Nairobi, I July 2018 - Since 2015, Serbia has recognized the International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning (IGUTP) as a critical global tool for better urban planning and used them to align planning in Serbia to emerging global trends. With planners in former Yugoslavia and Serbia open to cooperation, the first global tool on spatial planning was warmly welcomed in Serbia. Principles and recommendations of the Guidelines have been used to develop the first national urban development strategy 2018 and will guide preparation of the third national spatial plan for Serbia in 2020.
The Sustainable Urban Development Strategy 2030 for the Republic of Serbia developed in line with the New Urban Agenda and the IGUTP is a new component in the country’s planning. It provides a common multi-scale framework for all urban settlements in the country, embracing the integrated and multi-sectoral approach outlined in the Guidelines, and the national spatial plan which targets the entire national territory. The Strategy addresses horizontal integration, inner urban space and urban-rural linkages, building on practical recommendations of the Guidelines by identifying use of brownfield locations, illegal construction and informal settlements, public spaces, basic services, climate change and cultural activities and heritage as its six priority actions areas.
The Strategy was developed by multi-stakeholder forums which designed a three-year action plan. To monitor and evaluate the Sustainable Urban Development Strategy stakeholders identified 40 urban development indicators, including 15 aligned with SDG11. It is envisaged that principles of the Guidelines will be used to prepare Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP) in selected cities such as Belgrade to complement those already developed for Kruševac and Valjevo.
Serbia is committed to using the IGUTP to update, prepare and implement regional and local spatial plans, urban plans, and thematic area-specific plans. Infrastructure corridors, natural or cultural heritage, water accumulations, and mining basins are four thematic area-specific plans that would benefit from the principles outlined in the IGUTP.
