Can urban environmental problems be overcome?: The case of Skopje – world’s most polluted cityShow others and affiliations
2018 (English)In: Bulletin of Geography. Socio-Economic Series, ISSN 1732-4254, E-ISSN 2083-8298, no 40, p. 17-39
Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Sustainable development
SDG 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, SDG 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, SDG 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation
Abstract [en]
The condition of the environment is one of the most fundamental concerns of cities worldwide, especially when high levels of pollution and environmental destruction exert immense impact on people’s quality of life. This paper focuses on Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, which often tops the charts as the world’s most polluted city. Despite associated problems such as congestion, ill health, and premature death, Macedonia’s scarce resources are instead spent on controversial projects, such as ‘Skopje 2014’, involving creating a national identity through massive and extremely costly constructions of neo-classical government buildings, museums and monuments. The aim of this paper is to compare the situation of Skopje to environmentally oriented activities conducted in several Polish cities and to discuss the possibility of their implementation in Skopje. Considering the scale and scope of Skopje’s environmental problems, the paper offers some priorities for action, including solutions that emphasize institution building, technical input and self-governance. It also highlights a number of economic, ecological, and socio-cultural contradictions involved in the process of achieving sustainable development.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Sciendo , 2018. no 40, p. 17-39
Keywords [en]
pollution, environmental problems, sustainable development, Skopje, Poland
National Category
Human Geography
Research subject
Humanities, Human Geography
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-108622DOI: 10.2478/bog-2018-0012OAI: oai:DiVA.org:lnu-108622DiVA, id: diva2:1620497
2021-12-162021-12-162024-04-23Bibliographically approved