Decline or Growth? (Re) considering the Development Patterns of the Border Towns in the Republic of North Macedonia

Abstract

The paper focuses on the border towns of the Republic of North Macedonia (RNM), geographically located in the eastern and western part of the country, highlighting the specificities of their morphology in the context of their recent development and/or decline. The selected examples belong to two different planning regions of the RNM: the East region – Delchevo, and the Southwest region - Struga. Providing an overview of the identified directions and patterns of their urban expansion, it will be possible to determine the morphological features which have both affected and reflected their general urban transformations. Currently, the condition of the border towns from the East region indicates the increasing marginalisation and, consequently - decline, while those from the Southwest region register progress and growth on the socio-economic and spatial level. Due to these drastic differences, the paper will provide a comparative analysis of their urban form, simultaneously targeting both the micro and the macro level. Considering the latest studies on urban morphology and its relationship with overall urban development, the paper will also address the identified problems and trends, proposing the planning recommendations for the future transformations and their sustainability in the long run.