Directions of change in spatial planning systems in Central and Eastern Europe after 1989

Abstract

The aim of this article is to examine the main changes in spatial planning systems in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries after the end of communism in 1989, and to relate these changes to the main challenges facing spatial planning in these countries. The authors used the following countries as case studies: Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine. They analysed the framework conditions, such as the main spatial planning instruments and the main planning legislation. They then looked at the rationale behind each country’s planning legislation and examined the legal status before implementation. This allowed them to identify the main directions of significant legal changes in each country.