Spatial plan of Montenegro until 2020 - Ada Bojana

Number ofinhabitantsNumber ofvillagesParticipation intotal number ofsettlements inMontenegro (in%)Number ofvillages1. 0 – 25 7 0,6 260 21,42. 26 – 50 31 2,6 165 13,63. 51 – 100 174 14,5 234 19,34. 101 – 200 400 33,3 236 19,45. 201 – 300 260 21,7 112 9,26. 301 - 500 219 18,2 102 8,47. 501 – 1000 105 8,8 76 6,28. over 1000 4 0,3 31 2,5TOTAL 1200 1216Participation intotal nnumber ofsettlements inMontenegro (in%)3.4 Settlements3.4.1 System and network of settlementsNetwork of settlements, urbanization and spatial processes – Since the early nineties,concentration and centralization of population and activities in some regions of Montenegro andfaster development of certain municipal centres have intensified, while at the same timeperipheral areas showed slower development. Inhabiting and settling in Montenegro has beencharacterized by process of internal and, to a minor extent, external migration changes. Aspreviously pointed out, for some time already depopulation of the northern region has beentaking place, with concentration in the central region and constant population growth in thesouthern region. Some towns, in particular Podgorica, Nikšić, Herceg Novi, Budva and Bar,keep growing due to the inflow of population, mainly at the expense of depopulation of theirsurrounding areas. As a result, the suburbanization trend is intensified; spatial intentedness ison the increase, followed by changes in the typological, environmental and spatial features of alarge number of settlements. This is manifested through new spatial distribution of residentialbuildings and production and service facilities in the suburbs of large settlements and towns.Suburbanized settlements develop as new agglomerations, mainly of private family houses ofthe non-agrarian population in the vicinity of urban centres, or structurally transformed formertraditional villages, while on the coast these mostly refer to different types of secondary housingunits. These settlements are independent of their rural hinterlands and mainly have residentialfunctions, and only partly service and supply functions. In addition, most jobs remain in theclosest larger settlement. This type of settlements is characterised by their mono-functionality,excessive use of space, low level of infrastructure and substantial negative impact on theenvironment.Urbanization level has reached 62.8% for the whole Montenegro, with significant regionalvariations.Illegal and unplanned construction – risk factor for natural resources and economicdevelopment – Basically, illegal construction means not only illegal usurpation of the right touse land but also, typically, avoiding paying charges for utilization of public infrastructure, andthus these costs are borne by those who build and work in accordance with the law. A specialproblem is illegal construction in the most attractive areas, for instance, along the sea coast andin the protected natural areas, especially when it is massive and when builders gain largeprofits, mainly at the expense of public interest and endangering public properties. It happensfrequently that a major part of technical, traffic, environmental and other requirements are notrespected. Public interest is often neglected or ignored. Also, unplanned construction makesadditional pressure on the natural resources and the environment, particularly regarding waterpollution.48