Tweeting in open public space : case study Belgrade

Public spaces represent essential elements of vibrant, inclusive, and smart cities. Being attractive, safe, comfortable, active and sociable, open public spaces play the main role in revitalizing communities, supporting their sense of identity and culture and triggering their economic development. Considering the current trends and demands in design and use of open public spaces, the role of ICT becomes more important. This paper will present and analyze the connections which are established and intensified between users and open spaces via online social networks. The emphasis will be on Twitter which currently has around 300 million active users. The case study is a network of several open public spaces placed in the historical urban core of Belgrade. The analyzed network presents one of the most attractive and important urban route for pedestrians with the squares as nodes. The method that was used in analysis is the method of mapping users on the social maps (via social networks) and through the other ICT tools. It was based on a new software application – Twitter search engine – developed at the University of Nis, Faculty of Electronic engineering, during the PhD course “Advanced topics in data and knowledge engineering”. The aim was measuring the concentrations of users in open public spaces. The obtained results have enabled the determination of the image of the open public spaces perceived by the users, as well as the intensity of users and tweets through the social networks, with the aim to measure the quality of open public spaces and concentration of users. This research has indicated the potential of the analyzed area for the formation of transverse and longitudinal pedestrian flows. On the one hand they could enable active use of a selected segment of the network as one of the most important urban pedestrian route of the city, as well as to improve the image of it.Funded by the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme of the European Union.peer-reviewe

Mapping of the Business Infrastructure in Serbia with a Special View at Brownfield and Greenfield

Contemporary business dictionaries lack a precise definition of the notion of business infrastructure. Also, there is an open question as to what are all the things that comprise a business infrastructure. In Serbia, there is not a legislative framework yet which recognizes and stimulates its development by categories and geographic position. Parallel to the lack of notional and legislative frameworks, we can also observe numerous activities in the field of creation of development policies and project investments in concrete facilities and sites. During the previous several mandates (since 2007), the Government of Serbia has stimulated the development of business infrastructure throughout the country using the budget funds. During the same period, significant donor funds have been spent precisely for the projects in the sphere of enhancement of business infrastructure in Serbia. In addition to the definitions provided for a set of important notions, the paper also presents a structural analysis based on the results of the survey / mapping of business infrastructure. It also shows the methodological procedure with a special view at the socalled brownfield and greenfield potentials. Also, the results of the survey have been considered within a general socio economic context with a critical view at the effects of the implemented development policies

Connecting places. Smart pedestrian space: network potentials based on user experiences and activities

Considering the current trends of urban redevelopment of Belgrade’s riverfronts megaprojects along the Sava and Danube rivers ("Belgrade Waterfront" and "City on Water"), Kosančićev venac could be developed as an important pedestrian connection between this sites and historical core of the city. The methods that were used in analysis include method of direct surveying of inhabitants based on the Kevin Lynch`s determination of the image of the city. Space Syntax method, as well as the method of mapping users on social maps (via social networks). The aim of the text was measuring the intensity of pedestrian movement in the monitored territory and concentrations of users in open public spaces. Summarizing and interpreting the collected data obtained three groups of results: the image of Kosančićev venac, composed of five elements: paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks; an overview of the intensity of pedestrian movement on the observed territory, compared with the content located along the path and with the distribution of the image of the city and the intensity of the users. This research has indicated the potential of the analysed area for the formation of transverse and longitudinal pedestrian flows as well as concentrations. However, they could enable active use of the research area and integrate the connections of the Sava`s and Danube`s Amphitheatre

Principles of climate sensitive urban design analysis in identification of suitable urban design proposals. Case study: Central zone of Leskovac competition

Paper represents the analysis of the change in the outdoor comfort during the summer days of open public space of the main square in Leskovac. The analysis covers the present state, two rewarded design proposals at urban design competition and proposal resulting from the evaluation of these solutions. The article focuses on the thermal comfort in outdoor space as a one of indicators in competitions of urban design, considering the fact that the re-design of public spaces often has a negative consequences of decisions made during the competitions. Following the thesis that successful public spaces should be responsive to the needs of their users, the paper considers the thermal comfort as the main quality of open public space. Analysis of microclimate could help designers to create comfortable urban place, which could attract vast number of users throughout the year, especially during hot summer periods. The aim of this paper is to highlight the complexity of the relationship between microclimate comfort in public open spaces and urban design, especially interventions such as implementation of the greenery and new surface materialization in order to emphasize the importance that this relationship has to be taken into account in urban design competitions

Speciation of heavy metals in geological matter of the Serbian national parks, protected areas and cities within the Danube river basin after the war conflict in 1999

In order to assess the effects of the 1999 NATO bombing of Serbia on the environment, some of the most widespread and feared pollutants, including heavy metals were determined in various sediment samples that were taken from three areas hit by bombing and were previously well-known for its unpolluted environment. Samples of soil and sediments from Fruska Gora National Park as well as Deliblatska Pescara and Zasavica Protected Areas which all lie in the immediate vicinity of the Danube, were investigated by sequential extraction, in order to determine potential substrates of heavy metals and to predict their potential mobilization mechanisms into the environment, especially into surface and ground water flows. This was important because the Danube, one of Europe's most important rivers, flows in the immediate vicinity of the National Park and Protected Areas and any contamination could cause severe effects on the river's ecological status and unpredictable consequences on the countries downstream, including the ecology of the Black Sea. Results show that all three examined areas are polluted with cadmium, the main source of which is projectiles (i.e. their explosions which could contaminate the examined sediments). In Deliblatska Pescara Protected Area there is an increase of highly mobile lead, most probably originating from the bombing of Pancevo oil industry facilities. Radioactivity in examined sediment samples is in the range of values commonly reported from neighbouring countries, suggesting that the contribution of the Chernobyl accident and NATO bombing in 1999 to the total radioactivity in the examined areas is negligible from the health point of view (i.e. that DU ammunition was not used in these areas). © 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

AROME-ESO Oncology Consensus Conference: access to cancer care innovations in countries with limited resources. Association of Radiotherapy and Oncology of the Mediterranean Area (AROME-Paris) and European School of Oncology (ESO - Milan)

Purpose: Cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Its incidence is still increasing, particularly in developing countries. Recent progresses further strengthen the differences between low/middle and high-income countries. This situation calls for joint action to reduce inequities in cancer outcomes among the patients. The Association of Radiotherapy and Oncology of the Mediterranean Area (AROME) and the European School of Oncology (ESO), have initiated joint conferences devoted to access to innovations in oncology in the Mediterranean area. The heterogeneity of the economic, political and cultural situations of the different participating countries, offers the opportunity to develop consensus conference