🎯 Current Status – NEW Amendment (submitted to Parliament)
✅ Settlement Development Zone (SDZ) – settlements up to 700 inhabitants
• Suitable plots: 500–2,000 sq.m.
• Minimum road frontage: 10 m
• Building placement: at least 5 m from the road axis
• Extension of boundaries is allowed up to the current settlement boundary, justified within the framework of the “Constantinos Doxiadis” Program
✅ Special Use Area (SUA) – settlements of 701–2,000 inhabitants
• Suitable plots: 2,000–4,000 sq.m.
• Minimum road frontage: 15 m
• Boundary extension is also allowed here, provided it is well-documented
👉 In both zones, other building criteria are adjusted according to the provisions of Zone B1, via the relevant Presidential Decrees on boundary designation.
⏳ What Previously Applied & Why There Was a Problem
• Before 2025, Zone C allowed extensions without clear boundaries – it was ruled unconstitutional by the Council of State (CoS), considered covert and non-transparent
• There were no clear suitability criteria for out-of-plan areas included through old PDs or prefectural decisions (resulting in locally arbitrary boundaries)
• This created uncertainty for landowners who didn’t know under what conditions their land would be considered “suitable” and buildable
⚖️ Why the Amendment Was Ultimately Passed – What the Council of State Did
• The CoS rejected Zone C, stating that the extensions were made “without criteria, unconstitutionally”
• It demanded clear definitions for plot suitability and building placement (e.g., 5 m distance), prevention of land use conflicts, natural hazard studies, etc.
• The new Amendment ensures transparency, legal certainty, and stability, aligned with the spatial planning model of “Constantinos Doxiadis”
✅ Key Benefits of the New Regulation
• Clear & fair criteria for suitable plots
• Legal certainty and an end to unequal treatment
• Gradual implementation based on Local & Special Urban Plans (1–3 years)