Can urban environmental problems be overcome? The case of Skopje—world’s most polluted city

Bulletin of Geography. Socio - Economic Series

Mirek Dymitrow²  Emilija Sofeska³  Slobodan Arsovski⁴  Dimitrinka Jordanova Peshevska⁵  Michał Kwiatkowski⁶  Aleksandra Lewandowska⁷ 

[1]Department of Economy and Society - Unit for Human Geography, Viktoriagatan 13, 411 25 Gothenburg

[2]University of Gothenburg, School of Business, Economics and Law

[3]Chalmers University of Technology, Mistra Urban Futures, Läraregatan 3, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden, e-mail: [e-mail]

[4]Chamber of Certified Architects and Certified Engineers, Blvd. Partizanski Odredi 29, 1000 Skopje

[5]Cosmo Innovative Center, Blvd. Jane Sandanski 113, 1000 Skopje

[6]Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Department of Urban Studies and Regional Development, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń

[7]University American College Skopje, School of Political Science, Blvd. III Makedonska Brigada 60, 1000 Skopje

DOI  :  10.1515/bog-2018-0012

学科分类：地球科学(综合)

来源: Uniwersytet Mikolaja Kopernika * Wydawnictwo Naukowe / Nicolaus Copernicus University Press

【 摘 要 】

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.

【 授权许可】

Unknown