The carrying capacity of an area is defined as the maximum level of anthropogenic pressure that
a spatial system can withstand without the degradation of its environmental, social and economic
characteristics. In simple terms, it marks the point beyond which development ceases to be
sustainable and begins to harm the very place it is intended to support.
The concept did not originate in spatial planning. It was first used in its literal, mechanical sense,
to describe the useful load of a structure. It first appeared in shipping, where, as early as the
fifteenth century, the term “tonnage” referred to a vessel’s capacity, derived from external
measurement and a sequence of calculations. The phrase “carrying capacity” itself is first
recorded in 1845, in a report submitted by the Secretary of State to the United States Senate on
the taxation of steamships according to their transport capacity. In the 1870s, it was applied for
the first time to living organisms and natural systems, gradually entering the fields of biology,
ecology and, eventually, spatial planning.
Its quantitative determination, however, remained difficult, especially in complex spatial systems
such as cities and island areas, whose character depends on numerous parameters operating
simultaneously, from the built environment and natural resources to infrastructure and economic
activities.
Today, a specific assessment instrument addresses this difficulty. With the Carrying Capacity
Assessment Report (EkEFI), introduced under Government Gazette 200/D/2024 for Local and
Special Urban Plans, carrying capacity is, for the first time, rendered measurable through specific
indicators and accepted value ranges.
The principal strength of the method therefore lies in its ability to consider a wide set of key
parameters simultaneously. According to Annex 4 of the Government Gazette, these are:
∙Natural and cultural environment and landscape
∙Built environment
∙Energy
∙Waste management
∙Water and water supply
∙Transport and infrastructure
∙Local society and economy / Tourism
More specifically, as specified in Step 3 of Article 4 of the Government Gazette, the appropriate indicators are selected for each spatial system under study, and their values are calculated for
past, present and future conditions. By comparing these values with the accepted range, it
becomes possible to determine whether the area remains within the limits of its carrying capacity
or has exceeded them.
Rather than adopting a one-dimensional approach, therefore, the EkEFI assesses the urban-
planning, environmental and socio-economic characteristics of each area in combination,
together with their evolution over time, in many cases extending as far as forecasting their future
trajectory. The result is a study that materially supports planning, as planners can now establish,
on a documented basis, whether a spatial system has exceeded its limits, with a view to
safeguarding its sustainability.

References
∙Voulellis, P. (2021). Doctoral dissertation. National Technical University of Athens,
School of Architecture.
∙Sayre, N. F. (2008). The Genesis, History, and Limits of Carrying Capacity. Annals of the
Association of American Geographers, 98(1), 120-134.
∙Seidl, I., & Tisdell, C. A. (1999). Carrying capacity reconsidered: from Malthus’
population theory to cultural carrying capacity. Ecological Economics, 31(3), 395-408.
∙Malthus, T. R. (1798). An Essay on the Principle of Population. London: J. Johnson.
∙Ministry of Environment and Energy (2024). Revision of urban planning standards and
approval of new urban planning standards (Government Gazette 200/D/2024).
∙Law 4964/2022, Article 64 (A’ 150).