Transition of Collective Land in Modernistic Residential Settings in New Belgrade, Serbia (original) (raw)
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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CITIES AND CHANGE THREE DECADES OF POST-SOCIALIST TRANSITION - Book of Abstracts , 2019
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New Belgrade, home to about 250,000 inhabitants, is part of Belgrade, the capital of the Republic of Serbia. Despite this area’s slightly older history, New Belgrade’s large-scale development began after the end of the Second World War. This chapter critically examines one century of New Belgrade (1919-2020), focusing on its transformation since 1985 in response to profound changes in political and social environments. During the decades of construction, New Belgrade crossed the path from a socialist functional neighbourhood to a neoliberal space embodied in chaotic urbanism and expensive architecture. This chapter moves diachronically and synchronously through four periods, using a theoretical framework – the relationship of the social system, political leaders, city planning, management, and construction – to explain the development of New Belgrade.
Acta Geobalcanica, 2021
Novi Sad and Petrovaradin, as two inseparable entities, have undergone large urban changes in the latest decades. Huge transformations in morphological features and spatial structure of Novi Sad occurred in the period from the breakup of Yugoslavia to the end of the second decade of the 21st century. The transformation of Petrovaradin followed at a slower pace at first but later on it intensified. The paper data rely on General Urban Plans of Novi Sad from the years 1985, 2000 and 2006. The comparative method, field research and analysis were applied to identify the parts of the city which underwent the largest transformation processes. Certain changes in the structure of street networks, changes in the inner physiognomy of the settlement, as well as disruption of architectural balance have been recognized. The direction of urban transformations has been identified by the analysis of social changes. Also, the present and potential problems were pointed out including the improvements which the inhabitants gained due to urban transformations of Novi Sad and Petrovaradin. It has been estimated that urban transformation in Novi Sad led to disruption of architectural style in certain parts of the city by erecting modern buildings which do not integrate into the setting of architecture from earlier periods neither with their exterior nor with the materials used. Contemporary building structures occupy larger areas of municipal building land, the number of apartments per unit area increases, the need for parking spaces also increases and green areas are reduced in the city.
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The urban transformations taking place throughout the region of former Yugoslavia are best exemplified in the capitals of the once-communist federation’s successor states. The recent urban developments in the cities of Belgrade, Zagreb, and Sarajevo illustrate the realities of contemporary societies in the Balkans and the socio-political shifts of the pe- riod of transition. The built environments of the newly capitalist countries serve as exag- gerated, yet emblematic examples of nation-building projects and their deep entwinement with economic processes unfolding throughout post-communist South-Eastern Europe. However, the links between the post-socialist urban and national identity, as well as poli- tics and economy, remain understudied. In this paper, I enquire into the present-day urban transformations of Sarajevo, Bel- grade, and Zagreb. I examine these cities within the context of post-Yugoslav economic and political space, exploring the particularities of the creation of built environments that no longer exist on the Yugoslav periphery, but now are at the centre of newly democratic societies. Through the investigation of the political, economic, and architectural particularities of Belgrade Waterfront and Zagreb Manhattan development projects, and Sarajevovo City Center commercial complex, I examine the influx of foreign funds – mainly from the Middle East – and their impacts on the construction of regional urban centres. I argue that the modern-day capitals of post-Yugoslav states are developing as products of the interpolation of a communist past into the capitalist present characterised by the perpetual quest for “Europe”, and in line with the broader socio-political and architectural trends in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. In post-Yugoslavia, urban practices are problematically interwoven with politics: the cities simultaneously serve as displays of geopolitical change and catalysts for social transformation in post-socialist societies. Keywords: Post-socialist city, urban transformations, Balkans, nationalism, Yugoslavia, Belgrade, Zagreb, Sarajevo
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Urban regeneration is usually defined as a structural and functional change of a certain part of the city powered by individual (corporate) or state initiatives. Many times the question what to regenerate, where and how to regenerate, remains unanswered. We will address the problem of the "sudden appearance" of new actors in urban politics and their growing influence on urban rehabilitation. The role of these corporate actors is more and more prominent due to their financial power and their "connections" with the city and state decision-making administration at various levels. The recent beginning of rehabilitation of one downtown block in Zagreb will be the topic of our case-study analysis. The citizens have protested on several occasions against the planned project, yet the mayor and the city administration have decided to continue with the project that will end as a typical dual-city structure. The paper will connect the current situation with the social and political organization patterns of a transitional society. The major problem concerns the sudden and deep change-new urban actors have replaced formerly existing social and state ownership and their interests. It is clear that the overall social and political system is not yet prepared to cope with the new contradictions and that institutional changes are to be applied.
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