Architectural design in a new social order: Re-exploring the reasons for application of spatial standards

The essence of the problem in this paper has been recognized in deterioration of public and residential space in the city, after deregulation of architecture in neoliberal context. This field is marked by increasing lack of rules-especially spatial standards in the architectural practice. Therefore, re-exploring the application of space standards in modern context is needed. The paper, thus, tries to give the answer to the following question: why contemporary architectural practice does not insist on standards for the design and planning any longer? Since the production of space in neoliberal context is powered by mighty individuals who tend to be unique and to manifest power, using the spatial standards in architecture is not welcome. However, neo-Marxist orientation tries to revive the critical reflection of reality, and its main task is to define the standards and types derived from the spatial context. Different approaches, both theoretical and practical ones are necessary requirements in profession. A clear visibility of method is required for problem solving. The wider population should influence the architectural theory and practice by common set of criteria/standards. Finally, both ideological orientations mentioned are based on those who produce urban space and not on those who speculates with it

Chemi-ionization in Solar Photosphere: Influence on the Hydrogen Atom excited States Population

In this paper, the influence of chemi-ionization processes in $H^*(n \ge 2) + H(1s)$ collisions, as well as the influence of inverse chemi-recombination processes on hydrogen atom excited-state populations in solar photosphere, are compared with the influence of concurrent electron-atom and electron-ion ionization and recombination processes. It has been found that the considered chemi-ionization/recombination processes dominate over the relevant concurrent processes in almost the whole solar photosphere. Thus, it is shown that these processes and their importance for the non-LTE modeling of the solar atmosphere should be investigated further

URBAN DEVELOPMENT TOOLKIT FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: CRITICAL REVIEW OF STATE INTERVENTION IN PRAXIS

This paper aims to review the various forms of state intervention in urban planning, and its purpose is to reconsider guidelines for solving problems in cities, caused by climate change.After World War II, urban planning was guided by centralized state management, in the scope of progress and social justice. State intervention was recognized as an instrument for creating new models of the city spatial organization. However, because of the new market conditions arising, the policies about Urban Development came in the focus again, in order to control global influences, mainly climate change (the costs of construction, environmental pollution and hazards). It is therefore necessary to return again to the public intervention in urban planning. This will not be easy, because it has to be consistent with democratic freedoms; some of them should be strengthened, and some limited to ameliorate the effects of climate change.In conclusion, the set of general guidelines is expected, in order to translate the policy measures for climate change mitigation, into the instruments urban development is controlled by. Therefore, the changes in defining of building codes are expected, as well as the standards for energy conservation and land-use control (zoning, taxes and urban regulations, etc.)

Climate change adaptation in Serbia: the role of information networks

The importance of problems caused by global warming and increased GHG emissions have been recognised by the international community which responded to this challenge through a growing number of studies, agreements and policies dealing with climate change prevention, mitigation and adaptation. The shift to green economy is confirmed as the highest development aim, while establishing a balanced relationship between environmental policies, economic efficiency, technological upgrading and behavioural transition is one of main global assignments of our epoch. The importance of knowledge and innovations is also emphasised, while their availability, diffusion and exchange represent a key-reinforcement of green transition, especially in societies which are facing severe economic, social and environmental problems caused by sensitive local circumstances. The case of Serbia, which is the focus of this article, presents one of possible paths towards climate change adaptation, conditioned by more than two turbulent decades of the recent history of the country. Since democratic changes in 2000, environmental issues have become visible on institutional (governmental) level - through introduction of new environmental laws, research funding, preparation and implementation of specific documents or strategies, and on non-institutional (non-governmental) level - as different environmentally focused initiatives, usually supported by international, regional or local funds. However, on both levels information networks represent an inevitable structural ingredient, which enables a sustainable and locally adjusted approach to climate adaptation. Following global trends, information networks in Serbia are mainly used in the domain of public communication of climate changes, covering three major thematic areas of climate adaptability - human behaviour, ecological awareness and general efficiency. Considering all these specificities, the article provides a review of detected practices related to the use of information networks in climate change adaptation on both global and local level, stressing the possible benefits and limitations in the context of Serbia. The first part of the article introduces a global background of the problem of climate adaptation, summarising major environmental trends, research problems and policy responses, and emphasising the relation between climate change and urban(ised) environment. The second part is dedicated to the case of Serbia, focusing on three aspects - general condition of the environment, the legal framework and the perception/recognition of urban context and its environmental effects in recent development documents. The third part is focused on the relation between information networks, built environment/cities and climate changes, providing an overview of global trends and Serbian practice, while possible improvements of detected local weaknesses are given in the concluding part

(R)Urban synergy reconsidered: the role of information networks in climate change adaptation and mitigation

The paper is focused on the relationship between urban and rural settlements, established via information networks and oriented towards climate change adaptation and mitigation. The first part of the paper provides a review of emerging ideas and innovations related to the (un)conventional use of information networks in reducing the consequences of climate change, while the second part examines the strategic role of networks in the exchange of data and knowledge. Two levels are especially emphasized - the domain of public communication of climate change, and the level of connectivity within (r)urban hybrid systems (i.e. their effectiveness, accessibility and low-carbon outcomes). In accordance with recent environmental and technological trends, as well as the possible spatiofunctional flexibility of (r)urban hybrid settlements, the paper indentifies and analyses three areas of networks applicability, targeting main challenges of the anticipated climate-friendly development - human behaviour, ecological awareness and general efficiency

Green infrastructure evaluation model : case study of Belgrade

In this article, we consider possibilities to apply green infrastructure as an urban planning approach that provides polyvalent space for ecosystem services and human well-being and evaluates their impact on the city (re)generative space of biophilia. Two residential areas in Belgrade (block 45 in New Belgrade and Savamala neighborhood in the old city center) will be used as the focus of the research presented in this article. Even though they are characterized by different ecological, urban, morphological and social characteristics, they share direct contact with Sava River. Therefore, the adaptive potential of these spatial segments will be the subject of the analysis presented in this article, and the emphasis will be on applying and evaluating design within the integrated network of green infrastructure, and the study will determine what impact it has to planning and implementation of elements of green infrastructure

Towards the Conceptual Changes in Architectural Education: Adjusting to Climate Change

This article gives an insight into the problem of climate change awareness in the process of architectural education. The course Urban Structure at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture, is used as a case study that reveals a sensitive relationship between the university curriculum, teaching methodologies, students' experiences/obtained knowledge and the local background. The course included Problem Based Learning method in order to increase applicability of up-to-date knowledge on climate change. The results were tested before and after taking the course, via survey based on the semi-open type of questionnaire, distributed among 246 course attendees. The testing was conducted twice, during the school years 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. The comparison between the knowledge acquire via theory (the test results provided at the beginning of the course) and the knowledge obtained by Problem Based Learning (the results obtained after the course ended) confirmed the increased level of student's awareness of environmental problems, as well as the extended scope of their ability to respond to occurring problems caused by climate change. Furthermore, the results obtained by a questionnaire are used for setting of new educational guidelines

Prostorno-morfološki potencijali razvoja manjih naselja u Vojvodini prema konceptu 'zelenog' grada

The main idea of this paper is to highlight the spatial and morphological potential of smaller settlements in Vojvodina, for their adaptation and transformation according to the principles of sustainable urban form and the concept of 'green' city. Because of its specific combination of rural and urban characteristics, both functional and morphological, the attribute 'rurban' is assigned to these settlements in the paper, stressing the importance of this duality in terms of their ecological transformation, but also their impact on the sustainability of the entire network of settlements in Vojvodina. Spatially-morphological resources of sustainability of 'rurban' settlements were observed in several spatial levels, and their importance at the level of a regional network of settlements is examined, as well as urban matrix and the level of the building plot. All of that was done in order to analyze and apply theoretical concepts of sustainable urban form for multiple spatial level, with emphasis on regional and local. From the perspective of urbanism and architecture, the possibilities for spatial-morphological adaptation of rural settlements were explored in order to respond to the needs of the population whose life requires a more 'urban' than what the villages are offering today. .Osnovna namera ovog rada je da se ukaže na prostorno- morfološki potencijal manjih naselja u Vojvodini, radi njihove adaptacije i transformacije po principima održive urbane forme i koncepta 'zelenog' grada. Zbog svojih specifičnih kombinovanih ruralnih i urbanih karakteristika, kako funkcionalnih, tako i urbomorfoloških, ovim naseljima je u radu dodeljen atribut 'rurbana', čime se ukazuje na značaj ovog dualiteta u pogledu njihove transformacije, ali i njihovog uticaja na održivost čitave mreže naselja u Vojvodni. Prostorno-morfološki potencijali održivosti 'rurbanih' naselja posmatrani su kroz više prostornih nivoa, a u radu je ispitan njihov značaj na nivoima regionalne mreže naselja, urbane matrice i na nivou kuće i parcele. Osnovni zadatak rada je, dakle, da ispita mogućnosti rešavanja navedenih ekoloških problema i potencijale da se prostorno-funkcionalna svojstva manjih urbanih i ruralnih naselja u Vojvodini transformišu, tj. da se iskristališe njihova nova 'zelena' komponenta. Sve pomenuto vršeno je u cilju analize i primene teorijskih koncepata održive urbane forme za više prostornih nivoa posmatranja, sa akcentom na regionalnom i lokalnom. Sa aspekta urbanizma i arhitekture, istražene su mogućnosti da selo adaptira svoje prostorno-morfološke obrasce potrebama stanovništva čiji način života zahteva više 'urbanog' od onog što selo danas pruža

Participative Placemaking in Serbia: The Use of the Limitless GIS Application in Increasing the Sustainability of Universal Urban Design

The 20th century brought about major social challenges related to civil and human rights, triggering changes in urban environments and gradually adjusting the spatial and functional performances of cities to the needs of all users. In this article, the concept of Universal Urban Design (i.e., “Design for All”) is regarded as a sustainable placemaking process which enables the higher accessibility and usability of cities for all people, regardless of their age or (dis)abilities. The pilot project “Creating Accessible Pedestrian Corridors by the Limitless GIS Application” conduced in Serbia from 2017 to 2019 by the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Belgrade and the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Limitless proposes an innovative approach to urban design. Based on information and communication technology (ICT) adaptation, it is focused on the alternative concept-design of buildings, provision of ICT-based infrastructure, socioeconomic integration of all users, and ultimately on overall urban sustainability. The main outcome of the project was the development of a Geographic Information System (GIS) android application and an e-platform for adaptive placemaking. The project also provides a set of accessibility criteria based on Universal Urban Design, criteria that enable the mapping of locations based on the type of use, a set of recommendations for identified problems, as well as a brief analysis of the latest technological solutions for overcoming detected physical barriers. The Limitless GIS android application differs from the existing ones since it primarily identifies two target groups: (1) people with disabilities who could upload necessary data by established criteria; and (2) employees in the public sector (city authorities and municipalities) in charge of planning alternative routes and setting priorities and investment costs based on the identified problems. Pilot results of the project have revealed that in the current Serbian practice, there is still a lack of planned, consistent and continuous movement routes in urban areas. Terrain configuration represents a serious limitation for people with disabilities, while lifting platforms are recognized as a better solution than ramps (both for paraplegics and quadriplegics), due to their higher efficiency and minimized spatial requirements. Therefore, the android application and e-platform presented in this article contribute to the detection of actual problems at the local level as well as to the overall improvement of planning/design practice in Serbian citie

Introducing the students’ participation, upgrading the curriculum: The case of the course Sustainable City, University of Belgrade - Faculty of Architecture

This paper describes the process applied in the course named Sustainable City (University of Belgrade - Faculty of Architecture, 1st year of master studies) which directly influences its design and further upgrading. By introducing the students’ participation, the curriculum supports their research work which is divided into two phases: reflexive and creative. The first, reflexive phase is focused on the problem analysis targeting the sustainable urban transformation processes. Through the examples selected by students a number of specific urban problems related to different aspects of sustainability are identified and described, as a practical contribution. The second, creative phase introduces the students’ proposals and recommendations for improving the urban environment, tested through a development of a small pilot project (representing the final outcome - exam). Through these two phases students verify their ability for preparing proposals for various research projects and grants, aiming at the desirable transformations of cities via affordable solutions. The design of the course curriculum also enables students to understand the genesis and an impact of sustainable processes on urban development, creating the basis for the knowledge application in both urban planning and design. Simultaneously, this participative approach influences the elaboration of an iterative process in which students provide inputs, i.e. the desirable research topics for curriculum improvement, later included into an updated and upgraded version of the course, implemented in the following school year. The results suggest that through an inclusive learning process, a culture of proactively envisioning a sustainable alternative future is emerging. Most importantly, student participants show their commitment as the agents of potential change to create alternative environmental values and sustainable behavior