Thank you for visiting Cities Under the Sun.

This site explains why towns and cities in places with hot, dry summers look and work the way they do and what the changes in them mean for the people who live there. It is written for anyone who is curious about places, whether or not they have studied planning or architecture.

Most articles start from a question that many residents and visitors have asked themselves. Why does one street stay pleasant on a hot afternoon while the next one does not? Why do so many buildings have balconies while the pavement below has no shade? What happens to a neighbourhood when its flats become holiday rentals?

The answer usually combines several things, such as planning rules, the price of land, the climate, history and tourism. The site focuses mainly on the Mediterranean, with many examples from Greece. Some are about other parts of the world with a similar climate, such as California, central Chile, the area around Cape Town and southern Australia.

Cities Under the Sun is not a travel guide and does not recommend hotels, restaurants or beaches. It is also not an academic journal, so no specialist knowledge is needed to read it.

Who writes it

My name is Konstantinos Kourounis, but most people call me Kostas. I am a civil engineer and urban planner in Greece and I have spent almost 40 years preparing town and land-use plans for Greek cities.

I notice the same things as any resident or visitor, such as a street that is hard to walk along in July or an island village that has changed during the years I have worked. The difference is that my job has been to find out why they happen.

The plans behind these changes are public, but few of the people who live with their results ever read them. I started this site to explain them and the research behind them in plain English.

I know Greece best, because I live here and have spent my working life on its towns and islands. When I write about other countries, I rely on published research, official figures and maps. I do not claim to know those places in the same way. Most of the photographs on the site are mine.

How the articles are written

Each article starts from something that can be checked, such as a research paper, official figures, a map or a photograph. It explains what the evidence shows, what it does not show and what it means for the people who live there. Sources are linked, so you can read them yourself. When something is my own opinion or observation, the article says so.

The site is independent and I do not accept payment for what I write. I still work on plans in Greece. When an article is about a place where I have a professional role, the article says so. The Editorial Policy explains in more detail how sources are checked and how images and AI tools are used.

If you have a question, a correction or a place you would like me to write about, please write to me through the Contact page. I hope you find the articles useful.

Thanks again!