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Territorial Development and Governance in the Western Balkans

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Governing Territorial Development in the Western Balkans

Part of the book series: Advances in Spatial Science ((ADVSPATIAL))

Abstract

The last three decades have seen the Western Balkan Region facing several institutional, economic, social, and territorial transformation. Since the early 1990s, the region has undergone radical changes that have paved the way for a diversity of territorial development models. This chapter identifies and details the main territorial challenges and drivers of change that characterise the region and could affect its future development. To do so, it proposes an historical analysis of the region’s spatial development trajectories, focussing on the role of territorial governance and spatial planning in addressing them and identifying the main challenges that hamper this activity. Finally, particular attention is dedicated to the role that international actors have played and are still playing in shaping territorial development and governance in the region.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The SAP framework is based on six key areas: (i) the development of existing economic and trade relations with and within the region; (ii) the development and partial redirection of existing economic and financial assistance; (iii) the increasing of role of civil society, education, and institution building; (iv) the cooperation in areas of justice and home affair; (v) the development of political dialogue; (vi) the launching of the Stabilisation Association Agreement (European Commission 1999).

  2. 2.

    However, not all countries have followed the same path, and some exceptions persist: Montenegro, for instance, with its new law of 2019 has recentralized its system to a full extent.

  3. 3.

    As studied by the authors elsewhere, this stands true for the majority of transition countries (Adams et al. 2011; Cotella 2014).

  4. 4.

    For example, by the mid-2000s, there were 127 officially recognised informal settlements throughout Albania, which covered 3,200 km2 (1,143 km2 in urban areas) (Pojani 2013).

  5. 5.

    In 2007, the EU launched the financial programme IPA—Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance—that replaced previous programmes like the Poland and Hungary Assistance for the Restructuring of the Economy, Cross-Border Cooperation (PHARE), PHARE CBC, Structural Policies for Pre-Accession (ISPA), Special Accession Programme for Rural and Development Programme (SAPARD), and the Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation (CARDS).

  6. 6.

    (*) This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

  7. 7.

    A number of projects were launched, facilitating the compliance to EU requirements. For instance, the ARCH-Vukovar project (2011–2013) aimed at promoting the economic and human development and fostering interethnic reconciliation by restoring the most symbolic monument of the urban historical centres.

  8. 8.

    The project allowed eight municipalities to draft local plans by dealing with: (i) security of tenure and registration of immovable property rights; (ii) urban land management; (iii) municipal infrastructure, and (iv) emergency response.

  9. 9.

    Albania moved from the 36% of urban population in 1990 to more than 60% in 2018. In the same period, Montenegro went from the 48% to the 66.7%. Also Bosnia and Herzegovina, that remains one of the most rural countries of the European continent, saw its share of urban population raising from 39% in 1990 to 48% in 2018.

  10. 10.

    The gap in mean income or consumption per capita between the poorest and richest regions in a country reaches 50% in Albania, 38% in North Macedonia, and 33% in Serbia.

  11. 11.

    At present, the Balkans Countries are included in numerous Interreg, Interreg-IPA, and IPA CBC initiatives. They are also participating in a series transnational cooperation programmes and strategies like European macro-regional strategy for the Adriatic Ionian Region (EUSAIR) and for the Danube Region (EUSDR).

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  1. Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning (DIST), Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy

    Erblin Berisha & Giancarlo Cotella

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  1. Erblin Berisha
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  1. Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy

    Erblin Berisha

  2. Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy

    Giancarlo Cotella

  3. Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy

    Alys Solly

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Berisha, E., Cotella, G. (2021). Territorial Development and Governance in the Western Balkans. In: Berisha, E., Cotella, G., Solly, A. (eds) Governing Territorial Development in the Western Balkans. Advances in Spatial Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72124-4_2

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