Spatial Planning in Protected Areas: Conceptualization and a Multi-Criteria Compatibility Assessment Model Applied to Kozara National Park

Cultural and natural heritage are increasingly framed as components of territorial governance rather than isolated conservation elements; yet, a structural gap persists between their strategic recognition in planning documents and their measurable integration into statutory land-use systems that guide spatial decision-making. This gap is particularly pronounced in protected areas, where ecological integrity, cultural and symbolic values, tourism functions, and socio-economic expectations converge within environmentally sensitive landscapes. This study develops and empirically applies a compatibility-based analytical framework that embeds Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) within the statutory spatial planning system of Kozara National Park. The framework combines (i) institutional analysis of legally binding planning instruments, (ii) zoning-aligned analytical units derived from the Special-Purpose Spatial Plan and Management Plan, and (iii) a weighted multi-criteria model incorporating ecological integrity, cultural–historical significance, tourism and recreation capacity under controlled use, and socio-economic feasibility. Climate-related disturbance exposure is incorporated as a planning-relevant modifier of ecological compatibility. Composite compatibility scores under the baseline configuration range from 2.55 to 3.85 across analytical units. Rank correlation analysis suggests a high degree of structural consistency across both alternative weighting configurations relative to the baseline scenario (Spearman’s ρ ≈ 0.90), with only limited rank reordering observed, primarily between the two highest-ranked analytical units. Dispersed low-intensity recreational configurations demonstrate the highest structural robustness, whereas infrastructure-intensive zones exhibit management-dependent compatibility. The findings show how spatial planning in protected areas can operationalize compatibility as a measurable decision-support principle without substituting statutory zoning logic.