From conformance to performance? A comparative analysis of the European Union territorial policy trends in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Ana Peric; Sinisa Trkulja; Zora Zivanovic

doi:10.18778/1231-1952.28.2.02

Authors

Ana Peric Institute for Spatial and Landscape Development, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5029-3556
Sinisa Trkulja Sector for Spatial Planning and Urbanism, Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4124-7600
Zora Zivanovic Department of Spatial Planning, Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1193-7416

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1231-1952.28.2.02

Keywords:

territorial development, spatial planning, vertical coordination, multi-sectorial cooperation, multidisciplinary cooperation, Western Balkans

Abstract

As several Western Balkans countries aspire to become members of the European Union (EU) in the (near) future, it is interesting to explore to what extent EU territorial trends are adopted in both the official national regulations and spatial planning practice. To do so, we: 1) screen EU territorial policies to elucidate the trends and principles of territorial development, 2) analyse the contents of spatial plans in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 3) compare the practical application of the principles such as decentralisation, diffusion of power, subsidiarity, multi-actorship, synergy, transparency, citizen participation, coordinated action (among various disciplinary bodies), and holistic strategies. The findings show the ineffectiveness of declaratively adopted EU territorial trends against place-based territorial policy approaches.

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