BLASZKE Małgorzata Spatial planning instruments at the regional level in selected Central and Eastern European countries. Their legal and institutional dimensions

Abstract

The aim of this article is to identify the common features and differences of spatial planning instruments at the regional level in Central and Eastern Europe. The article compares institutional aspects concerning the regional level of spatial planning in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and Slovakia. Key regional documents in each country, linked to the spatial planning sphere, were identified. Two types of such documents were classified: development strategies with a spatial dimension and regional spatial plans. In countries where the spatial dimension is included in the strategies, the key issues are the definition of the functional and hierarchical structure of the land, the identification of functional areas and areas of particular importance from a development perspective. Most often, spatial plans distinguish the structure of the settlement network, the layout of the infrastructure network, areas suitable for development and areas requiring special protection.