Toward the Urban Transition of Kragujevac: A New Life for Old Urban Generators

Abstract

After more than two turbulent decades of recent history, marked by the gradual break-up of Yugoslavia, international economic sanctions, internal political conflicts and a general social and economic crisis, the cities in Serbia have been redefining their position and role to accord with a new European development framework. Implemented on both institutional and non-institutional levels, these changes have been visible in the social, economic, environmental and spatial spheres, marking the beginning of the latest transition phase. The focus of this paper is the city of Kragujevac, the fourth largest city in the Republic of Serbia, one of the most important industrial centers of Serbia since WW II. The crises during the 1990s caused a significant economic decline, although with recent democratic changes, general conditions have improved, attracting new investors and accelerating local economic development.

Considering the current situation and the recently adopted "Integrated Urban Development Strategy for the Inner City of Kragujevac" (2012), this paper will elaborate two possible approaches toward the further transition, regeneration and development of selected urban spaces, based on the concept of temporary use and the increased interaction between the city and innovation processes. The present proposals result from work on masters’ theses, conducted under the supervision of professor Aleksandra Stupar at the Master course on 'Integral Urbanism' at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture (2013/14).