The global imperative to transition to sustainable, carbon-free systems has a significant impact on urban areas, especially the residential sector. Through a case study of Tirana (Albania), this paper aims to investigate how a just green transition can be achieved at the neighbourhood level and what impacts can be expected in a prefabricated, multi-household residential area. Employing an ex-ante scenario-based approach, the research highlights and compares four alternative pathways for the future development of the housing stock by 2040, ranging from minimal upgrades (enhanced energy performance) to integrated greening (enhanced environmental performance with renewables and nature-based solutions) and full redevelopment. Utilising both qualitative and quantitative methods, including surveys, insite measurements, co-design processes with local stakeholders, and GIS-based environmental mapping, the study evaluates the costs, benefits, and co-benefits of implementing a just green transition in a challenging urban context, with a focus on neighbourhood communities. Findings from this research provide valuable evidence to inform the drafting of long-term renovation strategies at the local level in Western Balkan countries, in line with recommendations from the Green Agenda in the Western Balkans.
Urbanisation processes in post-conflict territories of the Western Balkans require the development of effective instruments for engaging the population in planning processes to ensure sustainable urban development. Participatory planning in post-conflict urban governance is examined with particular attention to how public participation influences the effectiveness of urban development projects in the Western Balkans. The aim of the article is to develop and apply a conceptual framework for assessing the effectiveness of participatory planning and to identify adaptive participation models in different institutional contexts. A mixed-methods comparative case study design was employed, combining conceptual modelling, comparative legal analysis, and case-based analysis of participatory practices across six Western Balkan countries over the period 1990-2025. The effectiveness of participation was assessed through a multidimensional evaluation system integrating procedural, outcome-based, and systemic criteria adapted to post-conflict conditions. The analysis indicates considerable variation in participatory effectiveness across national contexts and participation models. Higher effectiveness was associated with institutionalised consultation procedures, financial commitments to participatory programmes, and multi-level governance coordination, whereas weak implementation of legal provisions and the circumvention of consultation procedures were associated with reduced planning legitimacy and increased public resistance. Digital tools, multi-sectoral dialogue, and academic mediation were found to contribute to more effective participation when supported by stable institutional frameworks.
Rapid urbanisation has intensified demographic decline, economic restructuring, and uneven infrastructural change in Albania’s rural areas, creating the need to assess how these processes differ across rural community types. The study combined statistical analysis of demographic and socio-economic indicators for 2000–2025, a survey of 200 rural residents in six municipalities, and comparative analysis of periurbanised and remote localities. The findings indicate marked rural depopulation, population ageing, youth out-migration, contraction of agricultural employment, and strong territorial disparities in service access and infrastructure development. Periurbanised areas showed greater adaptive capacity and connectivity, whereas remote communities experienced deeper decline and weaker access to education, health care, and digital networks.
This paper examines the link between topography, accessibility, and socioeconomic development in the European Alps. Using fine-scale GIS analyses combined with regional statistics on socioeconomic indicators, we performed a correlation analysis. Our findings suggest that while topography affects accessibility, it does not directly determine socioeconomic development. This holds true for both inner-Alpine and peri-Alpine municipalities. From a spatial development perspective, our findings highlight that accessibility alone cannot ensure positive socioeconomic development dynamics. We conclude that in mountainous areas, socioeconomic development must be discussed in the context of broader themes, such as economic path dependencies and other sectoral specificities.
Architectural and planning solutions that support sustainable urban development are crucial for modern urbanism in the context of sustainable development goals. This study systematises approaches to spatial planning that balance functionality, safety, aesthetic quality, and adaptability. A qualitative analytical methodology was applied, including regulatory analysis of Ukrainian urban planning documents and a case study of the Fayna Town residential complex. Key findings include strategies for interactive public spaces, flexible residential units, and psychologically comfortable environments. The study highlights that urban design should integrate physical, social, environmental, and technological dimensions to ensure long-term viability, environmental responsibility, and quality of life.
This paper seeks to critically evaluate the evolution, dynamics and future prospects of cooperationa mong the Visegrád Group (V4) – Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia – within the broader context of European integration and spatial aspects of development. While the 20th anniversary of the 2004 EU enlargement provides the motivation for the study, the central goal is to evaluate how V4 cooperation has contributed to, responded to and was shaped by major territorial, political, and socio-economic transformations over the past two decades. Employing a mixed-method approach, this research integrates statistical data from Eurostat and the output from existing relevant research on V4 countries to gauge the economic development trajectory and the impacts on these countries, as well as semi-structured interviews with senior academics, including planners, economists, and public administration experts. Our mixed-method methodology combines quantitative assessments of economic development indicators with qualitative insights from interviews to provide a comprehensive understanding of the V4 countries’ development post-EU accession. The key themes include economic development including statistical trends in economic indicators, focusing on GDP growth and convergence with the EU average over the past two decades; socio-economic convergence, focusing on the success of socio-economic convergence at the community level while acknowledging the rise in territorial inequalities at sub-regional and local levels; the impact of structural funds on local government units, evaluating their role in developing technical and social infrastructure and addressing territorial disparities; functional linkages, particularly how the enlargement influenced functional linkages within the EU, especially the interaction between the V4 countries and the ‘old’ Member States; and challenges and disparities focusing on uneven effects of various challenges, including economic crises, migratory patterns, geopolitical conflicts, and external shocks, on the spatial distribution of winners and losers.
In order to limit the increase of temperature to 1.5oC and below 2oC above pre-industrial levels the Western Balkan countries and the European Union, following the Paris Agreement, adopted the 2050 decarbonization goal. The green transition approach in North Macedonia remains a top-down process and poses challenges on implementing a just transition that embeds place-based policies. The communication among central and local government levels and stakeholders remain vague, opening the research question about the proper mix of just transition, participation, legislation adoption and the quality of policy making and governance configuration that should be able to serve spatial and social justice to be able to implement a place-based governance framework. We use targeted survey to assess the green transition policy of the government of North Macedonia if it is just and if it respects the place-based approach. The results suggest that the place-based approach is weakly implemented, decisions remain centralized and following the top-down logic undermining local participation. We recommend further, more detailed analyses of the place-based transition and decentralization efficiency with focus on local government barriers to more just green transition.
Cooperation plays a vital role in solving environmental problems especially when it comes to fragmented regions such as the Adriatic Ionian region. This paper examines the impact of transnational and cross-border cooperation on environmental projects in the 2014–2020 programming period of the European Union. Actor-network analysis helps understand the dynamics among 127 actors across four major EU programmes (Interreg strands A and B). In the results, regional authorities emerge as ‘leader’ and ‘broker’ actors, playing a special role in promoting cross-border cooperation. However, the limited involvement of smaller non-EU actors points to opportunities for growth. The development of this network would lead to a stronger resilience of the region, facilitate the solving of environmental problems, and thus contribute holistically to the promotion of sustainable development.
The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans (GAWB) aims to build transnational cooperation in the Western Balkan (WB) region under key green agenda policy themes. This article explores whether the GAWB development and implementation process reflects an exercise in experimentalist macro-regional governance in the WBs. The GAWB process is examined through the lens of experimentalist governance and its four core dimensions. The assessment indicates that an experimentalist macroregional governance logic is driving GAWB processes, which promote coherence between WB countries under green agenda policies. The GAWB, therefore, lays the foundations for future macro-regional strategy building within the WB region.
The aim of the article is conducting a comparative analysis of the organic products market in Poland compared to the other European Union (EU) countries. Poland’s accession to the EU in 2004 had a profound effect on consumer awareness in the country, leading to a series of regulatory and legislative changes, as well as alterations in the availability of products and shifts in consumer behavior and decisions. The article presents research on the determinants of purchasing choices, the level of consumer awareness and the technical preparation of Poland in the context of sustainable development policy and the comparative analysis of organic products market between Poland and other EU countries.
This study aims to investigate the awareness, perceptions, and expectations of households and business communities regarding the green transition process in Albania. Although Albania is making efforts at the policy and institutional levels to transition towards a modern, climate-neutral, and resource-efficient economy, it is essential to understand the community’s perspective on this process. The study examines the complex relationship between Albania’s shift towards sustainability and adaptability, explicitly emphasising the overall awareness and attitudes towards this pivotal shift among households and business communities. Employing a comprehensive socio-economic survey targeting households and businesses occupying prefabricated buildings in three areas of Tirana, the research seeks to gauge the depth of awareness and readiness of these stakeholders regarding energy-efficient solutions. Central to the investigation is exploring perceptions and attitudes, including the willingness to invest in and pay for such solutions. Shedding light on these factors provides valuable insights into the socio-economic dynamics that shape Albania’s path towards sustainability and resilience amid the imperatives of a green transition.
This article presents the key issues taken up in two volumes of the Europa XXI journal (nos. 46 and 47) devoted to Current challenges for spatial planning in EU country systems. It proves possible to distinguish between key directions to the research taken up in this context – in relation to spatial planning at the regional and local levels, the conditioning of spatial plans relating to transport, and the incorporation of values into systems of spatial planning. Very strong emphasis is here placed on ways of comparing the solutions and practices applied in what are disparate national systems. If there is no more precise defining of the instruments of spatial planning available at regional level in the states under study, it will be much more difficult to pursue objectives formulated at the EU level (in relation to Member States), as well as to integrate spatial planning with other sectoral policies. A need to continue with research is also noted, especially where that entails attempts to achieve a universal conceptualisation of barriers and challenges put before systems of spatial planning.
The aim of this article is to identify the relevance and possible application of comparative spatialplanning research in the context of the EU’s territorial cohesion themes. Research questions formulated were as follows: (1) what are the key considerations and methods for making comparisons between spatial planning systems?; (2) how is the legal and institutional context addressed in comparative research?; and (3) how can the comparative research on spatial-planning systems that is (or can be) carried out translate into the objectives of EU policy on territorial cohesion? This article represents an overview in the above context. It first relates the objectives and specificities of cohesion policy as defined in the literature to the research challenges. It then identifies the main reasons (also noted in the literature) for spatial-planning issues to be made subject to comparison, the methodological challenges in so doing, and the specificity present as legal and institutional conditions are compared. A basis is in this way provided for an indication of the relationship pertaining between comparative research and the developmentof territorial cohesion.
Brexit, or the voluntary withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from membership of the European Union (EU), is considered as one of the main events of the international arena in the twenty-first century. For the first time in its history, the EU faced the withdrawal of a member state, which stands out for a major political, economic and military role inside and outside Europe. Although as a process it has been finalized in 2021, the factors that had an impact on Brexit are still being discussed. One of the main factors that affected the British people’s vote to withdraw their country from EU membership was immigration. As a result of the EU enlargements in 2004 and 2007, many people had the opportunity to come to Britain to work and live. The main purpose of this paper is to explain how the enlargements of the EU during the 2000s increased the number of Brexiteers in the UK. For the realization of the research, qualitative methods were used,based on the collection of primary and secondary data from the bibliography and credible internet sources related to the EU enlargement policies and Brexit. The research results have shown that the EU enlargements in 2004 and 2007 enabled hundreds of thousands of citizens from 12 Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries to come to Britain for a better welfare system. This was considered by some Britons as an abuse of free movement and a very serious threat to their future, while Brexit was seen by them as the only salvation from this situation. The conclusions of the paper aim to increase the knowledge regarding the impact of the EU enlargement policies of the 2000s on very delicate processes, such as the decision of the UK to withdraw from the EU.
The purpose of the article is to identify the impact of different types of companies on regional economic performance. It highlights the significant influence of GDP per capita from newly established companies. The study stresses supporting newly established companies, those investing in R&D, and paying higher average monthly wages to foster economic development. The research provides insights for targeted business environment support, aiding regional growth and decision-making.
Residential architecture and urban planning have the task of fulfilling the complex and manifold needs of inhabitants spending the majority of their everyday lives in these areas. Residential areas represent crucial spatial infrastructure that shapes the possibilities and life circumstances of its users, and thus should go beyond satisfying only the basic need for shelter. The importance and lack of green public spaces has been highlighted in recent years, especially during and after the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. It is becoming evident that the ongoing, investor-led, intense building activities in larger cities in Serbia are moving forward without much consideration of their footprint, generally disregarding the opportunity to develop green, public spaces. Having access to these kinds of areas not only benefits the living conditions in terms of microclimate, but it also benefits the overall health and mental health, as well as the social satisfaction of residents and users. Collective, green areas serve as a place for gathering, socialising and rest, giving users the possibility of satisfying their social and personal needs on different levels. The aim of this paper is to research the importance of green public spaces in residential areas for quality of life, analysing built residential areas in Novi Sad, Serbia. Analysing examples of residential areas built during the socialist period, under specific economic, political and social circumstances shaping urban planning, and examples of a more recent date, highlights the different percentage of green public spaces envisioned in these types of residential complexes. By comparing these two forms of spatial concepts, we are able to understand what each of them offers their residents regarding social, health and personal needs, showcasing the kind of quality of life that exists in these areas. This research can help us contemplate solutions for the future, based on past and present experiences.
Inadequate planning of transport and spatial infrastructure significantly contributes to biodiversity loss through increased habitat fragmentation and wildlife mortality. In alignment with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, Serbia must harmonize infrastructure development with nature conservation principles. This paper presents a refined methodological approach for identifying and integrating ecological corridors into spatial and infrastructure planning, developed within the ConnectGREEN project. Using the case study of Đerdap National Park, the paper outlines steps taken to define, protect, and manage ecological corridors for large carnivores in Serbia. The results provide strategic recommendations and participatory planning insights that could inform sustainable development policies across the region.
Deemed instrumental in reducing GHG emissions in the upcoming decades, the transition towards electric mobility constitutes a well-articulated objective in multiple governance levels. The ability to reach the established goals for transport decarbonisation and climate change mitigation is broadly determined by consumer behaviour; therefore, understanding consumer preferences is fundamental. This study aims to explore consumer awareness, perceptions, preferences and public support for electric mobility in Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Information on the consumer’s readiness to use electric vehicles, the eventual knowledge gap on the topic, the potential role of the government and the perceived barriers and concerns are gathered by making use of exploratory sequential mixed-method research, which combines insights from interviews with the primary data of a questionnaire-based survey conducted using the snowball non-probabilistic sampling technique. Electric mobility is emerging in the selected countries, and multiple uncertainties act as barriers to EV penetration. Findings suggest low awareness and knowledge of electric mobility and electric vehicles. Nevertheless, there is a positive attitude towards electric mobility, while costs, limited infrastructure, and frail confidence are restraints to their actual behaviour (switching to electric mobility, including EVs, e-bikes, and other alternatives). Public authorities can build confidence around e-mobility through incentivisation schemes,investments in public, accessible, affordable charging infrastructure, and adjustments in the regulatory framework.
