An Educational Approach to Planning the Future Spatial Development of a Small Town: The Case of Čakovec, Croatia

European policy documents underline the vital contribution of small and medium-sized towns to the urban systems of EU member states. Across several countries, there is a growing intention to equip these towns with new policy instruments that would strategically strengthen their position as drivers of regional development. Common areas of intervention include the regeneration of public buildings, support for business growth and innovation, enhanced regional connectivity, housing improvements, and increased investment in culture, education, and social services. In the education of urban planners within the course Urban Planning Workshop 1: Settlement Planning at the Graduate Study Program in Architecture and Urban Planning at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb, small and medium-sized towns hold particular importance. Due to their optimal scale and the complexity of their challenges, they serve as suitable case studies through which students learn the processes of strategic thinking and spatial planning for future urban development. For the purposes of this paper, the example of the small town of Čakovec in northern Croatia was selected. In the academic year 2025/2026, Čakovec served as the workshop assignment for which students were tasked with proposing potential spatial development visions for the town for the period up to 2050. The aim of this article is to present the educational process in Urban Planning Workshop 1: Settlement Planning, which focuses on planning the long-term future development of a small town. The main objective of the workshop is to formulate a comprehensive vision for the town’s spatial development, while also providing a more detailed elaboration of selected areas considered relevant for future transformation and growth.