*2.1.2 The Marshall plan*

American economic aid was the first firm policy since the end of the war. The Marshall Plan was intended to solve manual work and low educational attainment. It was a key pillar of urbanization, as schools, universities, squares, residences and roads were created, squares in urban centers. Of course, this financial aid did not change the situation from one day to the next, but it lasted for decades. In summary, it was the beginning of liberal democracy and the formation of the everyday routine. With Athens as the central pole, housing and education developed. Since 1974, the democratization of the country has followed. It is essential that at that time in Ioannina, five main trends were formed:


*The Metropolitan Transformation of Ioannina City from 1940 to 2015 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105884*

• Emphasis was placed on preserving the forces of the past, such as on the principles, values, and visions of the Greek revolution. For example, in Ioannina of the late Ottoman Empire, there was the local expression that the city was "first in arts, wealth, and letters."

#### *2.1.3 The era of transition and integration in the European Union*

A significant change occurred in 1990, with the fall of the socialist-communist regimes. At this point, models of liberal democracy in the city peaked. The inhabitants of the mountainous areas of northern Pindos contributed to the rapid increase of the reconstruction of the metropolitan area of Ioannina. The houses were built, and the first settlements in the wider area were established. These settlements in the following years took the form of small towns with new villas.

On May 28, 1979, the treaty of accession of Greece to the European communities was signed at the Zappeion Megaron. Greece formally joined the European Communities on 1 January 1981 and became its tenth member [2]. The entrance of E.U. gave an essential boost to democracy, liberalism, the opening of borders, and the development of small businesses (bakeries, boutiques, and grocery stores). Moreover, a key aspect was the emigration of people from communist-socialist Albania, who had of Greek-speaking origin, before the borders were closed. These people worked as stone craftsmen and specialized in concrete structures. The reconstruction in the metropolitan area of Ioannina was mainly based on these inhabitants. The residents worked in neighboring regions and cities, such as Thessaloniki, with higher salaries and better working positions.

#### *2.1.4 The historical background of construction*

Nowadays, the developmental physiognomy of Ioannina has a basis in the flourishing of tourist products, environmental and ecological activities, recreation, education, business, and administrative services.

#### **2.2 The developmental physiognomy of the Ioannina nowadays**

Today, Ioannina is the largest city in north-western Greece and one of the largest cities in the Balkan Peninsula in population. The region of Epirus is one of the 13 regions of Greece. Administratively, it is an appellate body of local government. The geographically is identified with the homonymous district. It occupies an area of 9203 sq. km. Furthermore, its population amounts to 336,856 inhabitants.

#### *2.2.1 The metropolitan role*

With this innovative, modern, and efficient tool, the Ioannina basin acquires excellent benefits because it is the largest administrative center in the southernwestern Balkans. The role and importance are constantly in a strong position because of its historical and cultural background, education, business, and administrative services.

**Figure 1a** and **b** show the region of Ioannina in Greece. Epirus covers the west part of Greece. Ioannina is located near Italy, Albania and Patra. Nowadays, the crucial roads connect from the port of Igoumenitsa to Istanbul and the road from Ioannina to Athens. To sum up, the strategic position is the main advantage of the city.

#### **Figure 1.**

*(a) Epirus and Ioannina and (b) Ioannina in Greece.*


#### **Table 1.**

**Table 1** presents the geomorphology and demographic characteristics of the municipality in Ioannina. For example, the elevation is 480 meters and the area of the municipality is 403.32 km<sup>2</sup> . Also, the table preserves the biggest cities in the west Balkans. The biggest city is Beograd in Serbia and the second is Zagreb. The city of Ioannina has 112.486 inhabitants and the municipality has 336.856 inhabitants.
