Green urban development in Belgrade

Abstract

Most Europeans live in an urban environment, and the green future of cities is one of the most important issues for scientists and policy makers across the continent. Serbia is an EU candidate country in the process of incorporating EU legislation into national law, and environmental policy is an important part of this process. Belgrade, the dominant urban region in Serbia and its capital, should be a role model. A green future is recognized by city authorities as an important goal of urban planning and design. Moreover, the growing environmental awareness of citizens makes it necessary to create a more sustainable and livable city. In this article, we analyse the green development of the city of Belgrade, detect announcements and plans, and follow their implementation. We also raise some questions about the green urbanism in Belgrade. In recent years, construction activity in the housing sector has increased, although planning is often fragmented and guided by the profit-seeking interests of real estate investors. We ask for whom the green development is intended - is it part of sustainable development and does it improve the quality of life for city residents, or is it a mean to attract investment and increase investor profits?