The Ano Polis (Upper Town) of Thessaloniki provides a unique manifestation of the problems related to historic settlement preservation in northern Greece, enriched with intrinsic weaknesses of the settlement in question. Constituting the northern part of the intra - muros city, it developed since the end of the 16th century into an exclusively residential district, which encompassed a significant number of early Christian to Post -Byzantine monuments. As of the interwar period, the Ano Polis began to be densely occupied in order to cater for the needs of numerous refugees, arriving firstly from Asia Minor and in later years the mainland. As a result, the district's public spaces suffered extensive confinement and degradation, which in time combined wilh the accumulated damage of private buildings into a strong demand for complete revitalization. This demand was not only met with unprecedented delay, but also with the emphasis being laid on housing issues and the erection of new residences in particular. Hence, the area's degradation continued at a growing pace, while the building regulations applied eradicated basic features of its urban authenticity. Later interventions merely ensured the conservation and rehabilitation of certain listed structures, without enhancing the overall condition. Hence, a whole approach to the multiple problems of the area remains to be initialed, with the analysis presented in this work allowing limited optimism.
