Although considered as an important tool for environmental evaluation of plans and programmes, inclusion of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in Serbian legislation was inevitable as a part of the accession process to the European Union. The first part of this paper will focus on presentation of the SEA system in Serbia and its implication as the result of current geopolitical and environmental trends. Taking into consideration the economic importance of the mining regions, but also the damage to the surrounding environment, in the second part of this paper the authors will try to review the significance of SEA implementation in spatial planning of Kolubara lignite basin.
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) represents a significant tool for environmental evaluation of plans and programs. Inclusion of mandatory SEA in national legislative represents at the same time important prerequisite for synchronization with European legislative. In the moment, when SEA application in South East European (SEE) countries is still at the very beginning, this paper will try to show the comparative analysis of SEA systems in these countries from legal, institutional and procedural point of view. The main aim is to discover potential obstacles and barriers in implementation, together with exchange of experiences for future adjustments or development of existing systems. ; Strateška procena uticaja na životnu sredinu (SPU) predstavlja značajan instrument za ocenu podobnosti planova i programa sa aspekta uticaja na životnu sredinu. Uključivanje obaveze donošenja SPU u nacionalno zakonodavstvo istovremeno predstavlja bitan preduslov sinhronizacije sa legislativom Evropske unije. U trenutku kada je primena SPU u zemljama Jugoistočne Evrope još uvek u začetku, rad će pokušati da pruži komparativni prikaz sistema SPU u ovim zemljama sa zakonskog, institucionalnog i proceduralnog aspekta. Osnovni cilj je otkrivanje potencijalnih smetnji i poteškoća u implementaciji, uz razmenu iskustava radi boljeg prilagođavanja ili usavršavanja postojećih sistema.
The research analyzed the theoretical and methodological background of urban megaprojects (UMPs) as instrument of urban planning and development, with specific reference to the Belgrade Waterfront Project (BWP). In analysis we combined a contextually appropriate ap-proach, some elements of the phronetic planning approach and the benchmarking analysis of megaproject planning and development. BWP induced a change of the institutional framework (introduction of specific legal and policy instruments), as a key source of future changes in the metropolitan tissue. Preliminary impact assessment of the BWP indicates: slow development & economic effects, low transparency, social inequalities, marginal social mobilization and weak networks between the key actors, public funds overuse, impact on law-making, displacement impacts, high public financial risk, deep urban transformations, environmental impacts, medium-technological modernization, etc. This research highlights the differences in the political, institutional, social and economic environment that shape the BWP. It provides recommendations for future research and application, improvement of planning approach and continuing in-depth analysis for managing the undesirable consequences of the UMPs, including the determination of the interplay between different pools of power. ; Slična verzija rada bila je prezentovana na konferenciji UNESCO (2016) pod istim naslovom Megaprojects as an Instrument of Urban Planning and Development: Example of Belgrade Waterfront Project, in UNESCO Chair in Technologies for Development: From Innovation to Social Impact, UNESCO Chair Conference on Technologies for Development: From Innovation to Social Impact, 2-4 May 2016, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne - EPFL, Cooperation & Development Center - CODEV, Lausanne, Switzerland, pp.104, http://cooperation.epfl.ch/files/content/sites/cooperation/files/Tech4Dev%202016/Tech4Dev2016_Brochure_14Apr_WebVersion.pdf ; Editors: Silvia Hostettler, Samira Najih Besson, Jean-Claude Bolay
The paper explores the transformation of housing regulations and policies related to the changes in Serbia's historical and post-socialist context and its effects on the urban development of the Belgrade Metropolitan Area (BMA). The socialist concept of the welfare state was transformed in a very short time into a neoliberal economic concept, with deregulation of the housing legislation, especially by mass privatization of social (public) housing stocks. In the post-socialist era, four main types of housing policies have been identified: 1) fast and total privatisation of state-owned dwellings; 2) vast illegal housing construction; 3) dynamic growth of commercial housing, and 4) slow and limited growth of a new social housing policy. The changes to the housing laws during the transitional period include major negative implications of housing policies on the urban development policy of the BMA, and are as follows: 1) the privatisation of 266,500 state-owned dwellings for a pittance, resulting in only 1.5% of public-owned dwellings in Serbia (2.18% in the BMA); 2) vast illegal housing (1.4 million of totally 4.6 million buildings in Serbia; 0.2 million only in the BMA); 3) inefficient new social housing policy with a symbolic number of new residential units, and 4) extremely inefficient urban land use as a consequence of ineffective residential, urban and other policies (in the BMA, urban land consumption increased to 670 m2/p.c. in 2012, showing extremely inefficient urban land-use compared to the European level). These findings demonstrate a highly unsuitable post-socialist mode of housing policy transformation (by changing the previous laws according to a strong neoliberal course) and also show the patterns of short-term policies (i.e. privatisation) with marginal financial effects, very limited success of new social housing, and socially unsustainable illegal housing and urban policies. ; Rad je deo i bilateralnog naučnog projekta "Support to Process of Urban Development in Serbia" (SPUDS), no. 160503 [http://p3.snf.ch/Project-160503], 2015-2018, u okviru SCOPES programa uz finansijsku podršku Swiss National Science Foundation.
Post-socialist societies are increasingly concerned with environmental and natural resources management issues. Their former, "state-regulated economy" practice cared more about fulfilling production goals and targets, than about negative effects on the environment that such actions may impose. This legacy left behind environmental consequences that are often hard to mend. But Serbia, as part of SFR Yugoslavia, was less degraded than the countries of Western, Central and Eastern Europe, whereas some important foundations for nature and environment protection have been laid. This analysis marked three most influential periods in recent history of Serbia, regarding environment protection: Socialistic period; Period of crisis; and Period of harmonisation with EU legislation. Serbian (post)transition society is still experiencing deep socio-economic-political crisis, that has numerous repercussions in environmental planning and management, and there is urgent need for application of newer, more successful and influential policies, tools and instruments. ; Editors: Miodrag Vujošević and Saša Milijić
Population development may reveal either a potential or constraint on functional labour markets and spatial development of the territory in concern. The first results of the 2011 Census in Serbia depict a rather bleak demographic situation, which is only the continuation of population trends from the late 20th and beginning of the 21st century, substantially fuelled by dynamic political and socioeconomic processes featuring Serbia in the past few decades. The focus is on demographic changes in relation to three correlated aspects: 1) intensive ageing process; 2) depopulation and negative natural growth; and 3) migratory movements - population exodus. This paper addresses in particular the spatial consequences and institutional aspects of recent demographic changes and their reflection on urban areas in Serbia. In the past, population movements from rural to urban areas used to colour much of the migratory balance map of the country, however this situation changed due to exhaustion of the 'traditional' demographic reservoirs. Still, urban primacy of the capital city Belgrade has been even intensified with the recent demographic movements, or more precisely, a tissue of the two largest cities in relative proximity - Belgrade and Novi Sad is hypertrophied in a demographic sense. Other urban settlements in Serbia, especially the smaller towns, which are numerous but demographically shrinking, have not been empowered enough to substantiate better links with smaller and larger settlements within urban-rural interface, and their role has been challenged in that respect. Demographic changes, which affect urban growth or decline, are largely to do with border effects, economic and social gaps, educational opportunities, and search of certain 'urban lifestyles'. The latter is particularly stressed regarding the process of 'second demographic transition' which encompassed Serbia and is manifested by changes in the family domain, viz. partnership and parenthood, as well as by plurality of lifestyles, namely for the younger and middle-age generations (20-34 years - dominantly the people in reproductive age) who are able to exercise their residential choices towards bigger urban centres. Finally, this paper addresses the demographic determinants of languishing population growth in Serbia coupled with highly uneven territorial distributions of population and level of development, which in the last decade marks the ratio of 10:1 (measured by GDP/inh.) between the most developed and the least developed regions in Serbia.
During the post-socialist transition Serbia was isolated from the mainstream trends of European integration and convergence. Its comparative advantages and competitiveness have worsened in two key aspects - in its structural qualities and in its territorial capital. The economic recovery from 2000 onwards has the form of "growth without development". Serbia has unsustainable spatial development patterns. Now, the country has found itself in the position of an economic, ecological and financial semi-colony of few powerful international political, economic and financial actors. There are shown some basic elements of the prospective future through the use the scenario approach.
Due to different political and economic factors during its post-socialist transition Serbia has been isolated from the mainstream trends of European integration and convergence. The country's comparative advantages and competitiveness have worsened in two key aspects - in its structural qualities and in its territorial capital. The economic recovery after the changes in 2000 onwards has the form of "growth without development", while the spatial development patterns have appeared to be rather unsustainable. Today, Serbia has found itself in the position of an economic, ecological and financial semi-colony of few powerful international political, economic and financial actors. In the last part, we will present results of an empiric evaluation of the three scenarios for spatial development of Serbia until 2020 based on comparative analysis of 29 indicators by applying the Spider method.
The unfortunate events following the late 1980s and the early 1990s directedSerbia (first the FRY and then S&M) towards rather bleak development prospects. During this long period, the country was isolated from the mainstream trends of European integration and convergence. Its comparative advantages and competitiveness have worsened in two key aspects, that is, in terms of its structural qualities (1) and in terms of its territorial capital (2), whereby the country's "endogenous capital" and "territorial capital" lost a large part of their value and potential. The "soft territorial capital" has especially worsened, in parallel with a disappearing capacity for strategic research, thinking and governance. In particular, Serbia grossly missed the wave of "economic and ecological modernization" that took place in the EU, and which left the country lagging even further behind contemporary mainstream trends. Thus, Serbia has been "moored" even deeper in the periphery of Europe; that is, it became a part of the new "inner peripheries" of Europe. The economic recovery from 2000 onwards, while fairly dynamic, has still been insufficient, and has more or less assumed the form of "growth without development". Serbia still shelters one of the most dissipating and nonsustainable economies and social services in Europe, paralleled by inadequate spatial development patterns. Now, the country has found itself in the position of an economic, ecological and financial (debtor) semi-colony of few powerful international political, economic and financial actors, also reflecting the ideological model of the post-socialist transition reforms chosen. Recently a new Spatial development strategy of Serbia until 2021 has been completed, which deals with two scenarios for future development, viz.: "further growth recession, under crisis management"; and "sustainable spatial development". However, much more research of future development prospects is needed, vis-à-vis the current dire development fixities and givens. Namely, the Serbian "post-socialist Argonautics" has faced a number of difficulties, also exacerbated by a lack of adequate institutional and organizational adjustments for strategic development governance, and an almost total collapse of strategic thinking, research and governance. ; Editors: Miodrag Vujošević, Jasna Petrić
In recent decades (especially in the most developed parts of the world), researchers, urban decision makers, planning managers and politicians are devoting much greater attention to the opinion of the local population, as long-term experience has shown that meaningful, integrated, interactive and continuous public involvement in decision making will increase the quality, legitimacy, and overall social, economic and environmental efficiency of a planned development. Especially in more developed democratic societies, citizens are demanding and gaining more power in decision making, and at the same time they have much more influence in planning the development of their own urban environment. This is also being supported through the development of related legislation (hard and soft laws), and traditional/formal and new/informal instruments that have particularly been enabled by the development of ICT. After explaining the contextual factors, this research will provide a brief historical overview of participatory planning in Serbia. Current trends and tendencies in public participation in post-socialist Serbia will be analysed in more detail, and related legislation compared with some of the countries in the region. A case study of Savamala neighbourhood in Belgrade will be used to portray the multiple actors that exist in a small urban area, and their relations. Beside the traditional participation tools, the paper will propose new instruments suitable for application in post-socialist societies. ; Editors: Jean-Claude Bolay, Tamara Maričić and Slavka Zeković ; Rad je rezultat i bilateralnog istraživačkog projekta "Support to Process of Urban Development in Serbia" (SPUDS), No. 160503 [http://p3.snf.ch/Project-160503], 2015-2018, u okviru SCOPES programa uz finansijsku podršku Swiss National Science Foundation.