Governance, Smart Urbanism & Urban Resilience in the Western Balkans: Comparative Insights from Prishtina, Tirana, and Podgorica

Abstract

The imperative for urban resilience is intensifying globally, yet its application in the transitional context of the Western Balkans remains underexplored. Cities in this region, such as Prishtina, Tirana, and Podgorica, navigate post-conflict recovery, rapid urbanization, socio-economic pressures, and escalating climate threats. While smart technologies and sustainable urban development paradigms offer promising pathways to resilience, their effectiveness is contingent upon robust governance and supportive institutional frameworks, which are often fragmented in these environments. A comprehensive approach is therefore essential for sustainable urban development in the region. This study aims to critically analyze the factors shaping urban resilience in the Western Balkans. It evaluates the effectiveness of smart technologies, the role of sustainable housing policies, and the impact of governance models on the adaptive capacity of cities, with a specific focus on Prishtina, Tirana, and Podgorica in comparison to other global cities. A convergent mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative analysis involved statistical modelling of resilience indicators across eight cities, including a regression analysis to identify key predictors. Qualitative analysis included thematic coding of 30 policy documents and 25 semi-structured interviews with urban planners and policymakers to uncover governance challenges and policy implementation gaps. The findings reveal that Western Balkan cities score significantly lower on resilience metrics compared to their Western European counterparts. Qualitative data link low resilience to post-conflict legacies, informal settlements, and fragmented governance structures.