participation takes shape, as the capacity to move and remain present in the city depends on how exposure, information and administrative access are organised across different bodies. For planning, this directs attention towards the interactional and institutional arrangements that structure mobility environments, raising questions about how exposure is distributed in space, how information circulates across linguistic boundaries, and how administrative procedures condition access to movement, and it is at this level that the paper locates its contribution, in showing how close attention to everyday mobility can inform planning approaches that address inequality at the level where it is generated.

  5. Inclusive Routes, Uneven Cities: Accessibility Mapping and Spatial Justice in the Municipality of Athens

    Christos Kontopoulos, Avgerinos Tegopoulos, Anna Papadima

    • Geosystems Hellas S.A., Athens, Greece
    Abstract
    This research presents an accessibility mapping initiative in the Municipality of Athens, focusing on the development of inclusive routes and points of interest across the urban environment. The project integrates spatial data on public transport, sports facilities, municipal services, and other key urban amenities. The initiative is developed through a collaborative framework that brings together diverse forms of expertise, including local knowledge, user-informed perspectives, and geospatial analysis. To operationalize this spatial data, the project utilizes Mapbox technology, as its primary web-mapping platform, selected for its advanced customization capabilities and superior performance in rendering complex interactive maps. It results in the creation of curated routes that support more inclusive navigation and engagement with the city, enhancing both everyday mobility and the urban experience of residents and visitors. Beyond its technical dimension, the project engages with broader questions of spatial justice and urban inclusion. It highlights uneven geographies of accessibility within the city and demonstrates how mapping practices can contribute to identifying gaps and informing more inclusive urban planning strategies. In this sense, accessibility is approached not only as a technical issue but also as a socio-spatial condition embedded in everyday urban life. The study contributes to discussions on inclusive urban mobility and tourism, offering a practical example of how digital tools and collaborative processes can support more equitable and inclusive cities.

  6. Spatiotemporal perspectives on road safety. Geo-statistical analysis of road accidents in the Attica Region, Greece

    Ilias Machairas

    • National Technical University of Athens
    Abstract
    Road safety remains a pivotal concern in urban areas, regardless of their size. Among different types of road accidents, fatal road accidents (FRAs) pose critical challenges, especially in Greece, where their incidence is notably higher than in Northern European countries. The present study examines FRAs within the Attica Region of Greece using geostatistical methods and shedding light on three categories of casualties: total casualties, non-pedestrian casualties, and pedestrian casualties. It should be mentioned that variables related to road infrastructure, land use, and socioeconomic factors were evaluated, with optimal models determined through exploratory regression analysis. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) techniques were employed to compare model performance and explore the impact of key predictors in detail. Notably, the findings indicate that the proportion of residen-tial roads and the density of traffic lights significantly affect accident occurrence. What is more, socioeconomic disadvantage, represented by limited internet ac-cess and low vehicle ownership, was evidently associated with higher accident rates. Although GWR only outperformed OLS in modelling non-pedestrian cas-ualties, it highlighted spatial variability across all casualty types, urging the need for geographically targeted road safety policies and interventions.

  7. Investigation Gentrification Typologies for the Perspective of Urban Development in Attiki Basin

    Evrydiki Maria Markopoulou, Maria Pigaki

    • National Technical University of Athens
    Abstract
    Despite positive effects, there is evidence of gentrification causing segregation and displacement in urban population. This study investigates gentrification in the Attiki basin, its categorization in three different typologies (marginal, mainstream and super gentrification) and potential and development in the future. We believe that Athens embodies the role model of a “Touristic City” and it is indicated from previous authors that touristification is most likely the prominent urban typology in touristic areas. A combination of sociodemographic data and Space Syntax methods were applied to determine the influence of certain points of interest (bicycle lanes, squares, subway stations, pedestrian areas, archaeological monuments) in the urban fabric. The findings show that (i) marginal gentrification is to be found in the western areas, mainstream gentrification near the City Center and super gentrification in the northern and southern suburbs, which are linked to the specific demographics of the population in each area. (ii) Moreover, the metro lines influence in a great level the development of gentrification. (iii) Finally, touristification is likely to have developed in the historical center rather than mainstream gentrification.

  8. The 15-minute city in spatial analysis: A GIS methodology for measuring, visualizing, and analyzing accessibility through proximity and public transport

    Kostas Mouratidis

    • Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
    Abstract
    The 15-minute city can offer a meaningful framework for measuring and analyzing accessibility to basic urban functions, if proper theoretical and methodological choices are made. This paper develops a comprehensive methodology and presents the steps for measuring, visualizing, and analyzing x-minute accessibility by proximity (walking accessibility) and accessibility by public transport supply (accessibility potential created by nearby public transport services) using geographic information systems (GIS). Five sequential steps are presented: project definition, data preparation, measuring accessibility, visualizing accessibility and insufficient accessibility, and analyzing accessibility using spatial statistical analysis and modeling. The proposed approach is applied to Copenhagen. Results indicate that, even in a city where sustainable mobility is prominent, there are spatial clusters of lack of accessibility and insufficient accessibility, lying mainly in suburban locations. Proximity-based accessibility and accessibility by public transport supply are found to highly overlap across space. Moreover, density was found to largely predict both 15-minute walking accessibility to local destinations and accessibility to other areas via public transport. This approach can be used as a guide by those aiming to understand the patterns and drivers of accessibility across space, reveal socio-spatial inequalities, and identify locations for potential interventions that improve walking accessibility and reduce car dependence.

  9. The Polycrisis and the Mediterranean City: Prospects for a Spatially Just Transition in Athens

    Liam O'Farrell1, Vasiliki Kaisidou2, Dimitrios Tsomokos3

    • 1University of Latvia
    • 2Independent researcher
    • 3Delphi Economic Forum
    Abstract
    Athens, one of Europe’s hottest cities, is home to over 3.7 million people in its metropolitan area, putting it among the ten largest agglomerations in the EU. Athens’ core is also one of Europe’s densest urban areas. These conditions, along with the challenges of the polycrisis era, underscore the urgency of pursuing a just transition towards an ecologically, economically and socially sustainable urban model. Greece has experienced the deepest economic recession of any developed country in peacetime, while extreme weather events have led to increasing incidences of wildfire, drought and flash flooding in the city. Against this backdrop, we examine the prospects for a spatially just transition in Athens: one that ensures the benefits of climate adaptations and economic interventions are fairly distributed in the city. Drawing on qualitative research with key local stakeholders, this study explores perceived barriers and opportunities for achieving such a just transition. By providing contemporary insights on a major European city that remains relatively understudied, this paper contributes to debates on urban transitions and spatial justice in Mediterranean urban contexts. The findings have broader relevance for cities across the Mediterranean, one of the planet’s most vulnerable regions in the climate crisis.

  10. Urban form types and centralities as an analytical framework for integrated urbanism: An open data approach

    Yannis Paraskevopoulos, Efthimios Bakogiannis

    • National Technical University of Athens
    Abstract
    Contemporary cities are characterised by complex spatial structures that require comprehensive approaches capable of linking urban geography, spatial analysis and planning. Therefore, framing this session, this contribution discusses the findings of doctoral research on the role of urban form types and centres as an analytical geospatial framework integrating geography and planning for reading, understanding and discussing urban issues. Patterns and nodes have long functioned as the conceptual tools to this end; however, their translation into a geospatial analytical framework for integrated urbanism-mobility planning remains limited. This presentation outlines the development of a methodological framework that combines composite urban form types with walk-oriented centrality clusters as the main analytical vehicle for integrated urbanism. The proposed framework builds on quantitative typo-morphology and centrality analysis, using open geospatial data to describe the city through two complementary dimensions. First, composite urban form types are developed for built density, functional mixture and network configuration, providing a modular spatial language for interpreting urban form. Second, walk-oriented centres are identified through a multi-dimensional centrality approach that combines the density and diversity of centrality components, including activity concentration, network centrality, public transport accessibility and access to urban green and active leisure spaces. The framework is implemented in Athens, offering a detailed reading of the geography of urban form types and centrality clusters. Its contribution is twofold. First, it provides a replicable, transferable (and scalable towards comparative analysis) way to interpret the spatial structure of the city through its form, functions and centralities. Second, it supports planning by translating spatial analysis into legible, actionable outputs relevant to walk-oriented, integrated urbanism. In doing so, this contribution argues that types and centres can be utilised as a shared analytical language for linking spatial analysis and early-stage spatial strategy, with a view towards participatory approaches.

  11. Pilot investigation of data availability for the adoption of automated disaggregated travel demand models in Athens, Greece

    Natalia Seltsioti1, Panagiotis G. Tzouras2

    • 1Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, University of West Attica
    • 2Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, University of West Attica | School of Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, National Technical University of Athens
    Abstract
    The development of disaggregated travel demand models constitutes an innovative approach to addressing contemporary challenges in the transport sector. These models are based on representing the activities that a “synthetic” traveler is expected to perform. Major European cities, such as Berlin, Germany and Paris, France have already advanced in developing agent-based transport simulation models. In Athens, however, current practice remains limited to aggregate transport models. As a result, spatiotemporal demand variations are neither adequately captured nor predicted. This study examines the availability of data necessary for developing disaggregated travel demand models in Athens, Greece. Building on this, it provides a qualitative evaluation of the suitability of four, already utilized, modeling frameworks: CEMDAP, the Equasim pipeline, Creario, and PAM. To meet this objective, a workshop with a heterogeneous group of 10 experts, coming from various disciplines of planning studies, was organized in February 2026. The workshop was structured around a sheet, through which experts reported their knowledge of dataset availability based on four levels: (i) openly accessible data, (ii) data available upon request, (iii) data not available, and (iv) unknown availability. In addition, data requirements were organized into five main categories: population data, trip and activity data, empirical data, spatial data, and measurements. A key output of this process is the development of the final mobility data map that sheds light on availability, ownership, and provides direct links for downloading and inspecting open sets. Furthermore, the data map includes experts' views regarding the challenges arising from the quality and accessibility of each set, as they were discussed in the workshop. Of course, the map highlights significant gaps, particularly in dynamic data such as trip diaries and traffic flow data in Athens neighborhoods, as well as the absence of standardized protocols for integrating these datasets.

  12. Pedestrian Infrastructure, Spatial Justice, and Healthcare Mobility for Older Adults

    Nikolaos Stasinos, Kleomenis Kalogeropoulos, Andreas Tsatsaris, Marianna Mantzorou

    • University of West Attica
    Abstract
    As urban population age, pedestrian infrastructure emerges as a critical dimension of urban mobility justice. This study investigates how micro-scale sidewalk conditions shape healthcare accessibility for older adults in Egaleo, West Athens, which is a municipality experiencing pronounced demographic aging, with direct implications for inclusive urban planning. Using a GIS-based methodology, sidewalk conditions within a 500-meters catchment around the Health Center were assessed through a Virtual Audit of 12 accessibility factors, scored via a standardized composite index. A novel based routing algorithm prioritized the "easiest" path over the shortest distance, reflecting the spatial cognition and constraints characteristic of older adults. A total of 841 origin points, derived from census block grid and the pedestrian network grid, served as the basis for route-level analysis. The findings revealed a statistically significant accessibility gap between routes to the Health Center (mean score 2.76), compared to the broader study area (mean score 3.17). Moreover, a negative spatial correlation (r = -0.20, p < 0.001) confirmed that urban blocks with the highest concentrations of older residents consistently present the poorest infrastructure. The LISA analysis, identified spatially clustered "Accessibility Deserts" where a 92.5% absence of crosswalks and an 81.7% obstruction rate, was present. In parallel, a Global Moran's I of 0.912 confirmed near-perfect spatial autocorrelation, demonstrating that infrastructure failure is not random but structurally embedded in the urban fabric of the city. These results show a planning paradox, where the areas that need walkable, accessible streets, are lacking infrastructure. The current pedestrian environment functions as a spatial barrier, reproducing mobility inequity and reinforcing socio-spatial disadvantages for the city's most vulnerable residents. This study highlights the need for a transition toward age-sensitive urban design. Moving beyond mere functional utility, the proposed framework addresses the specific needs of older adults to foster inclusive and spatially just urban environments.