Spatial conflicts. Between the geographical-economic and legal dimensions

In recent decades, spatial conflicts have become a significant research problem undertaken by representatives of various scientific disciplines. However, the diversity of theories and methods of analyzing conflicts has created methodological barriers between disciplines, limiting the transfer of knowledge and hindering the integration of research results. The scientific literature on spatial conflicts is dominated by the works of geographers and planners, for whom geographical space is a key research perspective. At the same time, basing the analysis of conflicts solely on the legal aspect excessively focuses attention on legal regulations at the expense of other important factors - economic, social and geographical. The aim of the article was to recognize how the legal aspect is taken into account in the key geographical and economic concepts used in the study of spatial conflicts. Reference was made to rural areas and agricultural land, which, due to their important function in providing society with food and numerous public goods, must be treated as a special resource requiring legal protection. Key theoretical and research challenges in the analysis of spatial conflicts have been identified, as well as the relationships between the two approaches to this type of conflict. Directions for the possible treatment of spatial conflicts in spatial planning law have been identified. It has been shown that geographical and economic theories and concepts can be useful in shaping spatial planning legislation, thus taking into account changing land use patterns and socio-economic processes and phenomena expressed in increasingly common spatial conflicts. The research results described in this article were financed by the National Science Centre (project: "Multifunctionality and value of agricultural land – rational use and conflicts of interest", no. 2018/29/B/HS4/01354).