Territorial Development and Governance in the Western Balkans

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.