Urban form and planning in the information age: Lessons from literature

This paper focuses on the relationship between information and communication technologies (ICT) and urban form, and on urban planning response to spatial and economic consequences of ICT. It starts with literature-based review of how urban environments in the United States change with technological advances and explanations of the relationship between ICT and urban form. The paper also includes a discussion of the manner in which ICT impact is handled by urban planning. The literature review points to insufficient attention to the dynamics between ICT and urban planning and increasing gap between physical and economic development implications of ICT. It is the role of urban planners to balance the consideration of the physical and economic aspects against the prospects and opportunities offered by ICT.

Evaluation of implementation of early public participation in Serbian planning practice

Early public participation has been introduced in Serbian legal planning framework in 2014. In the context of recent Serbian planning history, early public participation can be observed as a novelty within the field of deliberation. Still, there is no sufficient data on the success of the process, or its effects. Hence, the main aim of this paper is to contribute towards filling this gap by providing an understanding on implementation of the early public participation from a qualitative perspective, through the eyes of planning practitioners. Implementation of early public participation in Serbian planning practice is evaluated during May and June 2017 in 7 Serbian local municipalities. Planning practitioners were interviewed about procedural aspects in its operationalization, but also provided data on actual and potential effects of participatory processes. Qualitative data was complemented with content analysis of the By-law on implementation of participation as well as existing reports on completed early participation processes. Findings suggested that early public participation is implemented differently in each local municipality. Planning professionals pointed out at practices from a real life perspective, where procedural participation represents no guarantee of actual changes in outcomes of planning. Paradoxically, planners who operationalize early public participation beyond minimal legal obligations have witnessed how early participation has affected changes in planning solutions. Based on these findings, paper offers recommendations for improvement of early public participation in practice and especially in relation to dissemination of good practices between planning practitioners, through sharing and dialogue within an inclusive and long-term platform for peer-to-peer learning.Edited by: Dušan Nikolić, Jelena Cvejin Poznić and Dunja Malbaš

Public Interest as a Basis for Planning Standards in Urban Development: State-Socialist and Post-socialist Cases in Serbia

How public interest is constituted in planning practice varies according to the local context. Using state-socialist and post-socialist cases in Belgrade, Serbia, we explore the shift in the realization of public interest as a basis for planning standards regarding provision of public land use and services. The research looks at trends for planning standards on two case studies, and reveals the underlying norms of this local interpretation of public interest via interviews with planning professionals and residents. The results suggest the persistence of the top-down unitary approach to public interest in planning, but also a deterioration in prescribed standards

Улога наслеђа социјалистичке праксе планирања урбаног развоја у очувању и промоцији нормативног јавног интереса у Србији

Овај рад преиспитује приступ урбаном планирању у периоду социјализма кроз перспективу нормативне димензије концепта јавног интереса на студији случаја Београда. Јавни интерес се у теорији планирања посматра двојако. Заједнички јавни интерес представља једну или скуп вредности које деле сви чланови одређене заједнице, док плуралистички јавни интерес представља суму појединачних и групних интереса. И поред законске обавезе за спровођење партиципације у пракси планирања урбаног развоја у Србији, јавни интерес се најчешће нормативно утврђује кроз планирање јавне намене. У циљу разумевања утицаја тржишних промена на поимање јавног интереса у пракси планирања у Србији од социјализма до данас, у овом раду се квантитативном анализом студије случаја сагледавају трендови измена норми и стандарда за јавне намене и јавне службе на нивоу града. У овом случају, традиционални нормативни домени јавног интереса више се не посматрају само као технички већ и као квалитативни показатељ квалитета живота грађана. У том смислу, значајно је размотрити препоруке за преиспитивање норми и стандарда jавних намена и јавних служби у урбаним подручјима, као и обнове и заштите објеката и целина градитељског и урбаног наслеђа које укључује и социјалистички период.Уредник: Светлана Димитријевић Маркови

Technological and Institutional Interdependences and SDI – The Bermuda Square?

Information and communication technology (ICT), information infrastructure (II), geographic information system (GIS), and spatial data infrastructure (SDI) have interdependences. However, there has not been systematic exploration of their dependences, and therefore the nature of their relationships is not precisely known. Here, we use the “Bermuda” metaphor to initiate the discussion on which one of them enable and which ones constrain the others and how so. We argue that, by providing generic technological base, ICT and II potentially enable GIS and SDI; GIS and SDI mutually support and enable each other; and GIS and SDI do offer important contents to ICT and II services. The effective use of each of the ICT, II, GIS and SDI is enhanced by others. Thus, with the Bermuda Square model, we reveal that a greater social impact will ensue when we consider the whole square instead of treating its parts separately

Mind the Gap: Spatial Planning Systems in the Western Balkan Region

Starting in the 1990s, an increasing number of studies and reports have focused on examining the nature and characteristics of spatial planning in Europe. The geographical coverage of these comparative analyses broadened over time, paralleling the progression of EU integration. However, the Western Balkan countries were only vaguely mentioned within such studies, mostly due to their fragmentation and geopolitical instability. This paper analyses and compares spatial planning systems in the Western Balkan Region since the 1990s. More specifically, it presents an overview of the geographical and socio-economic situation, explores administrative and legal frameworks for spatial planning, analyses spatial planning instruments produced at each territorial level, and addresses future challenges. Through so doing this paper exposes the complexity of the subject and sets a base for further research

Can Acceptance of Urban Shrinkage Shift Planning Strategies of Shrinking Cities From Growth to De-Growth?

Shrinking cities scholars claim that planning actors in the cities where shrinking is accepted are more likely to change the focus of planning strategy from pursuing growth to actively planning for de-growth. Considering this argument, this article investigates to what extent planning actors in shrinking cities seek solutions outside the dominant growth paradigm if they accept the reality of shrinkage. This is accomplished by examining the comprehensive plans of 18 shrinking cities in the Rust Belt area of the US and establishing relations between the interpretations of urban decline expressed in these planning documents and the resulting planning visions and strategies. The findings demonstrate that although planning actors in most analysed cases accepted urban shrinkage as a reality and adopted a vision of a smaller future city, they mainly devised strategies that facilitate growth. This suggests that urban planning may be far less impacted by specific interpretations of shrinkage, including acceptance, than what is popularly believed to be the case. Instead, growth remains a focal point of most planning efforts in shrinking cities, even when planning actors acknowledge it may not be realistically attainable

Qualitative perception on participatory planning policy and practice: evidence from seven Serbian cities

The evaluation of planning policies and practices has mostly been lagging behind planning activity. The evaluation of participation seems even more perplexed if taken that it has to inevitably deal with the question of values, processes and outcomes, but also the fact that such practices do not exist in a vacuum and are exposed to various internal and external dynamics. An evaluation study of public participation was carried out in seven (7) Serbian cities. The methodological approach is grounded in an interpretive analysis of policy and practice, where planners were interviewed over the course of two years after introducing an additional level of participation in planning legislation. The results imply that procedural participation represents no guarantee of actual changes in outcomes of planning, and that practical experimentation beyond minimal legal obligations may do more for achieving visible and less visible results in the field of deliberation and governance

European university-community partnership-based research on urban sustainability and resilience

Transitioning Towards Urban Resilience and Sustainability (TURAS) project is based on the partnership between decision makers in local authorities with SMEs and academic institutions to develop and demonstrate transition strategies for urban resilience and sustainability. Out of eleven case study sites, three are presented in this brief, including: brownfield redevelopment in London, community mobilisation around underutilisation of urban sites in Dublin, and a web portal for sustainable mobility in Ljubljana