Strategic Participatory Planning and Social Management for Clustering Maritime Cultural Heritage: A Case Study of the West Pagasetic Gulf, Greece
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. About Maritime Cultural Heritage and Its Integration in MSP
1.2. Maritime Cultural Heritage in Greece
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. The Case Study Area
- A
- The subcluster of Pefkakia, including the prehistoric towns of Nileia and Iolkos, the Hellenistic city of Dimitriada, the Neolithic village of Dimini, and the prehistoric village of Sesklou.
- B
- The subcluster of Nea Anghialos, including the ancient cities of Pyrasos (Classical antiquity) and Fthiotides-Thebes of the Byzantine Age (3rd AD).
- C
- The subcluster of Almyros–Nies–Amaliada–Trikeri islands including the prehistoric city of Alos, as well as ancient and Byzantine shipwrecks.
2.2. Challenges Related to the Archeological Site
- First, the design of underwater pathways for self-guided divers, accompanied by special tablets suitable for underwater use, will provide information about the underwater archeological remnants as well as the biodiversity of the sea.
- Second, the construction of information centers along the coastal zone will utilize virtual reality software to enable visitors to experience a virtual dive and explore the underwater archeological remnants of shipwrecks.
2.3. The Research Methodology
2.3.1. Preparation
Literature Review
Desk Research Baseline Study
Conducting Interviews
Creating a Socio-Cultural Network
2.3.2. Question Formulation
2.3.3. Organization of a Participatory Workshop, the Aim, the Context, and the Process
- Invitation process: Invitation letters were sent to all members of the socio-cultural network via email and telephone calls, encouraging them to join the forthcoming workshop.
- Community outreach: A broader outreach was conducted on a local scale, inviting the public to participate in the workshop. This was achieved through posters displayed in public buildings and a social media campaign on Facebook, which ran continuously for four weeks.
- Presentation of research: The pilot research in the Pagasetic area was introduced as a comprehensive coastal and maritime cluster of cultural heritage. This presentation highlighted the significance and potential of the region as a unified cultural tourism destination.
- Questionnaire distribution: Paper-printed questionnaires were distributed to all participants, allowing them to provide their input in real time.
- In-depth consultation: A discussion was conducted to encourage dialog among participants about the research outcomes, with a particular focus on the proposed projects and actions for enhancing cultural heritage in the West Pagasetic coastal and maritime zone. The aim was to reach a consensus on the most effective strategies for heritage enhancement and tourism development.
- Using terrestrial and maritime spatial planning to transform the West Pagasetic area into a cultural tourism destination, realizing the desirable condition of culture and tourism; economic development and cohesion of local society and introducing a strategic plan for the holistic management and enhancement of maritime cultural heritage in West Pagasetic. In other words, it is proposed that a network of cultural heritage sites (not a series of single, unconnected, and segregated heritage sites) be created to brand the area of West Pagasetic and reinforce cultural tourism development.
- Establishing maritime public transportation to connect all coastal heritage sites within West Pagasetic by high-speed small vessels departing for the Port of Volos every hour and functioning like hop-on and hop-off public transport for visitors. In addition to this public transport, cruise yachts may organize cultural day cruises to coastal and maritime heritage sites of West Pagasetic.
- The integration of cultural heritage sites into the everyday life of inhabitants and visitors by creating an archeological/historical park in Pefkakia, requiring three main projects:
- The design and construction of a pedestrian network and the necessary infrastructures for visitors (i.e., security guidance, WC., closets, coffee canteen, etc., for visitors) in the archeological zone of Pefkakia.
- The construction of an Exhibition Pavilion, a kind of light construction by metal or/and wood [see typical examples in photos] in the public land of 20 hectares owned by the University of Thessaly and located within the archeological zone of Pefkakia. The pavilion will offer 3D representation of ancient monuments as well as 3D animation about the life in the ancient cities found in the area, videos of the ancient Greek expedition to Troe, etc.
3. Results
3.1. Demographic Profile
3.2. Awareness and Perception of Cultural Heritage
3.3. Importance of Cultural Heritage Elements
3.4. Contribution to Tourism and Economic Development
3.5. Accessibility and Infrastructure Evaluation
3.6. Evaluation of Proposed Projects
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
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Identify and map tangible and intangible cultural resources | Survey and documentation | Identify tangible and intangible cultural heritage such as shipwrecks, submerged settlements, sacred sites, and traditional maritime practices. |
GISs and spatial data | Apply Geographic Information Systems (GISs) to map cultural heritage locations and “culturally significant areas”, ensuring they are considered in spatial planning processes alongside ecological and economic zones. | |
Stakeholder involvement | Local communities | Engage local communities, indigenous groups, and traditional seafaring populations who hold knowledge about cultural practices and heritage. |
Cultural expertise and synergies with other disciplines | Involve archeologists, historians, and cultural heritage professionals in decision-making processes. Promote collaboration between planners and cultural experts through communities of practice. | |
Conservation and protection | Legal frameworks | Integrate existing national and international laws on cultural heritage (e.g., UNESCO conventions, the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the underwater cultural heritage, etc.). |
Area-based management and consideration of co-existence with other sea uses (buffer zones, etc.) | Delineate protected areas or buffer zones around significant cultural sites to prevent degradation from development activities. | |
Sustainable use | Balancing priorities. | Ensure that cultural heritage is considered alongside other uses like fisheries, shipping, or offshore wind farms, and that these activities do not negatively impact heritage sites. Envisage harmonious coexistence of UCH with other compatible maritime activities. |
Cultural tourism | Develop sustainable cultural tourism strategies that promote awareness and economic opportunities while respecting the heritage and the environment. Develop cultural tourism certifications and standards, digital tools, virtual experiences, etc. | |
Monitoring and management | Ongoing research and assessment | Regularly update maps and inventories of cultural sites and monitor any impacts from maritime activities. |
Adaptive management | Incorporate adaptive management strategies to address emerging threats (e.g., climate change impacts, marine pollution) to cultural heritage in marine areas. |
Demographic Variables | Percentage (%), n = 45 |
---|---|
Gender | |
Male | 44% |
Female | 56% |
Age (years) | |
18 and under | 0% |
18–24 | 4% |
25–34 | 20% |
35–44 | 16% |
45–54 | 20% |
55–65 | 36% |
66 and up | 4% |
Education | |
Postgraduate Diploma | 32% |
Undergraduate Diploma | 28% |
High school graduate | 20% |
Technological Education | 26% |
Primary school graduate | 4% |
Doctoral Diploma, Ph.D. | 0% |
Professional situation | |
Employee | 84% |
Unemployed | 4% |
Student | 0% |
Retired | 8% |
Household duties and caring for family | 4% |
Area of Residents | |
Municipal Unit of Almyros | 52% |
Municipal Unit of Pteleos | 12% |
Municipal Unit of Nea Anghialos | 4% |
Municipal Unit of Volos | 32% |
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Share and Cite
Gospodini, A.-A.; Vouza, A.-R.; Kalergis, D.; Kyvelou, S.S. Strategic Participatory Planning and Social Management for Clustering Maritime Cultural Heritage: A Case Study of the West Pagasetic Gulf, Greece. Heritage 2025, 8, 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8020048
Gospodini A-A, Vouza A-R, Kalergis D, Kyvelou SS. Strategic Participatory Planning and Social Management for Clustering Maritime Cultural Heritage: A Case Study of the West Pagasetic Gulf, Greece. Heritage. 2025; 8(2):48. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8020048
Chicago/Turabian StyleGospodini, Anastasia-Aspasia, Anna-Roskagia Vouza, Dimitris Kalergis, and Stella Sofia Kyvelou. 2025. "Strategic Participatory Planning and Social Management for Clustering Maritime Cultural Heritage: A Case Study of the West Pagasetic Gulf, Greece" Heritage 8, no. 2: 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8020048
APA StyleGospodini, A.-A., Vouza, A.-R., Kalergis, D., & Kyvelou, S. S. (2025). Strategic Participatory Planning and Social Management for Clustering Maritime Cultural Heritage: A Case Study of the West Pagasetic Gulf, Greece. Heritage, 8(2), 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8020048