Kostas Rontos

Latent Exurban Development: City Expansion Along the Rural-To-Urban Gradient in Growing and Declining Regions of Southern Europe

This paper quantifies the extent of exurban development in Mediterranean Europe. The assessment was carried out by studying changes in the urban-to-rural population density gradient between the years 1950 and 2010. Three of the six urban regions in this study have experienced population growth and moderate urban concentration, while two regions appear to be shifting toward population decline and urban de-concentration after having experienced compact expansion. A phase of recent re-urbanization has been observed in one region. Altogether, these findings indicate a common path of urban expansion among representative Mediterranean regions between 1950 and 1980 while, in the following period, the cities experienced distinct development phases. From this study, we conclude that exurban development is mainly the product of a shift from compact and dense to semi-compact and intermediate-density settlements. [Key words: semi-dense urban growth, density-distance curve, Mediterranean Europe].

Between suburbanisation and re-urbanisation: revisiting the urban life cycle in a Mediterranean compact city

The redistribution of population over larger regions progressively further away from the dense core seems to be the new feature of the (originally compact) Mediterranean cities. With the aim of better understanding the nature of the urban transition taking place in these cities, we studied the phenomenon of population redistribution in Athens Metropolitan Area (AMA) in light of the city’s Urban Life Cycle (ULC). The research was carried out for a time frame of 60 years (1951–2011) using spatial analysis, correlation and multivariate statistics. Results reveal a phase of compact urban expansion occurring in the AMA until 1991, reflected in suburbanisation processes in the immediate proximity of the urban agglomeration. In the following period, the analysis showed signs of a period of transition difficult to interpret within the approach adopted by the ULC theory. A number of municipalities of the urban area experienced positive rates of population growth after decades of decline, while municipalities of the agglomeration and ring remain relatively stable. Altogether, these results can be interpreted as signs of a potential future re-urbanisation. The analysis performed provides insights on the debate over the future of Mediterranean cities, while demonstrating the advantages of adopting a multi-scale assessment methodology for identifying urban transitions.

Detecting Alcohol-Related Problems among General Hospital Patients with Heart Disease

Background: Certain epidemiologic studies suggest that moderate alcohol consumption decreases the risk of coronary heart disease. However, long-term excessive alcohol drinking is considered a major cause for a significant incidence of heart disease. Identifying alcohol-related problems among inpatients with cardiac disease is important. Methods: In this study, 209 male and 137 female inpatients with cardiac disease were screened for alcohol-related problems using the CAGE questionnaire. Associations of alcohol-related problems with sociodemographic and clinical variables were also investigated. Results: Fifty-seven patients (16.5%) scoring positively on the CAGE questionnaire were considered as having alcohol-related problems. Logistic regression analysis revealed that alcohol-related problems were associated with sex (p = 0.00), age (p = 0.0497), and educational level (p = 0.0524). Men less than age 50, with cardiac disease and of lower education level should be considered at high risk for abnormal drinking. The probability increases from 5.2% for the whole sample to 41.9% for the group with these specific characteristics. Conclusions: The characteristics are useful for constructing a profile of the cardiology patient who is more likely to have alcohol-related problems. Early identification and vigorous and holistic treatment of these patients is important for secondary prevention of alcohol-related problems.

Understanding Xenophobia in Greece: A Correspondence Analysis

Studies of xenophobia have focused either on socio-economic context that accentuates xenophobic attitudes or on perceptions of immigrants, namely symbolic and realistic threats as well as on social distance from immigrants. This study examines closely the relationship among various components of xenophobia and their contribution in the formation of particular xenophobic groups. The analysis identified four different xenophobic groups, i.e. a) The distant xenophobic group , b) The core xenophobic group , c) The subtle xenophobic group and d) The ambivalent xenophobic group . The groups’ profiles are synthesized through negative, neutral and positive properties of overall attitudes towards immigrants, perceived threats, political xenophobia, social distance, authoritarian attitudes and individual social characteristics. The survey results demonstrate that a multidimensional conceptualization of xenophobia is needed both at the level of objective social condition and of individual and collective perceptions.

Mediterranean Countries and Corruption: Political, Economic, and Social Factors

The authors propose a classification of the perceived corruption levels of Mediterranean countries according to key political, economic, and social factors. While relevant empirical research has shown the extent of corruption in various countries by analyzing differences in their respective values on a corruption perceptions index, the variables used here include additional data such as gross national income per person in purchasing power parities, a political rights index, a civil liberties index, and a nonincome human development index. Although northern Mediterranean countries are distinguished from Arab and Balkan countries, the labels developed and developing countries in the Mediterranean seem too simplistic when describing the marked heterogeneity within these two groups. The lack of homogeneity can be attributed to institutional and cultural country- specific factors rather than to crude differences in levels of economic development. This suggests that policies against corruption should target a complex ensemble of driving factors not limited to the economic characteristics of an individual country and should include social political, cultural, institutional, and territorial considerations.

Socioeconomic and Political Dimensions of Development Worldwide

The scope of this paper is to examine the main economic, social and political dimensions of development worldwide. More specifically, our analysis focuses on the study of the links between the levels of income per capita, the level of perceived corruption, the degree of human development, the extent of government effectiveness and the quality of the political system as the main variables describing the level of overall development in a country. As we expected, we find that all these factors are very important determinants of the scale of overall development, since combinations of these factors according to their values determine clusters of countries with different patterns of overall development. As a result, an effective policy towards development demands integrated strategies that incorporate efforts for low corruption and high income, human development and government effectiveness levels. However, in order these strategies to be sustainable in the long run they should be associated with democratic transformations. If democracy is not consolidated and the political system is not characterized as free, overall development cannot be effectively achieved and especially maintained at the long run basis, in spite of any currently prevailing high income levels.

Recent development and prospects of qualitative tourism in Greece: a statistical approach

The paper examines the evolution and structural characteristics of high-class tourism in Greece. Furthermore, it is an attempt to find out the typical profile of the tourist that prefers this country as a tourist destination. Using official monthly data for the period 1999-2002, parametric and non-parametric statistical tests are applied. Analysis has shown that, despite the considerable increase of high-class tourism, Greece is still a middle and low-class summer seaside tourist destination, attracting tourists rather from Europe than from Northern America or Asia. Due to income increases and their preference for short but qualitative holidays, Greek tourists have reinforced high-class tourism.

Applications of Poisson binomial random sums in systemics

Discrete and nonnegative random sums are generally considered as stochastic models with important applications in many practical disciplines. The present paper concentrates on establishing applications in the systemics of some discrete and nonnegative random sums. More precisely, it is shown that discrete and non-negative Poisson binomial random sums can contribute to the description, analysis and implementation of fundamental operations of systems arising in many important practical disciplines. It is also shown that such random sums are useful for providing essential support to systemic thinking. The paper interprets discrete and nonnegative Poisson binomial random sums as strong analytical tools for handling situations in several areas of systemics.