Anđelina Svirčić Gotovac, PhD participated in the international RC21 Conference on Urban and Regional Development

Anđelina Svirčić Gotovac presented the paper titled Contested Governance of capital Zagreb in urban Europeanization process in Croatia co-authored by Jelena Zlatar Gamberožić at the international “RC21 Conference on Urban and Regional Development (ISA) Inequalities and the City - Old Issues, New Challenges” at the University of Vienna on 22 July 2026. The presentation was part of the panel #106 Contested Governance: Autocratization, Democratic Backsliding, and Urban Politics.

The presentation contributes to the research on the Europeanization of cities by providing new insights into the transfer of urban Europeanization process on the capital level. The research was conducted using the method of semi-structured interviews with experts from state and Zagreb city offices and agencies during 2024 and 2025, and involved 10 experts. The results show the presence of parallel domination of the state and the capital Zagreb, which has led to new Europeanization trajectories separated from each other: one, by the city of Zagreb and the other, by the state. These diverging and variegated paths weaken opportunities for coordinated urban development and long-term planning.

The conference was held at the University of Vienna from 20 until 22 July 2026. More about the conference: https://rc21-vienna2026.org/.