Urbanization is a complex, essential and dynamic process in the spatial and overall socio-economic development of the country and it should be represent a basic framework and influential factor in guiding the long-term spatial development of the Republic of Macedonia.

Urban planning is a continuous process, which involves development, adoption and implementation of Urban Plans. The development and adoptation of Urban Plans is a matter of public interest. Urban planning provides a more balanced development, balanced arrangement and use of physical space, conditions for normal living and working of citizens.

The present and future challenges, and the continuous transition process brings major political and economic changes that generate structural changes in the society. The dynamics of this process affects the creation of new spatial relations and conditions the need for planned articulation of the city space.

 

The changes in the arrangements of the physical space, necessarily requires evaluation of the process of urbanization, territorial and morphological development of the wider urban regions, re-examination of the urban processes, spatial consolidation and establishment of a consistent urban model.

The process of systemic transformations in the country requires different urban responses to spatial needs, an Urbanism that will respond to inherited spatial challenges in a new way and with different sensibility, applying dynamism, flexibility and sustainable urban models, which will simultaneously adapt to global changes.

Current social changes have a significant impact on the process of urbanization through its basic components: demographic, functional and spatial-physical component.

The overall procedure in Urban Planning and the methodological approach in the development of planning documents consists of research, analysis and planning.

The methodology used for creating planning documents involves the teamwork, which is defined as a complex and dynamic system that uses a multidisciplinary approach (as the highest level of interdisciplinarity) and synthetize the multiple levels of planning.

The basic methodological principles which the planning documents are based upon are: the principle of complexity and integrity, interdisciplinarity, dynamic-structural approach and the principle of democracy and transparency.

At the core of this methodology are the criteria of spatial development, organization, use and protection of the physical space based on sustainable development, which means synchronized involvement of many professionals and scientists, experts in various fields and institutions, competent structures of society, economic and political life.

With synchronized interdisciplinary elaboration and application of different methods and procedures from various research sectors and their coordination in accordance with the goals set in  the planning documents, a conceptual framework and prospecting of the temporal, spatial and content scope of the same is formulated. They represent the three time horizons: durability – a methodology that would not prevent the wider spatial development needed for future generations, a forseable future time window within the planning period and phase planning aimed at solving current problems in the development of wider spatial areas.

The main steps of the development of planning documents are set in a methodological framework. The methods of analysis, diagnosis, forecasting and planning of urbanization that are applied in the same or its segments are:

• analytical method of predictions in the planning base setting;
• inductive – deductive method;
• survey and interview;
• appropriate mathematical methods;
• extrapolation of predispositions;
• prospective method;
• method of dynamic programming; construction of development, as a kind of planned expression;
• simulation, i.e. modeling in a form of a plan;
• Planning prospect, etc.

The synergy of intuitive and planning methods with other elementary methods provide for creation of unity between the engagement of creative professionals and institutions to reach a consensus regarding the opportunities and needs on the one hand, and the broadest social participation on the other hand, which will guarantee full democracy and transparency.

The intensive demographic, functional and spatial physical development of the urban space-the wider areas on the one hand and the slow development in the rural areas on the other hand are the main features that characterize the urban development in the past period.

The process of urbanization takes place in socio-economic conditions in which the private initiative and the market economy have a significant place and a leading role in defining the long-term spatial development.

The last few years of the transition period created opportunities for levelling the differences and disproportions in the urban development, by initiating activities for urbanization of wider spatial areas that are distanced from urban zones, but attractive enough for potential investors. The interest for urbanization of these wider spatial areas is for various purposes. From a spatial point of view, these initiatives are most present in the contact zones, and less as tendencies for expansion of the wider spatial areas.

Despite such tendencies, the process of strong influence of wider urban spatial areas on the immediate environment is still evident. This influence is appropriate to the size, level of economic development and the place and role within the system of settlements in the State.

Thus, the discrepancy between the growth of urbanization (expressed through a high level of population concentration in urban centers) and the dynamics of accomplished economic development and level of bussines growth is still relevant. This discrepancy is the main reason why the urbanization process cannot be considered as a positive influencing factor of the overall development in all segments.

With the beginning of the process of decentralization, the local administration municipalities (LAM), have grown into the most responsible entity for planning and for local economic development. Successful management imposes the need for adoption of quality annual programs for development of planning documentation for LAMs, as a basic tool and mechanism for accomplishing the strategic goals of spatial and economic development. The development and adoption, and in particular the implementation of the planning documents are specific responsibility of the local administration municipalities, which largely depend on the quality of local development programs, the available budget of the municipalities and the possibility for attracting local and foreign investments.

The ownership right or other substantive right over part of a construction site, the existence of Spatial and Urban Plans and the compliance with the rules and norms for construction of buildings, are necessary pre-conditions for satisfying the basic human need for permanent residence and activities that provide for the existence their families, as well as for the operation of businesses.