Geographical problems of economic development of the seaside towns controlled by the government of Georgia: The cases of Batumi and Poti

The main goal of the study is to identify and classify economic problems in the cities of the coastal zone of Georgia. For this purpose, the Georgian coastal cities of Batumi and Poti have been selected. The research attempts to answer three strategic questions: 1. What is the relationship between the authorities of the seaside city and the existing business entities? 2. How does the population assess the role of authorities at various levels in the economic development of the cities under study? 3. What is the participation level of the population in economic projects in their cities? The study is empirical in nature. The main method used is triangulation (document analysis, qualitative research, quantitative research, mapping), partly a case method, and comparative analysis. It has been established that the territorial resources of both cities are severely limited for their future economic development. The study presents a classification of the existing problems hindering the economic growth of coastal cities based on expert assessments. It turns out that owing to limited financial resources, city municipalities cannot increase their participation in current economic projects. The article reveals certain disagreements between the interests of municipalities and economic entities. Furthermore, a survey conducted among the population shows an indifferent and even negative attitude of the local population towards the role of local municipalities in the economic development of cities. The research indicates that an involvement of the urban population in ongoing and promising economic projects in cities is rather low.