Dialogic and public space: Participatory approach to urban design

Open public spaceis usually seen as physical, but also dialogic space that promotes social responsibility and affects the quality of life of citizens. Public participation in planning and design of such spaces has been observed as a fundamental emanation of democracy. This paper considers the effects of applying participatory approach to the urban design of open public spaces as a practical experiment in teaching. Different levels and methods of participation were used in order to identify main problems and potentials for the use of public space, formulate goals and priorities, and re-evaluate the concepts of urban design. Acquiring knowledge is considered to be the most important result of a dynamic approach, directed towards learning and achieving new skills. Thus, this paper suggests that the capacity development through participation may be seen as a basis for the future community development, and longitudinal care fort he public space as common good

Dijaloški i javni prostor - participativni pristup urbanom dizajnu

Open public spaceis usually seen as physical, but also dialogic space that promotes social responsibility and affects the quality of life of citizens. Public participation in planning and design of such spaces has been observed as a fundamental emanation of democracy. This paper considers the effects of applying participatory approach to the urban design of open public spaces as a practical experiment in teaching. Different levels and methods of participation were used in order to identify main problems and potentials for the use of public space, formulate goals and priorities, and re-evaluate the concepts of urban design. Acquiring knowledge is considered to be the most important result of a dynamic approach, directed towards learning and achieving new skills. Thus, this paper suggests that the capacity development through participation may be seen as a basis for the future community development, and longitudinal care fort he public space as common good.Otvoreni javni prostori se uglavnom posmatraju kao fizički, ali i kao dijaloški, prostori koji podstiču društvenu odgovornost i utiču na kvalitet života u datom lokalnom kontekstu. Učešće javnosti u planiranju i dizajnu takvih prostora se već duži niz godina posmatra kao osnovna emanacija demokratije. Ovaj rad razmatra efekte primene participativnog pristupa urbanom dizajnu otvorenih javnih prostora kao praktičnog eksperimenta u nastavi. U procesu urbanog dizajna su korišćeni različiti nivoi i metode participacije kako bi se prepoznali glavni problemi i potencijali u korišćenju javnih prostora, formulisali ciljevi i prioritetne aktivnosti za njihovo uređenje, kao i reevaluirali početni koncepti. U ovom radu se saznanje sagledava kao najznačajni rezultat dinamičkog pristupa, usmeravanja na razvoj novih znanja i sposobnosti. S tim u vezi, sugeriše se da se razvijanje kapaciteta kroz participaciju može posmatrati i kao osnova za budući razvoj zajednice i brigu o javnom prostoru kao zajedničkom dobru

Operationalizing the public interest in the local planning context of Serbia

The concept of the public interest has often been revisited within theoretical debates related to the fields of politics, decision making, and planning. While it has been claimed that the public interest should serve as one of the main pillars for decision-making, various authors reject the possibility of its operationalization, describing it as a vague criterion for any empirical analysis. With that in mind, the main aim of this paper is to present the role of the public interest and its long lasting tradition in Serbian planning practice from socialism until today, as well as its operational dimensions in relation to the specific post-socialist planning context. This paper will first briefly discuss the nature of the public interest concept in relation to planning. It will go on to present some of the socio-economic aspects of Serbian socialist and post-socialist planning practice, so as to better understand the local context in which the public interest is framed. Finally, it will propose the dimensions of planning practice in which the public interest is articulated. The findings were derived from the analysis of the role of the public interest in planning theory, planning practice, and the Serbian legal planning framework

Participatory Planning at the National Level - the Case of Sustainable and Integrated Urban Development Strategy of Serbia

The paper focuses on the assessment of participatory process in formulation of national urban development policy of Serbia until 2030. The assessment of participation is attached to the complexities in defining auxiliary set of evaluation criteria, while the process itself requires activities focused on individuals, organizations and their institutional environment, and the linkages between the different governance levels and instruments. The assessment in this paper is based on a mixed method approach. Quantification is used to measure the level of satisfaction/dissatisfaction of actors involved in the process, while the qualitative analysis provides an in-depth understanding on the visible and less visible results of their engagement. Findings point out the increase in participants’ knowledge and understanding of the planning process, and the possibility of institutionalising such a process in a way that coordination and cooperation are continually unfolding. The most important elements of active stakeholder involvement were recognised in the possibility to attain the public discourse which enabled: 1) prioritization of the national urban development programs, 2) linking planning with financing, and 3) better understanding of the relation between traditional spatial/urban planning and new governance instruments. The identified challenges relate to the need for further support to the implementation of the strategy through legislation, institutions, capacities and funding. The fragility of institutions and resistance to change in the transitional context of the post-socialist country is present. At the same time there is a need to deal with complexity and uncertanity, where the findings point out at the necessity to rely on the openness and vitality of the local level and experts involved in the process

Transformative potential of participatory planning in a post-socialist context of Serbia

This article considers a decade of practice and research in the field of participatory planning in the context of a post-socialist country, Serbia. The main aim is to assess the transformative potential of participation within the following domains: 1) formation of relationships, 2) recognition of issues and priorities, 3) perception of values and results of planning process, and 4) possibility for institutionalization of participatory practice in a post-socialist country planning context. The presented work examines urban development practices in 45 Serbian cities through the lenses of 95 professional planners that were interviewed over the course of 13 years. What is common to all of the examined cases is that participatory planning processes were realized through the support of international programs that operated in the field of territorial governance in Serbia from 2007 to 2020. Findings indicate that the acceptance of new concepts and policies in the local path-contingent practice requires pragmatic attitude of planning professionals, small steps and liberty to experiment, but also a possibility to discuss new discourses and understand their results. In the theoretical frame, this article contributes to the critical analysis of pragmatism and the flow of transnational policy discourse

Rethinking participatory practices of professional planners as a response to urban governance in Serbia

The aim of this research is to examine the new directions of democratic practices in urban governance, including public participation and multi-stakeholder involvement in Serbia. Through the reflections of Serbian planning practitioners and planners, the paper frames their historical reality of transitional, post-socialist local context as ‘somewhere in-between’ a complex system of dynamics. Therefore, the requirements of market economy, EU policies, new planning ideas and influences together with the formal participatory procedures and professional idea of the previous, socialist practice come together to this contemporary historical reality. The paper explores, through ethnographic research with professional planners (from 2007 to 2020), the application of participatory methods with the support of international programs that operated in the field of urban governance in Serbia. The research framework combines critical pragmatism and collaborative planning to shed light on daily planning practice characterized by an ongoing transition through dynamics that has shifted to governance, pluralism, and markets. These dynamics have been even more evident when the urban planning challenge during COVID-19 pandemic, have provided practitioners’ insights into ‘what can, and should we do now?’. The paper defines planning actions take form of small, pragmatic steps and alternative practices that hope to contribute to effective urban governance on specific urban challenges.Edited by Enza Lissandrello, Janni SørensenBook of Abstract [https://www.en.plan.aau.dk/digitalAssets/1088/1088416_uera_book_of_abstracts_eljs.pdf

Beyond formality: A contribution towards revising the participatory planning practice in Serbia

Participation has been present in the Serbian legal framework in the domain of urban planning since the 1950s. Its scope and legal definition have evolved with the transition to democracy, markets and decentralised governance. In line with EU standards, Serbia introduced an additional level of participation in the form of early public inquiry in 2014. Still, participatory planning practice is often seen as a formality which lacks sufficient effect on the planning solution, and requires qualitative improvements in citizen and stakeholder involvement. The main aim of this paper is to suggest that the use of alternative methods of participation in the domains of informing, consultation and active participation may increase the effectiveness of participatory planning practice. Thus, this paper points out some examples of good practice, and argues for the importance of recognising the existing base of knowledge and expertise in order to respond to contemporary requirements in the field of urban planning

Друштвени аспекти урбане безбедности – структура истраживања у оквиру пројекта У-СаФЕР

Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia has launched in 2020 Program IDEAS for which the evaluation of the project proposals is not yet finished. One of the project applicants which successfully passed the preliminary stage of the evaluation is entitled Urban Safety as a Qualitative Factor of Cohabitation Under Enhanced Risk (U-SaFER). The research proposal is in the field of urban planning and design, and it is also closely associated with the social context and the theory of safety. Although the actual research on this project has not started, the aim of this paper is to present the concept and planned methodology of the U-SaFER and to demonstrate the significance of the role of people’s perception and evidence in the process of enhancing urban safety in public spaces through effective urban planning, design and governance. Many parts of the world, including Serbia, are in the infancy stage of research of this topic. Therefore, the U-SaFER project proposal may attract additional attention in scientific research community as well as with the decision-makers.Фонд за науку Републике Србије је 2020. године покренуо Програм ИДЕЈЕ у оквиру којег још увек није завршена евалуација пријављених пројеката. Један од пројеката који је конкурисао и успешно прошао прелиминарну фазу евалуације је насловљен [Урбана безбедност као квалитативни фактор суживота у условима повећаног ризика] (акроним: У-СаФЕР). Предмет истраживања пројекта тиче се урбанизма и планирања, а уско је повезан са друштвеним окружењем и теоријом безбедности. Упркос томе што истражи вање још увек није започето, у овом раду смо настојале да представимо оквир и планирану методологију У-СаФЕР-а и да прикажемо значај који има доживљај становништва и чињенично стање о процесу јачања урбане безбедности у јавним просторима кроз ефикас ност урбанизма, планирања и управљања. Србија, као и многе друге земље у свету, јесте у раној фази истраживања ове теме. Стога, предлог пројекта У-СаФЕР може да привуче додатну пажњу у научној заједници, као и међу доносиоцима одлука.Project editor Nikola Aleksi

Спровођење савремених инструмената планирања урбаног развоја у регенерацији јавног простора

Јавни простор у граду садржи просторну, али и друштвену компоненту. Док регенерација јавног простора може да буде катализатор урбаног развоја, квалитет јавног простра представља значајан индикатор квалитета живота. Уређеност јавног простора утиче и на развијање свести о граду као заједничком добру. Један од кључних аспеката развоја јавног простора почива на принципима доброг управљања, уз задовољавање сета просторних и друштвених критеријума. У међународним оквирима се указује на потребу за учешћем спектра друштвених актера у планирању јавног простора, као његове значајне дијалошке компоненте. Савремене тенденције указују на потребу за ширењем поља деловања праксе урбаног развоја, где се мења и традиционална улога управе у регенерацији и одржавању јавних простора. Овај рад пружа увид у глобални и ЕУ оквир за планирања урбаног развоја. Након тога, рад указује на постојеће стање јавног простора у Србији. Затим, анализира се улога постојећих инструмената урбаног развоја у Србији, при чему је посебан фокус на стратешком аспекту урбаног развоја (национална стратегија) и употреби савремених паметних и инклузивних решења у регенерацији јавног простора.Уредници: Александар Јевтић, Борко Драшкови

Спровођење савремених инструмената планирања урбаног развоја у регенерацији јавног простора

Јавни простор у граду садржи просторну, али и друштвену компоненту. Док регенерација јавног простора може да буде катализатор урбаног развоја, квалитет јавног простра представља значајан индикатор квалитета живота. Уређеност јавног простора утиче и на развијање свести о граду као заједничком добру. Један од кључних аспеката развоја јавног простора почива на принципима доброг управљања, уз задовољавање сета просторних и друштвених критеријума. У међународним оквирима се указује на потребу за учешћем спектра друштвених актера у планирању јавног простора, као његове значајне дијалошке компоненте. Савремене тенденције указују на потребу за ширењем поља деловања праксе урбаног развоја, где се мења и традиционална улога управе у регенерацији и одржавању јавних простора. Овај рад пружа увид у глобални и ЕУ оквир за планирања урбаног развоја. Након тога, рад указује на постојеће стање јавног простора у Србији. Затим, анализира се улога постојећих инструмената урбаног развоја у Србији, при чему је посебан фокус на стратешком аспекту урбаног развоја (национална стратегија) и употреби савремених паметних и инклузивних решења у регенерацији јавног простора.Уредници: Александар Јевтић, Борко Драшкови