Metadata language
post-conflict territories ; spatial planning ; decentralisation ; participation models ; social legitimacy
Abstract:
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.
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1429-7132 (print) ; 2300-8547 (online) ; 10.7163/Eu21.2026.50.14
Source:CBGiOŚ. IGiPZ PAN, call nos.: Cz.6406, Cz.6407 ; click here to follow the link
Language: Language of abstract: Rights:Creative Commons Attribution BY 4.0 license
Terms of use:Copyright-protected material. [CC BY 4.0] May be used within the scope specified in Creative Commons Attribution BY 4.0 license, full text available at: ; -
Digitizing institution:Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Original in: Projects co-financed by:European Union. European Regional Development Fund ; Programme Innovative Economy, 2010-2014, Priority Axis 2. R&D infrastructure
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