This paper investigates the policy context of spatial injustice in Greece. Given the polarized nature of the economy and the centralized structure of the public sector, the paper examines whether place-based policies that attempt to strengthen the local level and mobilize local assets would be better opt to deliver a fair and equitable distribution of socially valued resources and opportunities in space. In this context, the paper presents and discusses the findings of four case studies and four policy-driven actions related to the design and implementation of a post-lignite local strategy, the establishment of a credible innovation strategy in a metropolitan area, the development of social economy in a lagging region and the upscaling of local government in a medium-sized city. The case studies investigate the conditioning factors that encourage or obstruct the local level to implement effective place-based policies that can contribute to spatial justice. On this basis, the paper evaluates the capability of the current policy and institutional setting to generate spatial justice and provides policy recommendations that will empower the local level in confronting socio-economic challenges and unbalanced spatial growth.

PURPOSE: This paper examines to what extent the governance modes of transition in the region of Western Macedonia (Greece) are effective and just, and whether they embed transition management, spatial justice, and place-based elements. To this end, the hypothesis tested in this paper is that spatial justice and place-based policy can make a positive contribution to just and well-managed transition. In this framework, the question examined is not about ‘who is in charge for designing and implementing transition policies?’ but about ‘what is the balance and mix of transition policies at the central, regional, and local levels of administration?’. METHODOLOGY: The article critically discussed the concept of transition as a fundamental societal change through the lens of efficiency and justice. Thus, the notions of transition management and spatial justice are thoroughly explored. It also embeds the concept of ‘place’ in this discussion. Therefore, the challenges, opportunities, and shortcomings of the place-based approach in the course of transition are examined. The empirical section contains a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods, such as the use of questionnaires and focus group meetings, preceded by background research, comprising mainly desk research. The above different cases of empirical work are not entirely irrelevant to each other. The validity of the research findings is strengthened by using multiple sources of evidence and data triangulation. The analysis at the empirical research level focuses on Western Macedonia in Greece. This region has all the characteristics of a coal-dependent locality, under an urgent need to design and implement a post-lignite, just, transition strategy. FINDINGS: Given that transition implies a profound and long-lasting societal, economic, and environmental transformation, new and pioneering modes of governance are necessary to tackle such a multifaceted challenge. The discourse about place, policies, and governance, reveals the need for focusing on a balance and mix of inclusive and multi-scalar policies instead of defining governance structures and bodies in charge for implementing transition policies. The launched transition governance model in Greece considerably deviates from the EU policy context. In fact, substantial shortcomings in terms of legitimacy, inclusiveness, and public engagement and overall effectiveness have been recorded. The empirical evidence reveals a rather clear top-down model than a hybrid one. The findings show that the governance model employed in the case of Western Macedonia, neither embeds spatial justice nor incorporates a place-based approach. IMPLICATIONS: Viewing the long-term process of transition through the lens of governance and policymaking, this paper challenges the assertion that the traditional top-down governance model is the most effective and fair approach. In this setting, the notions of transition management and spatial justice are thoroughly explored. The concept of ‘place’ is also embedded in this discussion. To this end, the challenges, opportunities and shortcomings of the place-based approach are analysed. Given that transition is by nature a multifaceted, multi-level and multi-actor process, an effective and just transition governance should reflect the views of different actors. In this sense, it seems that multi-level governance models for regions in transition need to harness existing interactions among different levels and actors. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: After having touched upon the process of transition regarding the notions of ‘management’ and ‘justice,’ we embed the concepts of spatial justice and the place-based approach into governance transition practices. In this respect, the gap between efficiency and equity, redistributive logic (needs, results), and development policy (inclusive development) can be bridged through the so-called ‘spatial-territorial capital’ and spatially just, multi-level governance.

The concept of spatial justice relates to the fair and equitable distribution in space of socially valued resources and opportunities. In other words, spatial justice is the spatial dimension of social justice, placing more emphasis on the geography of distribution. On this basis, this paper examines the innovation ecosystem of the Alexander Innovation Zone of Thessaloniki in Greece. What is attempted is to scrutinise, through the lens of spatial justice, this state's initiative to deal at the regional level with innovation. This paper investigates whether a focus on localities and decentralisation would be better able to deliver the demands of spatial justice. The hypothesis to be tested is that equity in socially valued resources and opportunities can be better achieved through place-based strategies. Based upon empirical material, within the framework of the RELOCAL project (H2020,www.relocal.eu), this contribution attempts to shed some light on the aforementioned research hypothesis.

This cross-country study examines how higher education institutions collaborate with government, industry, and civil society to promote the European Green Deal and Just Transition initiatives. Framed within the quadruple helix (QH) model, the research investigates emerging partnerships and the integration of green policies across six European countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Serbia, and Spain. Special emphasis is placed on the strategic role of universities in advancing the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability through their initiatives. Drawing on 30 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, including local public officials, academics, entrepreneurs, students, and unemployed youth, the study uncovers a growing alignment between academic initiatives and national sustainability agendas. While the extent of policy integration and collaboration varies, the findings underscore the importance of universities in shaping environmental awareness, fostering green innovation, and advancing multi-actor partnerships. The study contributes to the theoretical discourse on the QH model by applying it to the field of green transition policy and offers practical recommendations for enhancing the role of universities in sustainability-oriented governance and education.

Energy transition regions (ETRs) face simultaneous pressures as decarbonisation policies intersect climate hazards, land-use constraints, and economic uncertainty. Although research on renewable energy deployment, climate vulnerability, spatial planning, and investment behaviour has expanded, these topics often remain disconnected, limiting their usefulness for guiding regional energy strategies. This review applies a structured, PRISMA-informed (but not protocol-registered) search and screening process, combining bibliometric mapping with qualitative thematic synthesis. In total, 231 peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2025 were analysed to identify how climate-related risks, financial conditions, and territorial constraints jointly influence energy system choices in ETRs. Four major themes emerge: climate risk and infrastructure vulnerability, investment dynamics and policy stability, land-use governance and siting conflicts, and renewable energy system integration. Across these areas, common challenges include the impact of extreme events on system reliability, the influence of policy uncertainty on capital flows, and the role of land scarcity in shaping technology mixes. To link these dimensions, this study proposes the Resilience–Investment–Land Nexus (RILN), a framework that describes how climate exposure, investment risk, spatial suitability, and social acceptance interact to shape transition pathways. The results highlight the need for climate-informed planning, stable regulatory environments, and stronger spatial decision-support tools. It also identifies gaps in integrating climate risk, land-use modelling, and investment analysis and offers directions for future work on resilient, region-specific energy transitions.

To effectively address grand challenges, such as decarbonization, digitalization and demographic change, engagement is required from diverse actors across policy-making, private business, academia and civil society. Contemporary transformation literature emphasizes Participatory Policy-making (PPM) instruments as critical tools in this process. PPM purportedly enhances both the effectiveness and efficiency of public policies while simultaneously strengthening their legitimacy – a function particularly valuable for socially contested policy issues. However, critical perspectives highlight various theoretical and practical concerns associated with PPM implementation. This article aims to contribute to deliberative theory and practice by presenting a risk-based perspective on PPM that examines intended effects in relation to unintended consequences and contextual factors. Drawing on the lessons learned during PPM projects in Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, and Switzerland, we explore the opportunities and challenges of introducing PPM instruments at the local level within transformative societal processes. Specifically, we investigate the implementation of a set of participatory instruments – such as stakeholder workshops, Delphi surveys, focus groups and citizen panels – over a three-year period from 2021 to 2023. We identify four key contextual conditions influencing the prospects for successful PPM: Local political situation, trust and social capital, institutional commitment, and deliberative capacities. Based on these findings, we develop a set of guiding questions, aimed to support practitioners to develop deliberative strategies that anticipate and mitigate unintended negative consequences, such as the deceleration of essential policy changes or the erosion of political legitimization.