Assistant Professor of Environmental Sociology

Contact
University of Crete – Department of Sociology
Gallos Facilities 741 00 Rethymno
Tel
Fax
e-mail: gvelegrakis at uoc.gr

Studies

  • PhD in Geography, School of Environment, Geography and Applied Economics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece (2018).
  • MSc in Environmental Policies and Development, School of Rural and Surveying Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Greece (2010).
  • MEng in Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Greece (2007).

Career

Research Interests

  • Political Ecology
  • Environmental Sociology
  • Environmental History
  • Socio-environmental Movements
  • Local and Regional Development / Development Studies
  • Science, Technology, Society
  • History of Technology

Selected Publications (detailed in CV)

Books

Psarreas, P., & Velegrakis, G. (2025). Ecological crisis and left strategies: The contemporary Greek experience in a regional context. RLF ISBN 978-618-5478-29-2
Andreucci, Α., Gustavo García-López, G., Calvário, R., Kotsila, P., De Rosa, S., P., Velegrakis, G., Huber, A., Iengo, I., González-Hidalgo, M., Leonardelli, I., &Ertor, I. (2024) (eds.), Insurgent Ecologies: Between environmental struggles and postcapitalist transformations. Fernwood Publishing. ISBN: 9781773636917
Andritsos, T., Kosyfologou, A., Mougiakou, E., Poulios, D., Tsadari, S., Velegrakis, G., (2023) (eds.). Participatory design: city, environment, and climate change (in Greek and English). Heinrich Boell Stiftung. ISBN 978-618-5580-35-3.
Calvario, R., Kaika, M., & Velegrakis, G., (2022) (eds.). The Political Ecology of Austerity: environment, social movements, and economic crisis. Routledge – Explorations in Environmental Studies. DOI: 10.4324/9781003036265.
Velegrakis, G., Bekridaki, G., & Andritsos, T. (2021). Paricipatory Budgeting – A democratic experiment (in Greek). Heinrich Boell Stiftung. ISBN 978-618-5580-05-6.
M’Barek M., Velegrakis, G., Hoetmer, R., & Rodriguez, A. (2020) (eds.). Cities of Dignity – Urban Transformations around the world. Rosa Luxemburg Foundation. ISBN 978-29602601-0-6
Velegrakis, G. (2018). Extractivism and socio-ecological movements in times of crisis: The case of gold mining in Halkidiki, Greece (in Greek). Doctorate dissertation. Harokopio University. Available: http://hdl.handle.net/10442/hedi/43832
Velegrakis, G., Andritsos, T, & Karagiozidou, E. (eds.) (2017). Radical Geography Notebooks (e-book in Greek). John S. Latsis, Public Benefit Foundation.
Velegrakis, G., Hadjmichalis, C. & Konstantatos, H. (eds.) (2017). Political Ecology: Eight Contributions to the Greek Discussion (in Greek). Nisos, ISBN: 978-960-589-054-4.

Journal papers

Velegrakis, G., & Faras, A. (2025). “From innovation to maintenance: Environmental dimensions of technological accumulation” (in Greek). Αutomaton: Journal of Digital Media and Culture, 3(2), 80–101. https://doi.org/10.12681/automaton.42672
Velegrakis, G., Arapoglou, V., Tsiolis, G. (2024). “Introduction to the Special Issue “Critical Approaches to Sustainability” (in Greek), Krisi – Biannual scientific review 15(2024/1), p. 5-13. doi: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11130753.
Velegrakis, G. (2024). “The Political Ecology of Austerity: Austerity as a Socio-environmental fix” (in Greek) in Velegrakis, G., Arapoglou, V., Tsiolis, G. (Eds.) (2024) Special Issue “Critical Approaches to Sustainability”, Krisi – Biannual scientific review 15(2024/1), 15-35. doi: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo. 11133983.
Kaika, M. & Calvário, R. & Velegrakis, G., (2024). “Austerity: An environmentally dangerous idea”, Journal of Political Ecology 31(1), 67–81. doi: https://doi.org/10.2458/jpe.5420.
Karampatsos, C., Tzokas, S., Velegrakis, G., (2023). “The endless potentiality: A century and a half of Greek oil aspirations (and what often becomes of them)”, Journal of Energy History/Revue d’Histoire de l’Énergie [Online], n°10, URL: https://energyhistory.eu/en/special-issue/endless-potentiality-century-and-half-greek-oil-aspirations-and-what-often-becomes.
Karampatsos, C., Tzokas, S., Velegrakis, G., & Harlaftis, G. (2023). Is There Oil in Greece? Oil Exploration and Scientific Conflict during the First Years of the Greek Geological Survey (1917–1925). The Historical Review/La Revue Historique, 19(1), 77–112. Retrieved from https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/historicalReview/article/view/35056.
Maki, T., & Velegrakis, G., (2022). “Wind Farms and land dispossession in memorandum and post-memorandum Greece: Looking at the Greek islands” (in Greek). Geographies – A biannual review on spatial issues, 39(2022), p. 68-83, ISSN: 1109-186X.
Liodaki, D., & Velegrakis, G., (2022). “Theatre minus physical coexistence – a glimpse into theatrical experimentations in Greece during the pandemic”. International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media. https://doi.org/10.1080/14794713.2022.2040290
Brand, U., Muraca, B., Pineault, E., Sahakian, M., Schaffartzik, A., Novy, A., Streissler, C., Haberl, H., Asara, V., Dietz, K., Lang, M., Kothari, A., Smith, T., Spash, C., Brad, A., Pichler, M., Plank, C., Velegrakis, G., Jahn, T., Carter, A., Huan, Q., Kallis, G., Alier, J., M., Riva, G., Satgar, V., Mantovani, E., T., Williams, M., Wissen M. & Christoph Görg C. (2021). “From planetary to societal boundaries: an argument for collectively defined self-limitation”. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 17:1, 265-292. https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2021.1940754 .
Liodaki, D., & Velegrakis, G. (2020). “Where’s the “public” in public art – Three narratives from documenta 14”. The Journal of Public Space, 5(4), 45-66. https://doi.org/10.32891/jps.v5i4.1391

Book chapters

Velegrakis, G. (2027 – forthcoming) “Extractivism, neo-extractivism and lucrative transitions – A political ecology understanding” in Vlachou, A., Konstantinidis, C., & Liodakis, G. (eds), Capitalism, Nature, and Sustainability, p. … Routledge (accepted, under publication).
Velegrakis, G. (2026 – forthcoming) “Spatializing technology ethics: Waste infrastructure and the production of a backyard” in Tympas A., … (eds) Technology Ethics Reflection Tools for Higher Education, Policy-Making and responsible Innovation, p. … (accepted, under publication).
Velegrakis, G., & Koumparelou, A. (2026 – forthcoming) “Invisible People in Invisible Places: Geographies of Exclusion in West Attica” in Theodosiou, S., & Malakasis, C., E., (eds), Roma subjects and ambiguous visibility: materialities, representations, technologies of governability (in Greek), p….. Isnafi. (accepted, under publication).
Velegrakis, G., Koumparelou, A. & Settler, F. (2026 – forthcoming) “Living the Wasteocene in West Attica, Greece” in Armiero, M., Torre, S., & Venditto, B. (eds), Justainability, p…. Editpress (accepted, under publication).
Velegrakis, G., Calvario, R., & Kaika, M. (2026). “Austerity and anti-austerity environmentalism” in Hope, J., Apostolopoulou, E., & Collins, A. (eds), The New Routledge Handbook of Political Ecology, p. 281-288. Routledge. ISBN: 978-1-032-55500-3
Velegrakis, G., & Liodaki, D. (2024). “Belonging by Confrontation: Living, Working and Struggling Next to a Mine in Halkidiki, Greece” in Andreucci, Α., Gustavo García-López, G., Calvário, R., Kotsila, P., De Rosa, S., P., Velegrakis, G., Huber, A., Iengo, I., González-Hidalgo, M., Leonardelli, I., &Ertor, I. (eds.), Insurgent Ecologies: Between environmental struggles and postcapitalist transformations, p. 257-268. Fernwood Publishing. ISBN: 9781773636917
Brand, U., Muraca, B., Pineault, E., Sahakian, M., Schaffartzik, A., Novy, A., Streissler, C., Haberl, H., Asara, V., Dietz, K., Lang, M., Kothari, A., Smith, T., Spash, C., Brad, A., Pichler, M., Plank, C., Velegrakis, G., Jahn, T., Carter, A., Huan, Q., Kallis, G., Alier, J., M., Riva, G., Satgar, V., Mantovani, E., T., Williams, M., Wissen M. & Christoph Görg C. (2023). “Planetary Boundaries” in Wallenhorst, N. & Wulf, C. (2023) (eds.). Handbook of the Anthropocene – Humans between Heritage and Future, p. 91-97. Springer Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25910-4.
Velegrakis, G. (2023). “Smart, resilient cities and other mythical heroes” in Dramaras, P. (2023) (eds). +oikismos: 12 texts on public space in the context of the homonymous artistic intervention in the district of Halandri 2019-2023, p. 23-26 (in Greek). Futura, ISBN 978-960-6654-18-3.
Velegrakis, G., Calvario, R., & Kaika, M. (2022). “The politicised ecologies of austerity: Anti-austerity environmentalism during and after the Greek crisis” in Velegrakis, G., Calvario, R., & Kaika, M. (eds.), The Political Ecology of Austerity: environment, social movements, and economic crisis, pp 115-134. Routledge – Explorations in Environmental Studies. DOI: 10.4324/9781003036265.
Velegrakis, G. & Gaitanou, E. (2019). “Open localisation” in Kothari, A., Salleh, A., Escobar, A., Demaria, F., & Acosta, A. (eds.), Pluriverse. A Post-Development Dictionary. Delhi: Authors Up Front and Tulika.  
Velegrakis, G. & Kosyfologou, A. (2018). “The rise of bottom-up solidarity alternatives in the times of the ongoing societal crisis in Greece”, in Lang, M., Koenig, C., D. & Regelmann A., C. (eds.), Alternatives in a world of Crisis, p. 222-255. Brussels & Quito: RLF & Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar. ISBN: 978-9978-19-851-3.
Velegrakis, G. (2017). “Marxism and Socio-environmental movements” in Velegrakis, G., Andritsos, T. & Karagiozidou, E. (eds.), Radical Geography Notebooks (in Greek), pp. 260-284. Athens: John S. Latsis, Public Benefit Foundation.
Velegrakis, G. (2017). “Gramsci, Philosophy of Praxis and Political Ecology” in Velegrakis, G., Hadjmichalis, C. & Konstantatos, H. (eds.), Political Ecology: Eight Contributions to the Greek Discussion (in Greek), pp. 17-31. Athens: Nisos, ISBN: 978-960-589-054-4.