Authors
Elona KARAFILI, Polis University, Tirana, Albania
Sadmira MALAJ, Polis University, Tirana, Albania
Ledio ALLKJA,Polis University, Tirana, Albania
Flora KRASNIQI,Polis University, Tirana, Albania
Abstract
Urbanization processes in the Western Balkan region have intensified over the last decades, exposing persistent challenges related to informal development, institutional fragmentation, environmental degradation, and limited implementation capacity within urban planning systems. While several countries in the region have undertaken legislative and policy reforms aligned with European Union frameworks and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the transition toward sustainable urban planning remains uneven and constrained by governance, data availability, and coordination gaps. This paper aims to identify the dominant themes, challenges, and opportunities shaping sustainable urban planning in the Western Balkan region, with a specific focus on Albania as a representative case. Methodologically, the study adopts a multi-scalar mixed-methods approach combining bibliometric analysis and keyword co-occurrence network analysis. Scientific literature was analyzed across three levels European, Western Balkan, and national (Albania) using Research Rabbit for publication connectivity and VOSviewer for keyword clustering and thematic mapping. The results reveal a strong emphasis on sustainability indicators, governance, and integrated planning at the European level, contrasted with a focus on institutional frameworks and planning systems in the Western Balkans, and governance, transparency, and implementation challenges in Albania. The findings highlight a structural gap between policy ambitions and implementation capacity, underscoring the need for targeted institutional, individual, and infrastructural capacity-building. The paper concludes by discussing policy implications and the role of initiatives in supporting evidence-based, data-driven, and participatory urban planning practices in the Western Balkan region.
