The Consequences of Reduced Standards in Process of Legalization of Residential Buildings on the Environment and User’s Quality of Life

Abstract

The economic power of the population that migrates is below the level that allows the purchase of apartments in towns at market price. Cheaper illegally built residential buildings are most common form of resolving housing issue for this group of people, as evidenced by the fact that illegally built settlements in Belgrade cover as much as 40% of the area determined according to the General urban plan for housing. The Law on the legalization of illegally built facilities provides for the reduced criteria regarding the fulfilment of standards in the field of planning and spatial design. In this sense, it is possible to legalize the residential buildings that are not fully compliant with the Law on planning and construction, which envisages compliance with European standards, energy efficiency, accessibility, adequate quality of construction products and compliance with rules of construction. The above is not in line with the strategies for raising the level of sustainability of construction, which concern reduction of negative environmental impacts, with simultaneous increase of quality of life in the built environment. Having in mind the above, this paper analyzes possible deviation from standards foreseen by the Law on planning and construction in the process of legalization, as well as the consequences of applying this principle on the environment and quality of life of users of residential space. The paper points out the necessity of improvement of legal acts, that is, the process of legalization, which would also take into account the possibility of additional requirements for meeting the standards, especially regarding the aspects that can be improved with additional investments.