SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THREE GREEK CITIES

Universal Design has emerged as an increasingly important approach to the development of inclusive, accessible, and sustainable environments. Its significance extends beyond the provision of technical accessibility measures, as it addresses the ability of people with different physical, sensory, cognitive, and social characteristics to participate independently and equitably in everyday life. In the urban environment, this perspective is particularly important because streets, pavements, public transportation, squares, cultural sites, and public buildings form interconnected systems through which people move and interact.
This study investigates the relationship between Universal Design and sustainable urban development through a comparative analysis of three Greek cities: Larissa, Trikala, and Athens, within the framework of a study conducted based on questionnaires and interviews with responsible municipal officials. The research adopts a qualitative multiple-case-study methodology combining an extensive literature review, analysis of planning and municipal documentation, examination of urban interventions, and qualitative primary research based on semi-structured interviews with relevant municipal authorities. The three cities were selected because they demonstrate different approaches to accessibility, sustainable mobility, public-space transformation, and urban innovation.
The findings indicate that Universal Design is implemented differently according to the spatial, social, cultural, historical, and institutional characteristics of each city. Larissa demonstrates a transitional approach associated with the gradual modernization and adaptation of the existing urban fabric. Trikala represents a more integrated model in which accessibility is connected with sustainable mobility, smart-city initiatives, and urban innovation. Athens illustrates a cultural and pedestrian model in which accessibility and sustainable mobility intersect with the preservation and enhancement of the historic urban environment.
The study argues that the effectiveness of Universal Design cannot be evaluated exclusively through the existence of individual accessible elements. Rather, accessibility depends on the continuity of routes, the coherence of the urban environment, the quality and maintenance of infrastructure, the availability of sustainable mobility options, and the actual experience of sers.