Kalamaría Council Rejects Coastal Front Environmental Study

The municipal council of Kalamaría voted to reject the Strategic Environmental Impact Study (SMPÉ) of the Special Urban Plan for Thessaloniki’s proposed unified coastal front. The council says the revised plan still omits several areas it deems strategic, including Sofouli, Karabournaki, the former Kodra military camp, Marina of Aretsous, a fishing shelter, the Judges School and the Center for International and European Law.

Mayor Chryssa Arapoglu called the decision “particularly negative,” noting that a city with a 5.5‑kilometre shoreline cannot claim a “unified coastal front” while key sections remain outside the plan. She highlighted Karabournaki as the most important undeveloped coastal stretch, stressing its environmental, historical and cultural value and demanding its protection and inclusion. The council’s proposals also call for converting the former Kodra camp into a metropolitan green and cultural park, preserving Kelari Island and the historic Refugee Staircase, maintaining the public character of Marina Aretsous and enhancing communal facilities along the coastline.