«Aesthetics is the relaying of values not forms; forms need to evolve in order for the values to survive”. In these words, P. Michelis points out the significance of form, and thus the architectural form, in the preservation of values and tradition. This paper examines the image of the built environment and evolution of the Municipality of Georgios Karaiskakis, exposing views for its aesthetic and overall appearance. Following the initial positive impressions to the visitor, the need for the aesthetic improvement of the built environment is becoming apparent, especially in the populated areas. The qualities of the place are presented, emphasizing on the need for preservation, whereas the negative aspects are pointed out. Subsequently, proposals are made, aiming at the mitigation of the problems arousing, the need of development, and equally the overall aesthetic upgrading of the area, parallel to the respect of tradition and the characteristic form of the local architecture. 

The possibilities of applying energy saving measures in municipal buildings are examined in this paper. Two municipal buildings, in the mountainous Municipality of Georgios Karaiskakis are used as case studies.

The thermal losses of the buildings and the relative energy demand for cooling and heating are initially calculated. A number of different energy saving scenarios, related both to the building envelope and to the electromechanical systems of each of the buildings, are formed. In order to select the optimum energy saving scenario technical and financial are concerned. Finally, some general conclusions about energy improvement of municipal buildings are set out, based on the findings of the study. 

The ongoing multidimensional crisis demands new development approaches that respond to actual needs and describe the way for the creative utilization of the particular characteristics of the natural and socioeconomic environment. The need for this kind of planning approaches becomes more intense in mountainous areas, which remained to a large extent outside the dominant development strategies. Integrated approach, interdisciplinarity and education can be key features of these new approaches. In this context, within the course “Introduction to Environment and Development Science” of the interdisciplinary postgraduate programme “Environment and Development” at the National Technical University of Athens (concentration “Environment and Development of Mountainous Areas”), the students conduct development surveys for different regions in Greece using the methodology of WID (Worthliving Integrated Development). During the academic year of 2015-2016, an interdisciplinary workgroup of students of various disciplines conducted a development study for the mountainous municipality of Georgios Karaiskakis, based on the methodology of Worthliving Integrated Development. This paper presents the methodological steps followed in the educational process in order to highlight to the general public the systematic methodology of integrated development, as well as its developmental results for the study area.

The rural areas, which within the Greek territory are mainly mountainous and/ or remote, utilize a small extent of the modern tools of information and communication technology (ICT). In contrast, in urban areas such tools, though recently introduced, are not only employed but also rapidly evolving. The evolution of technology towards mobile devices has led to the development of tools that leverage their potential for various purposes. At the same time, a new trend has arisen, according to which the citizens are invited to actively contribute in some activities through specifically developed mechanisms, and is called “crowdsourcing”. In the present paper, the possibilities of digital technology, mobile devices and crowdsourcing have been combined in order to develop a custom application in accordance to the special attributes of the ‘Georgios Karaiskakis’ Municipality. An application which will give the residents/ visitors the opportunity to record various problems that are detected and need to be resolved, providing valuable support to the local authorities.

The Georgios Karaiskakis municipality, like most mountainous regions, are endowed with considerable renewable energy potential. In this paper, an attempt is made to determine its potential and to investigate the reasons and possibilities of its exploitation. The utilization of the available resources could be viewed as an element at the basis of which the development of the region will be enhanced, with primary objective the protection of natural environment but also as an opportunity to stop facing the risk of energy poverty.