Business improvement districts as a management instrument for city center’s regeneration in Serbia

Abstract

Urban regeneration and economic development in the context of competitive global markets and impacts to Serbian cities represent challenges calling for new responses for transformative action in urban governance. Policy-makers understanding of that relation may contribute to suitable use of policy instruments for creating good business environment in cites. Business improvement districts (BIDs) represent possible model used as a management instrument for fostering local economic development, city promotion and improving the quality of urban public space and life. The paper presents theoretical approaches of policy instruments use and sets recommendations for management of BIDs based on two cases of city center’s regeneration in Serbia. We argue that for BIDs to be a useful model for city center’s regeneration, an appropriate use and combination of regulatory, economic and informational management instruments is necessary.

Urbana regeneracija i ekonomski razvoj predstavljaju izazove neophodne za transformativne akcije u urbanom upravljanju u kontekstu globalnog konkurentnog tržišta i uticaja na srpske gradove. Razumevanje tih odnosa može doprineti kreatorima politika odgovarajuću upotrebu instrumenata politika za stvaranje dobre poslovne klime u gradovima. Zone unapređenog poslovanja predstavljaju mogući model koji se koristi kao menadžment instrument za podsticanje ekonomskog razvoja, promociju grada i poboljšanje kvaliteta urbanog javnog prostora i života. Rad prikazuje teorijske pristupe upotrebe instrumenata politika i daje preporuke za menadžment zona unapređenog poslovanja zasnovane na dva slučaja regeneracije gradskih centara u Srbiji. Kako bi zone unapređenog poslovanja bile koristan model za regeneraciju gradskih centara smatramo da je neophodna odgovarajuća upotreba i kombinacija regulatornih, ekonomskih i informacionih instrumenata menadžmenta.