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How to cite:
Lukić, A.; Božić, N. (2023): Country Profile of Croatia. Hannover. = ARL Country Profiles. https://www.arl-international.com/knowledge/country-profiles/croatia/rev/3731. (date of access).

Overview

The Republic of Croatia is a predominantly Central European and Mediterranean country bordering the Balkans. It has borders with Slovenia (668 km), Hungary (355 km), Serbia (318 km), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1,011 km) and Montenegro (23 km). The horseshoe shape of the country and borders that are relatively long for a territorially small country (56,594 km²) reveal the complex history of present-day Croatia. Although Croatia only gained independence from the Yugoslav Federation in the early 1990s, the Croatian nation is one of the oldest in Europe. The Central European character of the country is primarily the result of the long historical ties with political powers in Vienna and Budapest while the Adriatic Sea and the long coast were subject to Venice and its influence. Finally, Croatia was on the route of the Ottoman Empire’s invasion of Central Europe, which influenced the ethnic composition of the present-day Croatian territory. Sadly, the ethnic mix, with a primarily Serbian minority, was also a trigger for the tragic Homeland War (1991-1995).

The Homeland War is also associated with the depopulation of the entire country that began in 1991. The consequences of the destructive effects of the Homeland War, transitional de-industrialisation, unemployment and the slow and painful adjustment of agriculture to the new market conditions led to continuous outward migration. In addition, an unfavourable societal environment (i.e. political corruption) also influenced the population outflow. The EU accession brought a new wave of outward migration, especially of younger individuals and families. As a consequence, between 2001 and 2021, Croatia lost 565,627 inhabitants (12.74%). In that period Croatia’s demography was characterised by a decline in the total population, continuous natural depopulation, more deaths than live births, increasing ageing of the population and an imbalance in the age structure of the population. Currently, the Croatian population is among the fifteen oldest populations in the world, and the share of elderly in the total population is constantly increasing.

Croatia is a country of numerous and small settlements – the modern network of settlements is still largely a reflection of the organisation of space in a traditional agrarian society, although the increase in the urban population, the extinction of settlements and the thinning of the settlement network indicate its reconfiguration. More than two-fifths of all inhabited places have less than 100 inhabitants (43.1%), although such places together have a total of only 118,209 inhabitants or 3% of the total population. At the same time, four large cities with more than 75,000 inhabitants (Zagreb, Split, Rijeka and Osijek) are home to slightly more than a quarter of Croatia’s population (25.7%).

The Lowland Pannonian and Peri-Pannonian basin, the mountainous Dinaric and coastal Adriatic regions are the three main types of relief in Croatia. The distribution of the population clearly reflects this. The key feature of the population distribution in Croatia is imbalance. At the macro-regional level, the zone with the highest population concentration is predominantly Central Croatia, where almost half of all inhabitants live on slightly more than a third of the total area. The backbone of this concentration is the City of Zagreb with 767,131 inhabitants (2021), i.e. 39.5% of the total population of Central Croatia. The high urban population density of the City of Zagreb (1200.6 inhabitants/km2) places this macro-region significantly above the average population density of Croatia (44.8 inhabitants/km2): the average density of Central Croatia is 99.5 inhabitants/km2. The other end of the spectrum is the mountainous region of Croatia, where only 1.8% of the population lives on approximately 13% of the country’s area, with an average density of only 10.5 inhabitants/km2. Central Croatia, therefore, is almost ten times more densely populated than mountainous Croatia. Other macro-regions have very similar population densities, around the national average, with the Northern Croatian coast being slightly higher. After Central Croatia, the largest proportion of the population lives in the Southern Croatian Adriatic (20.4%), followed by Eastern Croatia (15.8%), and 11.8% of the total population lives in the smallest macroregion, the Northern Croatian Adriatic.

In 2021, 2,161,090 inhabitants or 55.6% of the total population lived in urban settlements, while 1,727,439 or 44.4% lived in rural and mixed settlements. The weakest and most sparsely populated region, mountainous Croatia, also has the smallest share of the urban population.

In conclusion, there are great regional disparities in Croatia: in population structure, functional development and the degree of regional development. The disparity between Zagreb and other areas of Croatia is the most pronounced. Also, the greatest pressure connected to touristification (expansion of built-up areas) is found along the Adriatic Coast. In the long term, the greatest negative impact due to economic and demographic indicators is expected in Virovitica-Podravska County, Požega-Slavonia County, Brod-Posavina County and parts of Sisak-Moslavina, Lika-Senj, Karlovac and Bjelovar-Bilogora Counties.

The Croatian economy is predominantly oriented towards the service sector and public administration (with almost three-quarters of employed persons). Industry and construction accounts for almost a quarter of employed persons and agriculture less than 4%. Tourism is the most important economic activity, with almost 20 million foreign visitors (2019) contributing 20% to the GDP. In the last 20 years around 1000 km of new motorways have been built, contributing significantly to the development of tourism. On the other hand, the railway infrastructure is poorly maintained and developed.

Croatia is a parliamentary democracy and is organised as a unitary republic. The welfare state, freedom, equality, equal rights and the rule of law are among the highest values of the constitutional order.

Croatia is an ethnically homogeneous country: Croats make up 90.4% of the population. The largest national minority is the Serbian minority, which makes up 4.4% of the population. Their proportion declined sharply in the 1990s due to emigration caused by the war. However, a number of Serbs returned to Croatia after the end of the Homeland War. The third largest ethnic group is Bosniacs (0.7%), followed by 20 other minorities (Italians, Hungarians, Slovenes, Albanians, Roma, Czechs, Macedonians, Slovaks, etc.).

Croatia has been a member of the European Union since 1 July 2013. This was the result of a long negotiation process between Croatia and the EU, which began on 29 October 2001 with the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (which entered into force on 1 February  2005). The Croatian Parliament called on the government to submit Croatia’s application for EU membership, which happened on 21 February 2003. On 18 June 2004, Croatia was granted the status of EU candidate country. Accession negotiations were formally concluded at the end of June 2011. Croatia has also been a member of NATO since 1 April 2009.

General information

Name of country Croatia
Capital, population of the capital (2020) Zagreb, 809,235 (Eurostat)
Surface area 88,073 km² (World Bank)
Total population (2020) 4,047,680 (World Bank)
Population growth rate (2010-2020) -5.77% (World Bank)
Population density (2020) 72.3 inhabitants/km² (World Bank)
Degree of urbanisation (2015) 28.15% (European Commission)
Human development index (2021) 0.858 (Human Development Reports)
GDP (2019) EUR 47,117 million (World Bank)
GDP per capita (2019) EUR 11,590 (World Bank)
GDP growth (2014-2019) 16.73% (World Bank)
Unemployment rate (2019) 6.62% (World Bank)
Land use (2018) 3.83% built-up land
39.69% agricultural land
47.38% forests and shrubland
7.74% nature
1.35% inland waters
(European Environment Agency)
Sectoral structure (2017) 70.1% services and administration
26.2% industry and construction
3.7% agriculture and forestry
(Central Intelligence Agency)

To ensure comparability between all Country Profiles, the tables were prepared by the ARL.

Administrative structure and system of governance

Administrative structure of the Republic of Croatia

The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia and the related laws define the administrative organisation of Croatia. The Constitution stipulates that citizens are guaranteed the right to local and regional self-government. Municipalities and towns (općine and gradovi in Croatian) are the units of local self-government. Counties (županija in Croatian) are the units of regional self-government. The territory of both municipalities/towns and counties is fixed by law. The capital city of Zagreb is granted the status of a county by law.

The Republic of Croatia consists of 21 counties, one of which is the City of Zagreb, the capital and largest city of Croatia. The City of Zagreb, as the capital of the Republic of Croatia, is a special and unique territorial and administrative unit, the organisation of which is regulated by the City of Zagreb Act. Counties are divided into 128  cities and 428 municipalities. The current administrative territorial division of the country dates back to 1997, with minor changes made in the number, territorial composition or status of towns and municipalities in the following years. Cities and municipalities consist of 6756 settlements (2021). Larger cities (e.g. Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek, etc.) are further divided into districts and sub-districts.

Regional self-government

A county is a unit of regional self-government whose territory constitutes a natural, historical, economic, social and self-governing unit (including in relation to transport) and which is organised to perform tasks of regional interest.

Units of regional self-government (counties) administer matters of regional importance, in particular in education, public health, spatial planning and urban planning, the issuance of construction and siting permits and other legal acts related to construction and the implementation of spatial planning documents for the county territory outside the metropolitan area, as well as economic development, transport and traffic infrastructure, and the development of the network of educational, health, social and cultural facilities.

Local self-government (municipalities and cities)

A municipality is a unit of local self-government, usually established for the territory of several populated localities that constitute a natural, economic and social unit and are united by the common interests of the population.

A city is a unit of local self-government in which the county seat is located, as well as any place with more than 10,000 inhabitants that constitutes an urban, historical, natural, economic and social unit. The composition of the city as a unit of local self-government may also include suburban settlements that form an economic and social unit with the urban settlement and are linked to it by daily migration and the daily needs of the population of local importance.

Exceptionally, a place that does not meet the conditions above may nonetheless be defined as a city if there are special reasons for this (historical, economic, transport geography).

Units of local self-government (municipalities and cities) manage matters of local jurisdiction that directly meet the needs of residents, in particular matters related to the organisation of localities and housing, land use planning and urban planning, public utilities, child care, social welfare, primary health care services, education and elementary school, culture, physical education and sports, customer protection, the protection and improvement of the environment, fire protection and civil defence.

Large cities with more than 35,000 inhabitants and cities/county seats may, in addition to the above-mentioned tasks, perform tasks within the scope of the county on their territory

System of governance of the Republic of Croatia

The Republic of Croatia is a unitary and indivisible democratic welfare state. The Croatian political system is based on the principle of separation of powers between the legislative, executive and judicial branches.

Legislativ­e power

Legislative power is the responsibility of the Croatian Parliament (Sabor in Croatian). The first session of the Sabor dates back to the 13th century. Today, the Croatian Parliament is the representative body of the citizens and holds legislative power. It consists of a minimum of 100 and a maximum of 160 members. Members of Parliament have no imperative mandate and enjoy immunity. The Croatian Parliament has a Speaker and one or more Deputy Speakers.

The Croatian Parliament decides on the adoption and amendment of the Constitution, adopts laws, adopts the central budget, decides on war and peace, adopts documents expressing the policy of the Croatian Parliament, adopts the National Security Strategy and the Defence Strategy of the Republic of Croatia, exercises civilian supervision over the Armed Forces and the Security Services of the Republic of Croatia, decides on changes to the borders of the Republic of Croatia, calls referendums, conducts elections, appointments and dismissals in accordance with the Constitution and the law, supervises the work of the government of the Republic of Croatia and other holders of public offices subordinate to the Croatian Parliament in accordance with the Constitution and the law, grants amnesty for criminal offences, and performs all other duties specified in the Constitution.

Executive power

The President of the Republic of Croatia and the government are the representatives of executive power.

The President of the Republic of Croatia represents the Republic of Croatia at home and abroad and acts on behalf of the Republic of Croatia. The President ensures the orderly and balanced functioning and stability of the government and is responsible for defending the independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia. Franjo Tuđman was the first Croatian president. He was followed by Stjepan Mesić, Ivo Josipović, Kolinda Grbabar-Kitarović and Zoran Milanović (the current president).

The government of the Republic of Croatia exercises executive power. It consists of the Prime Minister, one or more Deputy Prime Ministers, and other ministers. It is responsible to the Croatian Parliament. The Prime Minister represents the government to the Croatian Parliament. The government of the Republic of Croatia submits draft laws and other legal acts to the Croatian Parliament, proposes the central budget and the annual financial statements, executes laws and other decisions of the Croatian Parliament, issues decrees implementing laws, conducts foreign and domestic policy, directs and controls the work of the civil service, ensures the economic development of the country, directs the execution and development of public services, and performs other tasks specified by the Constitution and the law.

Judicial power

Judicial power is exercised by the courts, which are autonomous and independent. The courts exercise jurisdiction in accordance with the Constitution, the law, international treaties and other valid sources. The judicial system includes the Supreme Court; the County, Municipal, Misdemeanour, Commercial and Administrative Courts; the Supreme Misdemeanour Court; the Supreme Commercial Court; and the Supreme Administrative Court.

Figure 1: Administrative structure of Croatia

Figure 1: Administrative structure of Croatia

Figure 2: System of powers of Croatia

Figure 2: System of powers of Croatia

Spatial planning system

Historical development of the planning system

Planning between the two World Wars in Croatia was focused on urban and rural areas and was harmonised with similar regulations in other Central European countries. The influence of CIAM (Congres International d’Architecture Moderne) ideas on Croatian architects of the interwar period was strong, and Croatian architects actively participated in the preparation of the Athens Charter in 1933. Poor living conditions both in overcrowded cities and in underdeveloped rural areas were the subject of numerous articles, meetings and exhibitions. The solution was considered to lie in rational and functional construction in the wake of European ideas of interwar modernism.

During the Second World War, the foundations for the reconstruction and rebuilding of the country after the war were being laid. Towards the end of the war, in 1944, an urban planning seminar was held on the liberated territory of Šibenik, where three topics were considered: village renewal, small town renewal and city renewal.

Immediately after the end of the Second World War, regulatory plans for the reconstruction of towns and settlements were rapidly drawn up based on temporary instructions. Some of these plans had the characteristics of merely conceptual sketches, but they managed to direct the spatial development of many, especially smaller, settlements.

In Socialist Yugoslavia, of which Croatia was then a part, planning was decentralised and in the competence of the federal republics. The Croatian Act on Urban and Regional Spatial Planning from 1966 made a clear distinction between regional and urban planning.

Socialist Yugoslavia began to open to foreign tourists relatively early, and the attractive coast (the longest part of which was in the Croatian republic) was recognised as having huge potential for the development of modern tourism. In early 1960s the first regional plans for coastal areas were drawn up.

What followed were two joint projects of the United Nations Development Programme and the government of Yugoslavia that left a huge impact not only on the development of tourism but also on the development of the overall methodology of spatial planning in both Croatia and Yugoslavia. The Regional Spatial Plan of the South Adriatic, which included the coasts of Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and a large part of Croatian coast, was completed in 1968. This was followed by the development of the Regional Spatial Plan for the Upper Adriatic (1970-1972). An impressive methodology was put together for the creation of these plans, on which many experts from 59 urban planning institutions and five foreign companies worked for several years. Between 1967 and 1972, within the scope of the Southern Adriatic and Upper Adriatic programmes, a total of 36 new urban planning documents were prepared (regional spatial plans, general urban plans, detailed plans of new tourist agglomerations). International cooperation on these plans improved the methodological basis of planning and provided incentives from which future planning practice could be developed.

The Act on Spatial Planning and Use of Construction Land of 1973 regulated the planning and development of space, the protection of the human environment, and the development and use of construction land. At that time, the Spatial Plan of the Socialist Republic of Croatia with a time frame to 2000 was drawn up at the state level and adopted in 1974, based on an interdisciplinary approach with a highly emphasised environmental protection component.

By the end of the 1980s, all municipalities in Croatia (that were much larger compared to today’s administrative division) had adopted their own municipal spatial plans. For towns and settlements with an urban character, general urban plans were adopted with a land use plan as their main feature. More detailed plans were drawn up for development areas within the urban fabric.

As the urban land was socially owned, more complex operations were carried out by land expropriation. It must be noted that the system was more efficient on unbuilt land, which resulted in the building of new housing and other urban functions mainly on the periphery, skipping the complex unfinished zones that were located closer to city centres and which were burdened with more complex problems relating to existing structures.

In contrast to the general plans from the 1970s, which sought growth as a synonym for progress, the new generation of urban plans that were created after the adoption of the Act on Spatial Planning from 1980 strived for more rational approaches to the use of space, exploiting the reserves within the cities themselves and opening up possibilities for the processes of urban renewal.

The early 1990s were marked by Croatian independence but also the brutal war. During the Homeland War of 1991-1995, a number of ordinances were passed on spatial planning in areas affected by the war, which were directed towards reconstruction processes. Since independence the planning system has changed with the adoption of new spatial planning laws in 1994, 2007 and 2013 and their amendments. However, the instruments to implement spatial plans did not keep pace with changes in the social and economic system (especially in relation to private property), which led to problems in the implementation of plans. At the same time, pressures to deregulate planning increased.

The Spatial Planning Strategy of the Republic of Croatia was adopted in 1997, followed by the Spatial Planning Programme of the Republic of Croatia in 1999. They took into account the changes in the political, social and economic system and the redefined spatial relations with the neighbouring European states.

The development pressures on the coast grew constantly which led to establishment of protected coastal areas in 2004: the area 1000 metres from the coastline towards the interior and 300 metres from the coastline towards the sea surface, as well as all islands, were protected by the newly passed regulation on the protection of the protected coastal area of the sea. This was later incorporated into spatial planning regulations. 

Preparations for Croatia’s entry into the European Union did not have a particularly strong impact on the spatial planning system since this issue is not harmonised at the EU level. At the same time, other components of planning gained importance, namely regional development and strategic planning and environmental protection (which until that point had been an integral part of the spatial planning system, but is now separate). The coordination of these planning systems leaves room for improvements. As other planning systems became stronger, the role of spatial planning continuously weakened, while demands for greater deregulation became another norm.

Spatial planning system of Croatia

The current spatial planning system in Croatia is regulated by the Spatial Planning Act, which entered into force in 2013. (Official Gazette No. 153/13, 65/17, 114/18, 39/19, 98/19).

Spatial planning authorities

The system of spatial planning is based on the principle of the separation of the administrative authorities responsible for coordinating the preparation of spatial plans, the (sectoral) authorities responsible for drafting the plan proposal and the authorities responsible for implementing the spatial plans.

Authorities responsible for developing and coordinating the preparation of spatial plans

Administrative tasks related to the development and adoption of spatial plans are undertaken by the competent administrative authorities. For spatial plans at the state level, the competent authorities are the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets. At the regional and municipal planning levels, the responsible authorities are the relevant administrative bodies of a county, the City of Zagreb, or the local town or municipality.

Authorities responsible for drafting the plan proposal

The authorities responsible for drafting the plan proposal are the public institutes at the state or county level or of the City of Zagreb as well as legal entities or architects that are so authorised. In each case, a development manager to be responsible for the draft spatial plan must be appointed by the legal entity. This can be an employee of the institute or a legal person who bears the professional title of authorised architect or authorised urban architect. (Authorisations are issued by the Croatian Chamber of Architects in accordance with special regulations).

Implementation of spatial plans

Spatial plans are implemented through the issuance of the location and/or building permits and other documents pursuant to special law.

The Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets issues official building permits for projects planned in the state level spatial plan or in the regional level spatial plan in the territory of two or more counties or the City of Zagreb.

The county administrative body is responsible for issuing the official building permits for projects planned in the state level spatial plan in a national park and nature park, for projects planned in the regional level spatial plan and the local level spatial plans outside of the area of a major city.

The administrative body of the City of Zagreb and of other major cities issues official building permits for projects planned in the local level spatial plan in its area.

Authorities responsible for drafting the plan proposal

Institute for Spatial Development

The professional spatial planning tasks for the state are carried out by the organisational unit of the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets: the Institute for Spatial Development. The Institute’s main tasks include developing, coordinating and monitoring the state spatial development plan and other spatial plans of national significance. Furthermore, it develops and manages the central physical planning information system (ISPU).

Physical planning institutes in the counties and the City of Zagreb

These are independent public planning institutions whose founders are the counties and the City of Zagreb. Their activities include developing spatial plans at the regional level (counties) or at the level of the City of Zagreb, drafting reports on the spatial situation in their area, managing the physical planning information system at their level as well as providing professional advisory assistance in the development of spatial plans at the local (municipal) level.

Authorised legal entities and authorised architects

The drafting of proposals for spatial plans and other expert physical planning activities may be undertaken by a legal entity or authorised architect, if they fulfil the requirements for performing physical planning activities prescribed by a special law. Authorisations for this professional activity are granted by the ministry. There are two types of authorisation: one is valid only for the drafting of local urban development plans and the other for all spatial planning tasks. In the second case, it is necessary to prove the existence of an interdisciplinary planning team.

Spatial planning documents and their nature

The fundamental national document for directing spatial development is the Spatial Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia. It sets out long-term spatial development tasks, strategic directions for spatial development activities and the premises for coordinating spatial development measures. The Spatial Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia was adopted by the Croatian Parliament in 2017.

The Spatial Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia is the only planning document that has a strategic nature, which is one of the features of the new spatial planning system introduced with the 2013 Spatial Planning Act. Prior to the Act, plans down to the level of the county spatial plan had a strategic character, while local plans had an implementation character. With the legislative reform of 2013, all spatial plans (which are drawn up for the national, regional and local levels) have the legal force and nature of subordinate regulations and enact planning measures that can be directly implemented (that is, the issuance of building permits depending on the type of building intervention: the idea was to issue building permits for buildings of state importance based on the national spatial plan, permits for buildings of county importance based on regional spatial plans, etc.).

Buildings and areas of importance for the state or the county are determined by a special regulation (regulation on the determination of buildings, other spatial activities and surfaces of national and territorial (regional) significance). They can also be determined by the spatial plan of the state or county. For such areas, an urban development plan of state or county significance can be adopted. In terms of its standard, such an urban development plan does not differ from an urban development plan at local level, but the competences for their coordination and adoption lie at the state or county level rather than the local level.

Levels of spatial plans

Spatial plans at the state level are:

  1. The state plan for spatial development
  2. Spatial plans of areas with special features (national park, nature park)
  3. Spatial plan of the protected ecological and fishing zone of the Republic of Croatia and the spatial plan of the epicontinental zone of the Republic of Croatia
  4. Urban development plans of state significance (plan of a detached building area outside the settlement area for economic and/or public purposes of state significance)

Spatial plans at the regional level are:

  1. County spatial plans
  2. Spatial plan of the City of Zagreb
  3. Urban development plans of county significance (plan of a detached building area outside the settlement area for economic and/or public purposes of county significance)

Spatial plans at the local level are:

  1. Local level spatial plans (spatial plans of a city or municipality)
  2. General urban plan
  3. Urban development plan

Types of spatial plan

State plan for spatial development

The state plan for spatial development should be adopted for the territory of the state and should determine particularly valuable land intended for agriculture, forest areas of state significance, infrastructure corridors of state significance, zones intended for the exploration and exploitation of mineral raw materials, special purpose areas (military areas, border control areas), boundaries of areas for which the spatial plan of areas with special features needs to be adopted and other areas outside a settlement for economic and public use of state significance.

As of August 2022, the state plan for spatial development had not yet been adopted. The Spatial Planning Programme of the Republic of Croatia from 1999 is still in force.

Spatial plans of areas with special features

The spatial plan of an area with special features is adopted for the areas of a national park and nature park pursuant to special law, and for areas defined by the state plan for spatial development. This type of plan prescribes the measures for developing and protecting nature, the environment, cultural goods and other values of an area, the implementation requirements for all projects planned in the area for which an urban development plan is not adopted and the guidelines for developing urban development plans (if they are needed within the area). Such plans are on scales ranging from 1:100,000 to 1:5,000, depending on the type of feature and the area covered by the plan.

Spatial plan of the protected ecological and fishing zone of the Republic of Croatia and the spatial plan of the epicontinental zone of the Republic of Croatia

As of August 2022, these plans had not yet been adopted.

Urban development plan of state significance

The types of areas for which such plans can be adopted include (among others) large golf courses, the construction of an area that is part of strategic investment projects (of state interest), and areas of national importance for economic, public or other purposes, etc. In terms of plan standards and scales it does not differ from the local urban development plan.

County spatial plan and spatial plan of the City of Zagreb

The county spatial plan determines the valuable arable agricultural land, infrastructure corridors of county significance, detached building areas outside settlements intended for economic purposes of county significance and the areas of other intended purposes of county significance. It prescribes the requirements for implementing projects for public, social and other construction works of regional significance and the guidelines for developing urban development plans of regional significance. The county plan is on a scale of 1:100,000. The spatial plan of the City of Zagreb has a dual character such that it has the power of a regional (county) plan but is made on the scale of a local spatial plan (1:25,000 / 1:5,000).

Urban development plan of county significance

The urban development plan of county significance can be adopted for an area defined by the county spatial plan as an area of county significance. The scales can range from 1:5,000 to 1:1,000 depending on the type and size of the area.

Spatial development plan of a city or municipality

The spatial development plan of a municipality or city is the main spatial plan of all local self-government units in Croatia. It determines the basic land use, elements of infrastructure and elements of the protection of valuable spaces and buildings. The spatial development plan is drawn up on a scale of 1:25,000 and building areas are determined on a scale of 1:5,000. The plan also defines the areas for which the preparation of more detailed plans is mandatory, for which it establishes the guidelines. For all other projects in the area, the plan determines the direct implementation measures.

General urban plan

A general urban plan is the main land-use plan mandatory for the building area of a central settlement of a major city. It determines the detailed land use, elements of infrastructure and elements of the protection of valuable spaces and buildings on a scale of 1:10,000 or 1:5,000. The plan also defines the areas for which the preparation of more detailed plans is mandatory, for which it establishes the guidelines. For all other projects in the area, the plan determines the direct implementation measures.

Urban development plan

An urban development plan is mandatory for undeveloped parts of an area intended for building and for built-up parts of these areas scheduled for urban transformation or urban regeneration measures. In cases where this type of plan is mandatory, a building permit for new construction works cannot be issued until an urban development plan is adopted. The plan is drawn up on a scale of 1:5,000, 1:2,000 or 1:1,000 depending on the type and size of an area. It prescribes the detailed distribution of the area into distinctive spatial units given their intended purpose, the plots intended for building or for developing areas of public purpose and other detailed requirements.

Participation and authorisation processes

The decision to develop a spatial plan is made by the representative bodies at the state, regional or local level, depending on the type of plan.

Anyone may initiate the development of a spatial plan at the local level, and its amendments. The mayor or head of the municipality is obliged to report to the representative body at least once per year on the conclusions of the expert analysis of initiatives received, with the objective of determining whether they are sufficiently well-founded to initiate the process to develop and adopt the spatial plan or its amendments.

Public debate

A public debate is obligatory for all draft spatial plans and is open to all to submit opinions, suggestions and comments. The period of public review of the draft state plan for spatial development is 60 days, and 30 days for other draft spatial plans. The public review period for proposals for amending or revoking spatial plans is between 8 and 15 days.

During the public review period, one or more public presentations are organised. A report is prepared after each public debate and published on the website of the competent development authority and centrally in the information system run by the ministry. The report contains a list of participants in the public debate whose views, suggestions and comments were accepted as well as those which were not accepted or were only partially accepted, together with the reasons for their rejection.

If, due to the accepted views, suggestions and comments in the public debate or for some other reason, the draft spatial plan is significantly altered, another public debate must be held.

Opinions and approvals

Prior to adopting the spatial development plan of a city or municipality, it is necessary to obtain the opinion of the county physical planning institute in regard to the alignment of that plan with the county spatial plan.

Prior to adopting the spatial development plan of a county or of the City of Zagreb, the general urban plan of the City of Zagreb, a spatial development plan of a city or municipality within the protected coastal area or an urban development plan which is partially or fully contained within the 1000 m belt from the shoreline, it is necessary to obtain the ministry’s approval.

In addition to the spatial planning system described above, the system of regional development and strategic planning has also recently been developed in Croatia. It could be argued that their development is related to Croatia’s accession to the EU. For example, the executive power for both regional development and strategic planning lies with the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds. More coordination and cooperation is certainly needed between the spatial planning system and Croatia’s regional development and strategic planning system.

The regional planning system in the Republic of Croatia is defined by the Act on Regional Development of the Republic of Croatia (Official Gazette 147/14, 123/17, 118/18).

The aim of the regional development policy is to contribute to the socio-economic development of the Republic of Croatia, in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, by creating the conditions that will enable all parts of the country to strengthen their competitiveness and realise their own development potential. Special emphasis is placed on the connection of local and regional development needs with the development priorities of the central level and the objectives of the EU Cohesion Policy; on support for less developed areas to increase and optimally use their existing development potential by eliminating the causes of development difficulties; on appropriate measures for the even and sustainable development of local and regional self-governing units in the border area; on encouraging territorial cooperation and the effective use of the EU’s structural and investment funds intended for regional and urban development.

The planning documents of the regional development policy are the Strategy for Regional Development of the Republic of Croatia, the county development strategy, i.e. the development strategy of the City of Zagreb, and the development strategy of urban area.

These documents are adopted for a seven-year period in accordance with the multi-annual financial framework of the EU Cohesion Policy. The starting point for creating regional development policy planning documents is the national development documents and spatial plans.

Given that the spatial planning system is based on the administrative division into counties, municipalities and cities, which often represents an obstacle for spatial planning with regard to actual functional relationships and processes, the development strategy of an urban area is a particularly important instrument of strategic planning.

Urban areas include several local self-governing units that gravitate towards the central city, i.e. they form a functional/socio-economic city region. According to the Act on Regional Development of the Republic of Croatia (Official Gazette 147/14, 123/17, 118/18), an urban area can be 1. an urban agglomeration, 2. a larger urban area 3. a smaller urban area, for which urban development strategies are drawn up. There are four urban agglomerations: Zagreb, with its seat in Zagreb; Split, with its seat in Split; Rijeka, with its seat in Rijeka; and Osijek, with its seat in Osijek. Larger urban areas consist of administrative cities which, according to the last population census, have more than 35,000 inhabitants and are not included in urban agglomerations. Smaller urban areas consist of administrative cities that, according to the last population census, have fewer than 35,000 inhabitants and whose central settlements have more than 10,000 inhabitants and/or are county seats. Both larger and smaller urban areas may include neighbouring local self-governing units or elements of them, with the prior consent of their representative bodies.

The Act on Regional Development of the Republic of Croatia (Official Gazette 147/14, 123/17, 118/18) also defines assisted areas, which are supported by various financial support measures. They are classified according to the development index, which is calculated using demographic, social, economic and financial variables.

Furthermore, for the purpose of overcoming the development limitations or particularities they face, the Act declares islands and hilly and mountainous areas as areas with specific development issues. The development policy and management of the development of islands and hilly and mountainous areas are regulated by special laws.

Other strategic documents are defined by the Act on the System of Strategic Planning and Development Management of the Republic of Croatia (Official Gazette 123/17)

The types of strategic planning act according to their period of validity:

  1. Long-term strategic planning acts, which are prepared and adopted for a period of at least ten years (a. national development strategy; b. multi-sectoral and sectoral strategies)
  2. Medium-term strategic planning acts, which are drawn up and adopted for a period of five to ten years (a. national plans, b. development plans of local self-governing units, c. development plans of regional self-governing units)
  3. Short-term strategic planning acts, which are prepared and adopted for a period of one to five years (a. government programme, convergence programme, national reform programme; b. implementation programmes of state administration bodies; c. implementation programmes of local and regional self-governing units).
Acknowledgment

The authors would like to acknowledge the work of Ivan Šišak, mag.geogr., in collecting data for the introductory part of the text.

Figure 3: Planning system of Croatia

Figure 3: Planning system of Croatia

Important stakeholders

Institution/stakeholder/authority (including webpage) Special interest/competences/administrative area
Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets: the Institute for Spatial Development Developing, coordinating and monitoring the state spatial development plan and other spatial plans of national significance. Developing and managing the central physical planning information system (ISPU).
Physical planning institutes of counties and of the City of Zagreb Developing spatial plans at the regional level (counties) or at the level of the City of Zagreb, drafting reports on the existing spatial situation, managing the physical planning information system at their level as well as providing professional advisory assistance in the development of spatial plans at the local (municipal) level.
Authorised legal entities and authorised architects with a licence issued by the Croatian Chamber of Architects Developing draft spatial plans and other regulated activities in physical planning.
Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds Planning and implementing regional development policy and establishing a comprehensive system for the strategic planning, programming, management and financing of regional development.
Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Planning, preparing and implementing strategic documents and projects for transport infrastructure, proposing a strategy for the development of all forms of transport.
Ministry of Agriculture Implementing and coordinating development measures for rural areas. Sectorial planning for agriculture and forestry.
Ministry of the Economy and Sustainable Development Sectorial planning competences (economy, energy, nature protection, climate activities, waste management, etc.)

Fact sheets

List of references

Bašić, A. (2016): Kontinuitet metodološkog pristupa prostornom planiranju u funkciji urbane regeneracije, Stručni skup Strategije urbane regeneracije - zbornik radova. In: Korlaet, A. (ed.): Hrvatski zavod za prostorni razvoj. Zagreb, 58-71.

Central Bureau of Statistics (2022): Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2021. Available at: https://dzs.gov.hr/vijesti/objavljeni-konacni-rezultati-popisa-2021/1270 (20 October 2022).

Dobrinić, D.; Lukić, A.; Hajduković, D. (2017): Urbano-ruralne veze u kontekstu sustava prostornog uređenja, regionalnog i ruralnog razvoja (Urban-Rural Linkages within the Context of Spatial Planning Systems, Regional Development, and Rural Development). In: Korlaet, A. (ed.): Urbano-ruralne veze, Hrvatski zavod za prostorni razvoj. Zagreb, 32-43.

Kranjčević, J. (1999): Prilog poznavanju prostornog planiranja ruralnih prostora/sela u Hrvatskoj od sredine XIX. do sredine XX. st. (The Spatial Planning of Croatian Rural Regions/Villages from the mid-19th to mid-20th century). In: Prostor 7(1)(17), 1-24.

Kranjčević, J. (2021): Turističko i prostorno planiranje u Hrvatskoj i Jugoslaviji 1960-ih. In: Časopis za suvremenu povijest 3, 1183-1208. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22586/csp.v53i3.18737.

Marohnić Kuzmanović, V. (2021): Croatian Physical Planning System. Online webinar Europski sustavi prostornog planiranja (European Systems of Spatial Planning), Croatian Chamber of Architects). Available at: https://arhitekti-hka.hr/hr/novosti/europski-sustavi-prostornog-planiranja-(european-systems-of-spatial-planning),4165.html (1 September 2022). 

Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets (2017): Spatial Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia. Available at: https://mpgi.gov.hr/UserDocsImages//Zavod/Publikacije//Spaltial.Development.Strategy.pdf (1 September 2022).

Mrak-Taritaš, A. (2010): Uvjeti planiranja i prostorni pokazatelji uređenja turističkih predjela Babin Kuk i Solaris (Planning Conditions and Spatial Indicators of Physical Planning in Tourist Zones of Babin Kuk and Solaris). In: Prostor 18(1)(39), 137-151.

The Act on Spatial Planning of the Republic of Croatia. Official Gazette No. 153/13, 65/17, 114/18, 39/19, 98/19. Available at: https://mpgi.gov.hr/access-to-information/regulations-126/regulations-in-the-field-of-physical-planning-8641/8641 (3 January 2023).

The Act on Regional Development of the Republic of Croatia. Official Gazette No. 147/14, 123/17, 118/18. Available at: https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2014_12_147_2751.html (3 January 2023).

The Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography (2022): Croatia.eu. Land and people. Available at: http://www.croatia.eu/ (1 September 2022).

Discussion