The Western Balkans region has come a long way over the last two decades in achieving economic and social progress. With a population of 17.6 million, the region today boasts a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of close to EUR 100 billion, an average GDP per capita of about EUR 5 400 and a comprehensive process of integration with the European Union.

The Western Balkans region has come a long way over the last two decades in achieving economic and social progress. Its people are the region’s greatest asset. Yet faced with a lack of opportunities many, particularly the young, decide to emigrate.

This book presents interdisciplinary research and scientific outcomes in sustainable development acquired from the BHAAAS International Conference on Sustainable Development-ICSD2022 as part of the 13th Days of Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Academy of Arts and Sciences held in Sarajevo, June 23-26, 2022. The main event enabled researchers and experts from 25 countries to exchange their knowledge, ideas and experiences. The general scope of the book includes topics presented at three specialized symposia: The Quadruple Helix Approach, Sustainable Urban Development and Sustainable Civil Engineering with research topics ranging from SDGs, sustainable development education, environmental and social responsibility and consumption to sustainable retrofit strategies, urban heritage conservation, urban mobility, Space Syntax analysis, watercourse recovery, railway corridors and more. The book is recommended for fellow researchers, professionals, and students in the fields of economy, politics, architecture, urban planning, civil engineering and related fields.

COVID-19, Public Management, and Survival of East European Democracies centers initially on the development of democracy in fourteen states of Eastern Europe, with an emphasis on the distinction between the seven Baltic and East Central European states in the north and the seven Balkan states in the south. Examination of key events of the political history of the two regions reveals that a participant political culture as the anchor of democracy was more developed in the north than in the south. Important measures of democracy as well as election results during the 2020-22 period of the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate and reinforce the same distinctions between the two regions. Further, this detailed study of public administration problems such as corruption, accountability, trust, and the number of deaths from COVID-19 also disclose that such problems characterized both regions but were more pronounced in the southern states. In addition, the rise of populism and authoritarianism injected severe challenges in the midst of administrative preoccupation with the many harmful effects of the virus.