URBAN FORM DEEP DIVE - Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland and Romania - Sustainable Cities Implementation Framework

Jul 19, 2026

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URBAN FORM DEEP DIVE analyzes how urban form shapes the sustainability of cities and supports policy dialogue through practical entry points and intervention pathways. The framework reviews urban form trends and highlights key challenges, then provides country profiles for Bulgaria and Croatia and begins coverage of Poland. For each country, it examines urbanization context, key trends, sector context, and areas of underperformance such as hollowing urban cores and urban expansion with disjointed agglomerations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages80

Reading Time3 h 22 min

AccessFree to download

Executive summary

Why urban form matters

Urban form trends

Entry points for policy dialogue

Urban form impact on cities’ sustainability

Urban form trends

Key challenges for effective urban form

Entry points for policy dialogue and intervention pathways

Country profiles

Bulgaria

Croatia

Poland

Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized URBAN FORM DEEP DIVE Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland and Romania Sustainable Cities Implementation Framework December 2021 Disclaimer This volume is a product of the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/ The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of The World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Copyright Statement The material in this work is subject to copyright. Because The World Bank encourages dissemination of its knowledge, this work may be reproduced, in whole or in part, for noncommercial purposes as long as full attribution to this work is given. Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to World Bank Publications, The World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax: 202-522- 2625; e-mail: [pubrights@worldbank.org](pubrights@worldbank.org). © 2022 Global Practice on Urban, Disaster Risk, Resilience, and Land. The World Bank Group 1818 H Street NW Washington, DC 20433 USA [www.worldbank.org/urban](www.worldbank.org/urban) Executive summary..........................................................................................................................................7 Why urban form matters .................................................................................................................................... 7 Urban form trends .............................................................................................................................................. 9 Entry points for policy dialogue ........................................................................................................................ 10 1. Urban form impact on cities’ sustainability ................................................................................................ 13 2. Urban form trends ..................................................................................................................................... 15 3. Key challenges for effective urban form..................................................................................................... 17 4. Entry points for policy dialogue and intervention pathways ......................................................................21 Country profiles .....................................................................................................................................25 Bulgaria .........................................................................................................................................................26 Urbanization Context........................................................................................................................................ 26 Key Urbanization Trends................................................................................................................................... 27 Sector Context .................................................................................................................................................. 33 Areas of underperformance ............................................................................................................................. 34 a) Hollowing urban cores .................................................................................................................................. 35 b) Urban expansion

FAQs

What does the Urban Form Deep Dive focus on?

It focuses on how urban form affects cities’ sustainability, reviews urban form trends, and identifies key challenges and policy entry points for intervention.

Which underperformance issues are highlighted in the country profiles?

The document highlights hollowing urban cores and urban expansion with disjointed agglomerations.

How are entry points for policy dialogue used?

They are used to connect urban form challenges to actionable intervention pathways for policy dialogue.

Jul 19, 2026

Upload by Oliver