A Framework for Transition

Abstract

Since the fall of socialism, the production of space in Serbia has been uncoordinated and chaotic, without a clear national policy. Post-socialist countries went through the period of transitioning to free-market and democracy, and this process resulted in hybrid institutional, social, and urban forms. As the global pressures intensify, countries need to employ development mechanisms that will ensure a more sustainable future and slow down the process of global warming. Transitioning to sustainability planning is becoming more urgent, as scientists warn that scenarios for the future in which the business-as-usual approach is carried out bring disastrous consequences to our environment. Many post-socialist countries, such as Serbia, are caught in a path-dependency ideology, trying to position themselves in a global economic network, thus ignoring the social and environmental issues. Current development in Belgrade is shaped by market-driven mega projects that are a result of public-private partnerships. There is also a lack of participation in the planning process, which is institutionally allowed. This leads to the development of the most attractive locations which are predominantly located at the riverfront. This kind of ad hoc development does not follow a comprehensive strategy and leads to fatal consequences such as – loss of biodiversity, social stratification, endangered heritage, loss of sense of place and ultimately: unsustainable development of the riverfront. This thesis provides an overview of the consequences that led to the present state that the country is in regarding urban planning and development. The goal is to examine the implications for transitioning to sustainable urban development, starting from the actual conditions of the Belgrade riverfront territory and the planning procedure in place. Urban planning is a political process that has certain values embedded in it. Instead of adapting the values to the existing procedure, the values should shape the process. The current government has a strong agenda which many citizens protest against and this is why the proposed framework for transition is meant to serve as a starting point for moving towards a comprehensive sustainable planning and development process that would provide real results in the actual state of the riverfront. The framework that is proposed is an altered urban planning process that approaches the riverfront territory holistically, through different scales. This has to be done through a participatory process in which the acceptance of limits, protection of existing qualities and regeneration play an important role. These guiding principles are applied to environmental, social and economic dimension to provide a comprehensive urban planning approach for the sustainable riverfront.