Mind the gap

Abstract

Starting in the 1990s, an increasing number of studies and reports have focused on examining the nature and characteristics of spatial planning in Europe. The geographical coverage of these comparative analyses broadened over time, paralleling the progression of EU integration. However, the Western Balkan countries were only vaguely mentioned within such studies, mostly due to their fragmentation and geopolitical instability. This paper analyses and compares spatial planning systems in the Western Balkan Region since the 1990s. More specifically, it presents an overview of the geographical and socio-economic situation, explores administrative and legal frameworks for spatial planning, analyses spatial planning instruments produced at each territorial level, and addresses future challenges. Through so doing this paper exposes the complexity of the subject and sets a base for further research.

The nature of urban sprawl in Western Balkan cities

“…One of the common reasons of urban sprawl is the ineffectiveness of land use planning instruments. In line with the fact that the main features of the spatial planning systems in the WB countries are fairly comparable (Berisha, Colic, Cotella, & Nedovic Budic, 2018;Trkulja, Tošić, & Živanović, 2012), the insufficiently developed urban sprawl control mechanisms can also be mentioned as a common feature.…”

Foreword: Territorial governance in the Western Balkans: Multi-Scalar approaches and perspectives

“…The historical pathways and development in the Western Balkans have led to complex implications for territorial governance in the region (Berisha et al, 2018(Berisha et al, , 2021bFaludi, 2020). The concept of governance itself is inherently complex; different theories and approaches use or define the term in different ways, and with different levels of precision.…”

“…Though numerous contributions focusing on territorial governance in Europe and its countries have already been developed, they have mostly concerned EU Member States (Loughlin, 2009;Schmitt and Van Well, 2015;Tulumello et al, 2020). At the same time, except for a small number of recent contributions (Cotella and Berisha, 2016;Berisha et al, 2018Berisha et al, , 2021aAllkja, 2019;Faludi, 2020;Toto and Shutina, 2021), meaningful, systematised knowledge on Western Balkan countries is still missing. With an aim to fill this gap, this special issue positions itself within the current discourse and research on territorial governance, by exploring selected Western Balkan territorial governance practices from a multi-scalar perspective.…”

Untitled

“…In particular, the governance dimension of spatial planning is a key concern for the Western Balkans, where there is a need to empower civil society players at local and regional levels to enhance public policy making. In light of the prospect of future European integration, issues such as the rule of law, weak and uncompetitive economies, bilateral disputes, and challenges related to territorial governance need to be addressed at this crucial stage in their development (Berisha et al, 2018;Cotella, 2018; Western Balkan Network on Territorial Governance, 2018).…”