Europeanization and urban transformation in Southeast Europe: introduction

This special issue challenges prevailing Europeanization frameworks in Southeast Europe by addressing analytical gaps created by methodological nationalism and state-centric approaches that focus primarily on EU-state interactions. The collection examines the frequently overlooked urban-scale processes ranging from spatial planning reforms, cultural programs and urban branding to cross-border cooperation, migration patterns, and gender dynamics. Through a synthesized theoretical lens bridging institutionalist, cultural, and spatial perspectives, we demonstrate that cities actively mediate rather than passively receive European influences. This special issue conceptualizes Europeanization as a multi-scalar, historically embedded process generating variegated outcomes across diverse urban contexts. Eight empirical contributions reveal how Europeanization creates new governance arrangements while intersecting with post-socialist legacies, gender dynamics, and local power structures. This urban-centered approach contributes to debates about peripheral urbanization and the variegated geographies of Europe.