FOREWORD
Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ANUBiH) traditionally
organizes an international scientific conference on relevant and current topics in the
field of economic development, regional, local, territorial and urban development
every two years. Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina since its
establishment continuously deals with these topics, paying special scientific attention
and dedication. For illustration purposes, we recall some of the earlier publications:
Economic and Social Determinants of Spatial Development in Sarajevo - Economic
and Urban Development (1975); On Issues of Spatial Development of Bosnia and
Herzegovina (1979); and Sarajevo - A City and Region in Space and Time of 2000
(1982). There are also special editions: Vol. LXXII, vol. 15, The Concept of Longterm Economic Development of Bosnia and Herzegovina to 2000, Sarajevo (1985).
The continuity of research in cooperation with relevant international scientific
organizations and institutions continued in the postwar period.
Euroregion and South East Europe was the topic of the first post-war international conference organized by the Academy of Sciences and Arts of BiH, the
Centre for the Development of Local and Regional Self-government of the Faculty
of Political Sciences of University of Sarajevo and the Sarajevo Economic Institute.
Regional Cooperation in Europe: Opportunity for the Balkans was the main
theme of the international scientific conference organized by the ANUBiH in collaboration with the University of Bologna, the Croatian Academy of Sciences and
Arts (HAZU), London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) London,
UK, within the IUC in Dubrovnik from 21 to 23 of September 2011.
In 2013, the international scientific conference Local Economic and Infrastructure
Development of SEE in the Context of EU Accession was held (20-21 September),
co-organized by the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (HAZU), University
of Bologna, School of Economics and Business and Faculty of Political Sciences
of the University of Sarajevo and the entity associations of municipalities and cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Center for Local and Regional Self-government
of the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Sarajevo and the Sarajevo
Economic Institute on the sidelines of this conference, on 21 September 2013, organized the Forum of SEE Mayors. The Forum was attended by representatives of
the administration of capitals, policy makers and the academic community, as an
expression of orientation toward connecting the academic community and creators
of urban, local and regional policies. The city of Sarajevo was given a special place
at the Forum.
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The Position and Role of Capitals in SEE (South East Europe) in the Development
of Interregional and Intergovernmental Cooperation within the Danube and the
Adriatic-Ionian European Macro-region was the topic of the international scientific conference held on 19 September 2015, in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Works and views on this topic were presented by authors from Italy, Great Britain,
Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other countries.
The authors, among other, came from the academies (ANUBiH, HAZU, the
Academy of Engineering Sciences of Serbia), universities (Imperial College
London, University of Zagreb, University of Zenica, University of Belgrade,
University of Novi Sad, University of Sarajevo, University of Tuzla, University
of Mostar, SSI University), institutes (HEIS Sarajevo, Urban Planning Institute of
the Republic of Slovenia), development agencies / centers (Center for Regional
Economic Studies Mostar, TRA Tesanj Development Agency, Center for Innovation
and Entrepreneurship Zenica, AGGF Banja Luka, Planning Institute of Sarajevo),
and towns / municipalities / cantons (Vienna, Zagreb, Sarajevo, Ljubljana, Novi Sad,
Subotica, Belgrade, London, Tesanj, Tuzla, Mostar).
In their contributions, the authors elaborated: development of metropolitan polycentric regions and the smart city concept; institutional strengthening of capital and major
cities in Croatia in order to strengthen their capacity for regional cooperation; adaptation
of cities and other settlements to climate changes in the Danube European macro-region
on example of Slovenia; the potentials for regional cooperation and the application of
innovative methods of urban planning based on the paradigm of blue green dream; the
economic development of small towns based on their own resources as opposed to the
existence / non-existence of support from capital on the example of Tesanj municipality; perspectives for networking of the main cities of the lower Danube basin as a new
development paradigm within the European macro-region; investment competitiveness
of a city; the position of a city in spatial planning; integrated and sustainable development of cities of the Western Balkans in the European context; the city of Sarajevo in
the inter-city cooperation of capitals of the South East and Central Europe; city branding
- case study of the city of Sarajevo; the city of Sarajevo as the focal point of the development of spatial planning; giving priority to the first city: a comparative analysis of
selected countries in the SEE region; public-private financing of road infrastructure
in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a factor of regional cooperation; position, capitals, and
transnational companies: the case study of company Tondach; and specific issues,
such as the question of what is encouraged by regional integrations, and lessons
learned from the development corridors.
The collection of works is indexed in EBSCO and CEEOL (Central and Eastern
European Online Library) databases, and is catalogued in the National and University
Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CIP, ISBN and COBISS).
Prof. Dr. Jasmina Osmankovic, and
corresponding member of ANUBiH Prof. Dr. Mirko Pejanovic
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