Legacies of Conflict: How Urban Design and Legal FrameworksShape Post-Conflict Social Reintegration in the Western Balkans and Italy

Abstract

Post-conflict reconstruction extends far beyond the physical rebuilding of infrastructure; it fundamentally involves mending the social fabric and re-establishing civic trust. This paper explores the critical intersection of urban design and legal frameworks in shaping post-conflict social reintegration, with a specific focus on the legacy and juridical form of public spaces. By employing a comparative case study approach, this research contrasts the acute, recent post-conflict environments of the Western Balkans, specifically Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, with the historical, long-term reconciliation models found in Italy, particularly in Trieste and South Tyrol. The analysis reveals that while physical reconstruction can restore the urban landscape, the true measure of social reintegration depends heavily on how public spaces are legally defined, managed, and perceived by post-traumatic societies. In the Balkans, top-down legal mandates such as the Dayton Agreement have struggled to overcome deeply entrenched ethnic divisions, often resulting in contested or segregated public spaces. Conversely, the Italian experience demonstrates how robust legal frameworks, including the Autonomy Statute in South Tyrol, combined with contemporary urban regeneration policies such as the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), can gradually transform contested heritage into shared civic commons. The paper concludes that successful post-conflict urban planning must integrate transitional justice mechanisms to ensure that the juridical form of public spaces actively promotes inclusivity and social cohesion rather than reinforcing historical divides.