The development of strategic spatial planning in Central and Eastern Europe

between path dependence, European influence, and domestic politics

Journal Article (2018)
Author(s)

Marcin Dabrowski (TU Delft - Spatial Planning and Strategy)

Kasia Piskorek (Wrocław University of Technology, TU Delft - Spatial Planning and Strategy)

Research Group
Spatial Planning and Strategy
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.1080/02665433.2018.1513373
More Info
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Publication Year
2018
Language
English
Research Group
Spatial Planning and Strategy
Issue number
4
Volume number
33
Pages (from-to)
571-589
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Abstract

Focusing on three of the Central and Eastern European countries–Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary–the paper investigates the evolution of spatial planning systems and the introduction of strategic planning practices from the beginning of the post-communist transition in the early 1990s to the present. It sheds new light on this issue by applying the conceptual lens of historical institutionalism to explain this process and elucidate the role of the accession to the European Union (EU) as a catalyst for change. In particular, the paper identifies and analyses the critical junctures at which path dependencies emerged and later constrained the capacity of the regional and local actors to adjust to the EU Cohesion Policy framework and engage in strategic planning as part of it.