Contribution to the Social Transformation Process

The project is characterised by its main principle to keep decision-making powers as close as possible to the local level, promoting public participation democracy. The premise on which the project is based is consideration that transition of a space is an inseparable process of a transition to democratic structures. Therefore, civil society organizations have been encouraged to become involved in local development partnerships aimed to activate a process for the spatial development of coastal communities. Involvement of civil society in a process of coastal development is crucial to create a common framework within which “topdown” (national and sectoral) and “bottom-up” (area-based development needs) can connect.

At the seven locations at the Croatian coast, representing the characteristic coastal communities with similar problems and social and economical context, the project opens a new form of a dialogue between the actors involved in a process of spatial development. The local self-governments, civic society and selected architectural/urban management and planning teams represent the actors of a development process at the location. The process of programming as well as the development of locations would be undertaken under the close cooperation with a civil society. The ambitions of the project are to generate paradigmatic processes for the future development of the Croatian coast through the process of location programming as well as new form of the relationship between the non-governmental organizations, government officials, architects and finally investors. This puts the project into relation with the overall objective of Matra Project Programme – support of the transformation to pluralist, democratic statehood.