Timeless Modernity, Shifting Ideologies: a Vibrant Street in a Distorted Reality?

Abstract

The focus of the paper is on the relation between a traditional and a modern concept of street design and regulation, which have been overlapping and upgrading/degrading for decades. The case of the Boulevard of Jurija Gagarina in New Belgrade will be used as an interesting example of a street constructed during the 1960s. The original modernist idea, reflecting the socio-economic background of the socialist epoch, is still recognizable in impressive prefabricated housing blocks, shaped according to the ideas of the Athens charter and the Modernist movement. The street, originally planed as an important transit artery with surrounding housing and green areas, started to transform its landscape during the period of transition (1990s). The position, available empty space and already provided infrastructure have directed a new tide of changes, attracting attention of city authorities, investors and entrepreneurs. The intensity of activities has increased, new office/commercial/housing units were constructed, but all these transformations have not been supported by the planning concepts which would improve the overall condition and quality of life in this area. Driven by the logic of economic efficiency and profit, the transformation of the Boulevard of Jurija Gagarina has also tackled the sensitive issues of spatial organization, social cohesion, redefined urban needs and questionable sustainability. Therefore, the paper will discuss recent changes and trends which opened some new questions of urban durability, modernity, efficiency and environmental awareness, simultaneously emphasizing a need for an integral approach, adjusted to a new dynamic and multiplying demands of/for the future.