Proceedings of the 2nd WSEAS International Conference on URBAN PLANNING and TRANSPORTATION THE ACCESSIBILITY OF INLAND MAGNESIA COASTS, GREECE, IN THE SUSTAINABLE TOURISTIC PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT EFSTATHIOS KOUTSERIS, Department of Planning and Regional Development. University of Thessaly, Pefkakia 38500, Volos, GREECE, email: [email protected] Abstract: -The inshore area of each country is of great significance as a large part of human and natural activities is centred in it, whereas at the same time it is faced with certain problems arising from strains and conflicts. Furthermore, due to its expanse, geomorphology and usage, the problems and development potential call for a sensible environmental area management within the framework of a sustainable touristic planning (STP). Nowadays, the sustainable area management is being researched, taking into account new concepts such as the carrying capacity of touristic development (CCTD), the environmental capacity (EC) and the accessibility. In a previous research carried out by the Prefecture of Magnesia, Greece, three were the methods employed for the estimation of the programming sizes necessary for approximating the EC, including also a forecast up to the year 2010; the methods in question were: water, coastal capacity and parking. So, how can the accessibility and CCTD be gauged with regards to the environmental capacity and result in the optimum STP and development? The present article is aiming at rendering as comprehensible as possible the formation, type and form of the coasts as well as at classifying the accessibility afresh in order to research the environmental capacity in a more thorough way. That as an element pertains to the CCTD and provides thus a more effective STP, zoning and development of the coastal inland area of the Prefecture in question. Keywords: accessibility, sustainable touristic planning, environmental capacity, zoning. sizes necessary for approximating the capacity and 1 Introduction the CCTD, including also a forecast up to the year 2010; the methods in question were: water, coastal The inshore area of the Prefecture of Magnesia is a capacity and parking. In the present document, there sensitive area of intense activity, faced with various is in the first place, an additional correlation strains on growth; its development was mainly between STP and the accessibility as an element founded on the “random” growth process – based on pertaining to CCTD. Next, the morphogenetic the occasional developmental conjectures and drifts formation mechanism of the coasts is explained and – that characterizes almost the entirety of the inshore a better classification of the accessibility of the (and not only) area of Greece, featuring mainly the coastal inland area of the Prefecture of Magnesia absence of programmed, focused and above all coasts, Greece, takes place, in order to divide the mapped out growth process [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. STP more effectively into zones and lead to an The Department of Planning and Regional efficient development [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9]. Development of the University of Thessaly undertook a research project in 2000. Funding was provided by the EU Program LIFE 96ENV/GR/580 – «Information and consensus conditions for the 2. The sustainable touristic sustainable management of Coastal Zones in development and the accessibility of Magnesia» Greece. The project was administered the coasts natural relief as an element and carried out by the Magnesia Development Authority. The program’s aim was to develop a pertaining to the carrying capacity for regional plan for sustainable tourist development of touristic development the coastal areas in the Prefecture of Magnesia. In The necessity of STP does not emerge suddenly; that previous research three were the methods instead, we become aware of it in the course of time, employed for the estimation of the programming mainly in connection with one of its keystones, ISSN: 1790-2769 64 ISBN: 978-960-474-102-1 Proceedings of the 2nd WSEAS International Conference on URBAN PLANNING and TRANSPORTATION which are: control and direction. Furthermore, the moment without permanent environmental directive draft for the viable development of the degradation, ensuring at the same time the ability of Greek coasts focuses mainly on planning the inshore the entire region under examination, in general, to area in a way that will enable it to evolve into a support recreational activities without degrading the “dynamic zone” with width ranging from 2000 m. to visitors’ recreation experience. Consequently, usage 5000 m. from the shore, mostly due to the fact that it is first ad foremost related to certain values and their constitutes the area, upon which, the strain on the upholding or the susceptibility of a wider area to development of human activities is placed. strains and depends on certain environmental Moreover, one of the five goals of integral inshore factors. In addition, this usage depends from management, set since 1997, is the sensible facilities or difficulties of each individual to assess organization of human activities through land every location. Whereas CCTD, apart from planning [1, 2, 4, 5, 6]. protection “focuses on the goal of adhering to At the same time, as it has already being certain environmental limits of touristic mentioned, the sustainable development of tourism development, in a region that define its ‘ability’ for forms the pivotal keystone of touristic planning. long-term preservation” [Kokkosis, 1998 in 1]. So, This sustainable development, whether it is specified more specifically, the CCTD depends on five as such or is being mentioned as moderate/mild categories of tangible and intangible factors. The development is related to the protection of the present document focuses on the first category [1]. environment. Its necessity stems on the one hand From a Special Analysis conducted on a previous from the aggravation of the environmental problems research, it is concluded that significant parameters and on the other hand from raising environmental of environmental capacity, amongst others, are the awareness concerning a development of human investigation of the coaches, the protection of the activities that respect the environment and have a near-stream area, the land usage, the long-term outlook. However, apart from its communications (paths) and the accessibility to each correlation to the alternative forms of tourism, in location [1]. most cases, the direction that such a development should take is not defined. Thus, in a similar vein, various research plans have been occasionally 3. Morphogenetic formation drafted for the region under examination, that aim mechanism of the coasts and a new not only at shaping a land-planning and strategic character, but also at defining the preferences and classification of the accessibility of the differentiations of the tourists visiting the Prefecture coasts in inland Magnesia, Greece of Magnesia [1, 4, 8]. However, the touristic As inshore area is defined the geographical area activities are closely tied up with the intensity they entailing the sea and inland part. The sea part is are practiced as well as with the quality of the delimited entailing at the minimum the area expiring services and capabilities of the existing stretching between the coastline and the isobath of infrastructure. The investigation of the natural and 50 m. The inland part is delimited entailing the area human attributes and parameters that define them stretching between the coastline and the boundaries goes through the examination, recording and of its inshore Municipalities [University of the analysis of a wider area and all its development Aegean 1997 in 1]. The entire Prefecture of processes. Approaching and dealing with them in a Magnesia that is under examination is considered as fragmentary way could lead to mediocre and often inshore region. ineffectual process [3]. So, a more thorough reconnaissance study could entail, not only empirically, all the above 3.1. Morphogenetic formation mechanism of mentioned factors and parameters for an improved the coasts approach and management of the natural resources Grasping the formation process of the coasts as well in relation to the development of tourism but also as the factors – mechanisms they depend on, could reveal certain characteristics that the area itself lead to a more substantial comprehension of the lends. Thus, we could pinpoint more effectively the analysis and approach to the environmental capacity degree of susceptibility and the repercussions the and by extension of the carrying capacity. A concise ecosystem suffers by man himself [10]. theoretical approach to the morphogenetic formation Therefore, as bolt capacity in relation to the mechanism of the coasts is presented in this touristic development is defined the numbers of subchapter [Koutseris in 1]. users each touristic location can sustain at a given ISSN: 1790-2769 65 ISBN: 978-960-474-102-1 Proceedings of the 2nd WSEAS International Conference on URBAN PLANNING and TRANSPORTATION The sea natural relief and more specifically the two reasons. bed of the sea are closely connected to the First, especially during the winter, in many sedimentation. The depositions occurring in the sea regions occurs a fluctuation in the inshore area of background of materials coming from the inland the coasts, monthly and annually, that alters their cover mainly the continental shelf and the highest form and the surface of the inshore area (e.g. East part of the continental or sea declivity. These Pelion, Skiathos due to the North and Northeast depositions are just torrential, are part of the winds there is a reduction in the width of the coasts subsequent deposition formations [11, 12 p. 19], and [10]. Second, these changes are very interesting, are resulting from the ground erosion. It has been especially about recording the way of approach and argued “that in a depth of up to 200 m. the formation accessibility of the coasts in the STP and the of the relief is almost solely a result of the estimation of the CCTD, that has been already erosion…” [11 p.