The expert organization Nova Planning Practice has expressed serious concerns about the Draft Amendments to the Spatial Plan for the Belgrade Waterfront project. They claim the plan disregards key laws including the Law on Planning and Construction and the Law on Local Self-Government, as well as existing city and national strategic documents.
The draft nearly doubles the project area from 177 to 344 hectares and introduces fundamental changes, effectively creating a new plan without following legal procedures. Over 35,000 public objections, including a petition backed by prominent domestic and international institutions advocating for the preservation of the Belgrade Fair complex, were ignored in official responses, undermining the public inspection process.
The plan proposes demolishing the culturally significant Belgrade Fair complex, which includes halls recognized as cultural monuments. This would lead to the loss of important examples of modern Serbian architecture. Ecological standards are also violated, with green space per inhabitant falling far below the required minimum, worsening urban heat island effects by reducing ground-level greenery and substituting it with green roofs and parking areas.
Furthermore, the draft lacks clear capacity tables, cost estimates, and infrastructure plans, with preliminary cost projections around 200 million euros believed to be grossly underestimated. The state has imposed the plan without involving local government, violating Belgrade’s legally guaranteed right to self-governance and ignoring existing urban plans that protect the area and mandate green infrastructure standards.
Nova Planning Practice calls for the plan to be redrafted in accordance with legal frameworks, strategic guidelines, and with full public participation, respecting Belgrade citizens’ right to shape their city.
