The conference is being held in the framework of the project Sustainable and inclusive Balanced Regional Development, funded by the Ministry of Local Self-Government and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

The theme of this conference is extremely important because the demographic disparity caused by the migration of the population from the rural to the urban areas, as well as the migration from other regions, has contributed to a huge change in the spatial-urban and functional growth of the Skopje Planning Region.

Urban municipalities are facing, not only demographic, but also economic, construction and social pressures, while in rural areas we are faced with depopulation, lack of basic infrastructure and impoverishment.

Such changes have a negative impact on the development of municipalities in the Skopje region, which is less like an economic and functional environment, and balanced regional and sustainable development reaches a critical point.

The pressure in the urban municipalities, especially in the central area of ​​the Skopje region, is overwhelming and they are facing overcrowding, traffic chaos, construction expansion, environmental damage, usurpation of public spaces and more, so they cannot respond to the real needs of citizens.

And in conditions where there is no projected planning for the increasing concentration of inhabitants, not only spatial development but also economic and social sustainable development is at stake.

Despite this situation in urban areas, in rural municipalities, they face depopulation, economic stagnation, underdeveloped infrastructure, lack of conditions for business development, new jobs, but also for quality cultural and social life.

Municipalities usually do not have development plans, including appropriate GUPs and DUPs, with a development component tailored to the needs of the population and potential investors. As a result, the space is often sporadically usurped and built unplanned, which calls into question the protection and maintenance of protected areas and natural and cultural wealth.

Representatives from the Ministry of Local Self-Government, the Mayors, the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, the Spatial Planning Agency, the Chamber of Commerce, the Business Sector, the Cadastre were part of the panelists discussed legislation, development plans, imbalances between public interest and business, environmental impacts and the like.

Also involved were science professors with their research and analysis, cocoa and foreign experts and renowned companies who made their contribution through their presentations.

We expect relevant and concrete conclusions from this conference to reduce the development disparities of local communities, but also to bring about a balanced and balanced development of the whole region.

We hope that the recommendations made will be a vision of a future strategy for balanced regional development, which will provide Skopje with a burden of urban pressure and accelerate rural development.

It will also affect the provision of equal living conditions for all citizens of the region and its economic, social and environmental sustainability.

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