Clearing up the Fog: How international and local politics influenced spatial planning in Kosovo (1999-2017)

The failure of post-conflict state-building in Kosovo portrays itself in its physical reconstruction. The lack of efficient spatial planning is therefore an example of public policy ‘gone wrong’ due to Kosovo’s substantial governance issues such as rooted corruption, political instability and a weak economy. The causes do not only originate from the 1998-1999 war, such as its disputed status, but can also be attributed to balancing of interests by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). By focusing on the influence of international and local politics on the functioning of institutions the research provides new insights into the processes which influenced spatial planning in Kosovo from 1999 to 2017. Based on interviews conducted in September 2017 the research shows that spatial planning policy was and still is used for conflict mitigation and construction rather than strategic governance of territory. It furthermore illustrates the damaging effect of the...Show moreThe failure of post-conflict state-building in Kosovo portrays itself in its physical reconstruction. The lack of efficient spatial planning is therefore an example of public policy ‘gone wrong’ due to Kosovo’s substantial governance issues such as rooted corruption, political instability and a weak economy. The causes do not only originate from the 1998-1999 war, such as its disputed status, but can also be attributed to balancing of interests by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). By focusing on the influence of international and local politics on the functioning of institutions the research provides new insights into the processes which influenced spatial planning in Kosovo from 1999 to 2017. Based on interviews conducted in September 2017 the research shows that spatial planning policy was and still is used for conflict mitigation and construction rather than strategic governance of territory. It furthermore illustrates the damaging effect of the decentralization policy on national and local governance and sheds light on Kosovo’s internal struggle to enhance an ineffective system put in place by the international community. The research therefore provides a critical reflection on the potential damaging effects of international state-building in a post-conflict setting.Show less

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Clearing up the Fog: How international and local politics influenced spatial planning in Kosovo (1999-2017)