1 THE SPATIAL FOOTPRINT OF THE ONGOING ECONOMIC CRISIS (2009-…) IN GREECE: ASSESSING THE RESILIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE GREEK REGIONS (Special Session ZJ: Economic Crisis and Regional Resilience) PSYCHARIS YIANNIS 1 , ARTELARIS PANAGIOTIS 2 , KALLIORAS DIMITRIS 3 , PANTAZIS PANAGIOTIS 4 & TSIAPA MARIA 5 1 Economist (MSc, PhD), Associate Professor, Panteion University, Department of Economic and Regional Development, psycharis@panteion.gr 2 Economist (MSc, PhD), Lecturer (under appointment), Harokopion University of Athens, Department of Geography, partelar@hua.gr 3 Economist (MBA, PhD), Assistant Professor (under appointment), University of Thessaly, Department of Planning and Regional Development, dkallior@uth.gr 4 Planner (MSc), University of Thessaly, Department of Planning and Regional Development, ppantaz@uth.gr 5 Planner (MSc, PhD), Adjunct Lecturer, University of Thessaly, Department of Planning and Regional Development, mtsiapa@uth.gr Abstract The fears of a sovereign debt crisis and the consequent lack of confidence, indicated by a widening of bond yield spreads and risk insurance of credit default swaps, have transformed a financial crisis to an economic crisis in Greece, affecting its productive bases and its income level. Up to the present time, there is no clear empirical evidence about the spatial impact of the economic crisis on Greek territory. Because of the austerity measures imposed in Greece from its lenders (i.e. the IMF and the EU counterparts), inevitably, the main focus of attention has been on national rather than regional level, although the crisis has obvious spatial aspects that should not be neglected: (a) the initial, pre-crisis, conditions (i.e. market size, accessibility, geomorphology, natural resources, productive structure) were, already, strongly differentiated among Greek regions; (b) the anti-crisis, austerity, measures taken may have significantly differentiated implications across space; (c) the implementation of spatial policies may be hindered in countries being in stressful fiscal situation. From this perspective, (further) research should be done; critical issues such as how different places are affected by the economic crisis and why, and which regions will continue to be affected, are still open.