INSTITUCIONALNO OSNAŽIVANJE GLAVNOG I VELIKIH GRADOVA U HRVATSKOJ U FUNKCIJI JAČANJA NJIHOVOG KAPACITETA ZA REGIONALNU SURADNJU
INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING OF THE CAPITAL AND MAIN CITIES IN CROATIA IN FUNCTION OF ENHANCING THEIR CAPACITY FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION

Author(s): Ivan Koprić
Subject(s): Regional Geography, Governance, Government/Political systems, International relations/trade, Economic development
Published by: Akademija Nauka i Umjetnosti Bosne i Hercegovine
Keywords: local self-government; Croatia; cities; development; territorial organization; institutional strengthening;
Summary/Abstract: The city of Zagreb is the largest city in Croatia and its capital. It has the same powers as other cities, including the powers of a capital and the powers of a county. Within the reforms of 2005, cities with more than 35,000 inhabitants (17) were given the status of a major city, and were given the same powers as all county seats. Since 2001, the so-called decentralized functions were taken by 33 cities. Forms of institutional strengthening of cities include widening their functions and financial capacity, strengthening their autonomy and focus on the economic development. Previous changes have not significantly strengthened the capacity of Croatian cities for development and regional cooperation. Even the larger cities are focused on their internal problems, while cooperation at regional level is not very prominent. Only strong units with considerable capacities develop more meaningful cooperative ambitions, including regional cooperation. It is necessary to redefine the territorial structure, wherein we can observe between 120 and 140 possible urban centers of varying size and importance. So far, only Zagreb - despite its governance problems - because of its size and power has the capacity to cooperate with other cities in the region and in Europe in general.

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