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SPATIUM No. 36, December 2016, pp. 15-23 ReviewUDC 711.4-68(497.11) paper 330.14(497.11)

DOI: 10.2298/SPAT1636015C

PARTICIPATORY URBAN TRANSFORMATIONS IN SAVAMALA, - CAPACITIES AND LIMITATIONS

Marija Cvetinović1, EPFL CODEV, Lausanne, Switzerland Tamara Maričić, Institute of Architecture and Urban & Spatial Planning of , Belgrade, Serbia Jean-Claude Bolay, EPFL CODEV, Lausanne, Switzerland

This paper analyses the implications of participatory urban design in Belgrade, namely of the series of recent unsolicited activities that has contributed to setting up a specific micro environment in the neighbourhood of Savamala. Its main aim is to promote bottom-up urban development, surpass current profit-oriented trends, and benefit from socio- spatial contradictions as opportunities for creativity and participation. The Savamala neighbourhood is among the most important landmarks in Belgrade. Endowed with rich historical heritage and extraordinary spatial potential, Savamala is now a traffic bottleneck with intense pollution, urban noise and socio-spatial conflicts. In order to set up an engine for urban development, several streams of participatory activities have been launched by NGOs and IOs, such as: online campaigns and networking, informal research activities, pop-up events and instant actions for societal progress and bottom-up economic activities. The Actor-network theory (ANT) methodological approach demystifies the circumstances of participation and the role of various actors in building pathways of urban transformations in Savamala, while the Multi-agent system (MAS) proposes the framework for tracing their behaviour at the neighbourhood level. A complex post-socialist framework presents a challenge for these participatory activities to provide opportunities for urban transformations, based on social interest rather than on real estate speculations. In the lack of official strategies and institutionalised support, the MAS-ANT method involves estimating whether an economy of social exchange could contribute to improving the quality of life and functionality of urban systems. Key words: post-socialist cities, social participation, urban development, multi-agent system (MAS), actor-network theory (ANT).

INTRODUCTION circumstances make the Savamala neighbourhood a suitable This article attempts to analyse the often blurred and urban transformations. twisted structure and puzzling development prospects of environment for examining the efficiency of bottom-up neglected urban neighbourhoods in post-socialist cities. In order to make transformations contextually appropriate In the case of the Savamala neighbourhood in Belgrade, and resistant to biased power relations and individual the study is grounded upon the recent boom in bottom- interests that thrive in transitional economies, it is up spatial interventions and small-scale cultural projects. important to continually keep track of the wider social These activities have gradually grown into a kind of informal repercussions and assess the risk of a range of “inter-states”, platform for active participation and the management of which are intersections of the timeline of development and the indicators of swift and biased socio-spatial transitions strategy in order to overcome the rigid administrative procedureurban conflicts. of urban Therefore, development they and put transform forth an the alternative negative trial and error iterations of such urban transformations side effects of imitating and lagging behind the conventional representin post-socialist a catalyst neighbourhoods. for change and The a flexibilitymeans of andseizing the urbanisation model and unsuitable urban patterns, as well opportunities inside an urban environment, and converting as the gloomy outcomes of accelerating globalisation into these into development tools. Thus, such inclusive socio- a development impetus suited to these societies. These spatial interventions strengthen horizontal practices and initiatives, unlike the leading urban public institutions, 1 EPFL CODEV CM 2 247 Station 10, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland which tend to support vertical urban development decision- making.

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been neglected by both the authorities and professionals the spatial and historical circumstances in Serbia and (“Urban Incubator Belgrade”, 2013). Before the spin-off of theirThe firstmanifestation part of thisin Savamala. paper provides This will an overviewbe followed of cultural organisations, activities, and conversions of old by presenting the MAS-ANT (Multi-agent system and neglected houses into trendy cafés and restaurants in the Actor-network theory) methodology2, an innovative neighbourhood, Savamala had a reputation as a home to methodological hybrid that has been applied to the context outcasts, a place of prostitution and criminality. of Savamala. Its alternative urban development model is Even though Savamala was known as a Christian based on the combination of a participatory approach and neighbourhood in Ottoman Belgrade, its rich cultural the principles of the creative economy in order to transform and architectural heritage dates back to the period of the th and early 20th centuries. spatial capacities into urban development opportunities. existing urban conflicts, clandestine social potential and Furthermore, during communist rule Savamala was Serbiandisregarded monarchy as the fromlegacy the of 19 the capitalist era and was clashes of cultural differences and a series of confrontations turned into a transit roadway surrounded by corresponding ofUrban opposing conflicts viewpoints thrive on within discriminatory a city, and power they dynamics, tend to building stock (warehouses and manufactures). After progress from a personal level to a socio-urban dimension. the major political shift in 2000, the attractive location of Social potential and spatial capacities, in our interpretations this neighbourhood put it at risk of becoming a training are contextual resources that enable horizons of possibilities ground for the interests of corrupted public authorities by making use of the available social, human and spatial and powerful private developers, working together under capital (Grönlund, 2007). Finally, the aim of this paper is to the hood of urban development and economic prosperity. Despite the ownership change, Savamala was saved for a and/or change through an iterative process of small-scale while from this new development trend, mostly because bottom-upindicate possibilities interventions. for urban The transformation, resulting urban modification state of of its long-term decay that had made it a complicated case Savamala will eventually induce economic, political, cultural for the limited investments with short-term turnovers that and spatial transformations and explicate the initial step in were dominant in Serbia. However, it has recently changed, formulating urban development prospects appropriate for as powerful international investors found a counterpart post-socialist cities. in Serbian authorities at various levels to jointly use their economic and political dominance for gaining control over a CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS

The development of cities is a contextual category, global et al., 2016; Cvetinovic et al., 2016b). and local. Nowadays, it is also a political, economic and highly profitable waterfront area of the capital city (Zeković In the meantime, taking advantage of the long gap spatial category. Therefore, the multilateral nature of in development, a number of local and international urban development in the contemporary world is not only organisations and cultural entrepreneurs have focused strongly based on global movements of capital, markets, their actions on Savamala. Their initiatives to transform goods and trends, but it is also responsive to local socio- abandoned places and to reactivate them through spatial capacities and limitations. Such a complex and participatory, cultural, artistic and educational activities perpetual process could only be partially tamed and have been mainly supported by the local municipality projected by regulatory practices and organisational and international cultural institutions and . On the other local activities has become a driving force for the possible thesolutions experiences in the of specific all the urban actors environment and stakeholders and urbanprogrammes. future ofWhat Savamala, at first seemedat least likethe afuture sum ofpreferred ephemeral by dependshand, socially on direct beneficial individual urban experience, development as startswell as out on from the most local urban actors who have taken an active role in it. sense of well-being. Therefore, mobilising the population to According to the organisers, it has gradually grown into a form an integral part of decision-making processes activates testing ground for the implementation of an innovative tool dormant creativity, and builds up an experimental education for “action and learning by doing” (Lydon, 2012) in the urban planning of transitional post-socialist cities (Cvetinovic et that participants can relate to. The Savamala creative al., 2013). However, this new picture of a trendy and rather clusterfield and is communicationan example of strategieshow such fora process studying of local collective cases safe Savamala renders the same with facing threats of urban interventions is coordinated and articulated from the ground up. (Krusche and Klaus, 2015). Participatory activities are The Savamala neighbourhood is situated in the central urban mainlyexpulsion rounded of the uplocal in populationan urban transformation and hidden gentrification programme zone of the city of Belgrade, on the southern bank of the named Savamala Civic District, in the Urban Incubator River. It is a unique area in Serbia with plausible collision Belgrade project activities and their successors, and cultural between traditional and modern and past and present; it entrepreneurial collectives. is rich in tradition, history and heritage. But world wars, All these circumstances bring to light that Savamala has kept authoritarian rule and the current economic crisis have its shape3 development. Namely, four crucial political periods have intense pollution and urban noise. For decades its existing , but different social conditions have influenced its left their marks. Savamala is now a traffic bottleneck with left their mark on Savamala: pre-socialist, socialist, post- 3 a triangular form of a neighbourhood on the right bank of Sava River dates spatial2 For more conflicts details on and Multi-agent socially system disadvantaged (MAS) see Crooks population et al. (2014); have back to the times when it was a village only a kilometre away from the city and on Actor-network theory (ANT) see Latour (2005). centre and outside the walls of a Turkish city.

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socialist and transitional4. All of its cultural and architectural collision of top-down and bottom-up pressures. Endowed heritage dates back to the pre-socialist period when with a prime location in the Serbian capital, Savamala has Savamala was promoted as a major trade and artisanal area been directly or indirectly targeted by most General Urban and a communication hub with bus and train stations in its Plans since the beginning of the 20th proximity, while noise and pollution have been caused by its role as a passageway for heavy transit introduced during century (GUP 1923, socialism. Therefore, we could summarise its life-cycle as theGUP attention 1950, GUP of national 1972, GP and 2003 international (revised incapital 2005, through 2007, follows: large-scale2009, 2014), architectural and GUP 2016)projects as (“Town well as on having the Water”, captured CIP Pre-socialist period: amorphous urban form of the Europolis, Beko Masterplan, Project neighbourhood, recognisable cultural and architectural etc.). In Savamala, a complement of post-socialist urban • identity; development is found in small-scale cultural practices, crowdsourcing activities, creative industries, urban factories, Socialist period: disintegration of tradition and heritage, and cooperative economies which, slowly but surely, spread middle-class society and marginalised groups living in from upper Savamala to the riverbanks (Cvetinovic et al., • the area; Post-socialist period: lack of data on social structure, system) and ANT (actor-network theory) methodological deteriorating industrial area and abandoned buildings, 2013). The hybrid field of overlapping the MAS (multi-agent • and leasehold of empty plots to private investors causal relationships between different urban elements, and without transparent bidding procedures; theapproaches developmental proposes prospects an innovative of their concept interrelations for defining and Transitional period: market led economy, dominance interconnections. of private ownership, vivid night life, creative cluster Data were collected from context-based information and • and limited citizen participation governed by the non-governmental sector, and start of the huge and interpretations on Savamala.5 In this respect, the actors redevelopment project initiated by a foreign investor. inknowledge the bottom-up and also participatory traced from relevantactivities influences, in Savamala interests taken However, several important characteristics have been into account here are (Figure 2): (1) Cultural centre “Kulturni continually developed during the different periods such Centar Grad” (KC Grad) as (Figure 1): (1) restricted and ideologically-framed civil Marka Street (MKM), (3) Mikser multidisciplinary platform, rights, (2) state control over capital areas, resources and (4) Nova Iskra design , incubator, (2) Old depository (5) Urban in Kraljevića Incubator infrastructure, (3) a top-down approach to spatial and social Belgrade project (UIB), (6) Ministry of space collective, (7) development, renovation and revitalization, (4) public Ne da(vi)mo Beograd initiative (NDVBGD), (8) My piece of ownership of land and building stock, (5) hybrid market Savamala The circumstances, and (6) societal self-management planning game of Savamala - participatory urban planning workshop, et (10) Savamala, – participatory a place for makingurban designparticipatory workshop, project, (9) (11) al. Streets for cyclists (VujovićSavamala anda scaled Petrović, example 2007; of a “pre-socialist Petrovic, 2009; material Vujošević legacy, Marka 8 street (KM8). NGO, (12) Common space in Kraljevića socialist, 2010; cultural Simmie, and 1989). societal These matrix, characteristics a transitional have reality made We applied ANT for interpreting the state of the local context. and a condensed case of multi-faceted circumstances of post-socialist urban development” (Cvetinovic et al., 2016a). social by symmetrical treatment of all human, social and technicalThe most elements prominent (Latour, characteristic 2005). Therefore, of ANT is ANT flattening serves thefor METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH structuring the data on human and non-human agents and Post-socialist urban development induced radical political, urban assemblage networks at the neighbourhood level. An economic and cultural shifts in neighbourhoods in Belgrade. actor’s existence is its status in a connection or connections. Savamala is therefore a representative case for intensive According to ANT, actors do not exist if their networks are not labelled. In this way they become agents. 4 The pre-socialist period ended with WWII; 40 years of self-managed 5 Key informants on these issues were: (1) experts, (2) young professionals, post-socialist; and the transitional period started the political shift in 2000 (3) participatory cultural and design activities, and (4) documents on andsocialism is still finished at play, evenin the though 1990s; the the post-socialist period of Milošević’s period is rule not overis marked yet. as Belgrade Waterfront Project.

Figure 1. Savamala time-frame (Source: authors)

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CASE STUDY OF SAVAMALA BOTTOM-UP ACTIVITIES For the analysis of the Savamala bottom-up urban

First of all, we investigated agent structure and preferences. Wetransformation, treated these we as relieddynamic on features the defined of urban agent agency profiles. in Savamala. Then we tracked the behaviour of these agents

Savamala. Finally, this allowed us to sum up their capacities and their influence on the state of the urban environment in

andDynamism limits to of influence urban agency urban transformationsin Savamala and changes. Contextual analysis of the social circumstances in Savamala

therein, has been gradually attracting a number of small- scalehas shown public that initiatives the contextual and creative capital, serviceswhich was to identifiedsettle in Savamala (Cvetinovic et al up activity in Savamala was the establishment of MKM cultural space in 2007. However,., 2013). the The intensive very first aggregation bottom- of participatory activities started when KC Grad gained an

Figure 2: Savamala neighbourhood - its position and distribution of activities (Source: authors) ofabandoned 2013, and building this condensed in Braće Krsmanovića interaction betweenstreet for urban their Within an urban system, all agents are interdependent. The spacescultural and activities civic life in lasted2009, forthough 2 years the (Figurepeak came 2). at the end them simultaneously (Bousquet and Le Page, 2004). MAS When we analysed the structure of the agents, we addressed agent, while being influenced by the others, also influences categories from the ANT methodology (Figure 3). These their basic characteristics already identified within the key oftraces the agentagent’s profiles structure, and the preferences, character of and their behaviour. inter-relations The and inter-connections. An agent profile is a combination in their environment. They are adapted according to our interpretationANT categories of indicate the ANT the methodological figuration of the approach. chosen agentsAgent andbehaviour references of agents to issystem identified development by qualitative (maintenance, surveys and structures are circumscribed based on the roles these analysed using multi-criteria MAS analysis of their profiles agents play in Savamala, as follows: (1) agent nature – its resourcestransformation (spatial or capacitieschange). We and defined social potential), it here through which theare boundaries of the activities and target groups, (3) structural operational manifestation, (2) level of influence – the continuouslycategories of: producedsocial practices, within urban this initial conflicts networking. and contextual networks – the agent’s primary activity, (4) socially functional networks – social function, and (5) secondary networks – subordinate function(s) (Cvetinovic et al., and have a crucial role in tracing the urban development 2016b, Cvetinovic et al., 2016a). In terms of agent nature, the process:They come (a) into resources existence instigate from already transformations, identified agents (b) of events/projects/activities. In our case, the strict focus boost potential changes. Moreover, these interactions also onchosen bottom-up bottom-up activities agents has figure limited as sets the of scope horizontal of secondary entities practices identify system maintenance, and (c) conflicts network characteristics mainly to either those focused on the urban or NGO sectors or small-scale services. Moreover, define what is possible (through contextual resources) and socially functional networks formed from the ground up are what is happening (urban conflicts and social practices). these principles gives us the opportunity to determine their mainly formal/informal collectives with non-transparent or The analysis of the identified bottom-up agents according to unclear internal organisational or foundational procedures. and their biases that cause eventual negative effects. influence on the system evolution, their capacity to intervene

Figure 3: Timeline of bottom-up activities and actors in Savamala (Source: authors)

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Consequently, various structural networks clarify agents’ practices and thereafter aspire to generate qualitative urban roles and indicate the paths of their behaviours and transformation or change (Cvetinovic et al., 2013). networking capacities at the local level. Based on our qualitative research on Savamala, the most prominent aspects in direct correlation with agent public and private organisations. However, several of functioning at the local level are: political (participation, theseFor further agents analyses have an weunclear have and chosen non-transparent the most influential funding transparency, and institutionalization of culture), economic structure – while they receive some public funding, they are KC Grad, Mikser). Nova Iskra is information and knowledge). Consequently, we recognise the only explicit privately-based organisation. The social (public funding), and cultural (global flows of ideas, trends, functionalso partly of profit-orientedthe agent is strongly ( connected to their level of (Figure 4): the following clusters of resources, conflicts and practices at the local, but less often at the city and international levels, Spatial capacities (SpC): (1) accessibility; (2) central thoughinfluence their in this international case. All these visibility bottom-up is also actors more are inactive the domain of funding – several are recipients of international • diversity; (5) proximity of the river; (6) deteriorating position in the city; (3) brownfield area; (4) architectural European cultural and art organizations and programmes) area; area; (7) green area; (8) waterfront area; (9) recreation orfinancial under direct support supervision (foreign of embassies international and entities foundations, (Urban Social potentials (SoP): (1) lack of private investment Incubator Belgrade was the initiative of The Goethe-Institut). in the area before 2012; (2) architectural and cultural • heritage; (3) social diversity; (4) aroused interest in 6 schemes (Ne da(vi)mo Beograde initiative ). Even though this neighbourhood from cultural and artistic groups, someHowever, of the there activities are of others KC Grad with and Mikser transparent, for example, financial are individuals and organisations; (5) trade and artisanal area – cultural heritage and traditional crafts; (6) (café-bars, shopping areas, concerts, exhibitions and other creative cluster; (7) participative and self-organisational publicly funded, they also incorporate profitable services lucrative events/activities). initiatives in the area (KC Grad, Mikser, etc.); (8) small Furthermore, following the nature of these agents, we apprehend that the cultural and artistic activities in diversity of interests and power poles in the area; Savamala do not belong to institutionalised art and culture. commercial area; (9) underdeveloped area; (10) In this respect, most of them relate to the NGO sector or they (2) lack of systematic investments in the construction acquire or occupy publicly owned spaces which they use for • industryUrban conflicts (debt crisis (UC): 2008-2012); (1) disintegration (3) lack of of data heritage; on the these activities. MKM and KM8 are municipal spaces shared state of physical structures; (4) lack of data on the social with different NGOs and offered for multiple projects/ structure of the neighbourhood, (5) attractive location activities/events by different actors. Finally, the majority of for private investments, (6) poor population, squatters these agents aspire to have a consulting role on a wide range and marginalised groups in the area; of urban issues, culture, art and education or to implement a range of ideas/solutions/interventions at an urban or Social practices (SP): (1) support of urban related social level. In the Serbian context, they aim to provide an activities (urban design & public participation); (2) alternative body for catalysing available human resources • support design activities (interior, fashion, graphic), and translating global knowledge into the local context of art, culture, education at the city level; (3) translation Savamala and Belgrade. of global trends into local and regional practices; (4) design, communication and creative industry activities Based on the MAS-ANT methodological pollination, agent in Belgrade; (5) local and global economic trends in the area; (6) develop the waterfront recreation area and towards the contextual resources, social practices and urban sustainable transport (cycling). preferences are defined in relation to their relationality The data in Table 1 show how different agents opt for these conflicts figuring in Savamala and the social artefacts they Inare orderinfluenced to identifyby or they and have elaborate influence howon. In participatory this manner, in Savamala and what the relation is between their nature we become aware of their field of manoeuvres in Savamala. andcontextual these resources,preferences. urban Accordingly, conflicts andwe socialmay practicesconclude essential to translate these qualitative categories into factors that contextual resources, either spatial or social, are the whichactivities could influence denote urbana positive development impetus. Contributing in Savamala, to itthe is attraction factors that make Savamala a neighbourhood saturated with different actors and interests. On the one potentials and spatial capacities (contextual resources), as hand, all bottom-up agents that have an active approach body of local social practices, and benefitting from social to the urban environment through projects, activities and reviewing of how the collision of these positive and negative events, also direct their initiatives toward solving urban well as addressing urban conflicts involve the continuous for transformation and change. In this case, the conceived converge more to social practices that maintain the current socialinfluences aspects actually (political, produces economic a varietyand cultural) of opportunities of Savamala urbanconflicts. order. On theConsequently, other hand, these those agents that refer include to profittheir contextual preferences, and they organise and engage in are6 Information those thaton funding contribute to local resources, conflicts or the state of the urban environment in Savamala. https://nedavimobeograd.wordpress.com/podrzi-nas/ networks at local or superior levels, in this way influencing

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Figure 4: Agent structure (Source: authors) Network of civic engagement (My piece of Savamala, KC Grad, Mikser) engage in consulting networks with municipal and city authorities (City mayor, City architect, Municipality of Savski venac) and real-estate human/non-human actors in Savamala are the cornerstone actors (Eagel Hills, Belgrade Waterfront Project). Finally, ofThe bottom-up agency and networks relationships constituted between at the the local above level. identified As they the sole interest of the Ministry of Space collective and Ne primarily depend on the contextual preferences which the da(vi)mo Beograde initiative, which are overlapping in the agents attribute to their activity and relations, tracking these course of individual participants and actions like NDVBGD, associations is also a crucial factor of urban transformation is the initiative led by this collective, namely the activation or change, if changes occur. Therefore, with the MAS- ANT method we aim to estimate whether this bottom-up problems and solutions, and they refer back to the city and management of social exchange and urban transformation nationalof control urban and verification and political networks authorities for andall urban experts. questions, contributes to an improvement in the life and functionality of urban systems. Figure 4 visualises the MAS-ANT analysis of these bottom-up networks with reference to the agent structure, preferences The analysis of the agents’ structure and preferences and and behaviour. In this diagram the relations between qualitative data on the Savamala neighbourhood indicates contextual preferences, the social aspects addressed and urban assemblage networks formed and contributed to the agents with their explicit structure (level, nature, and from the ground up. Namely, the implementation and functions) are explicitly represented. In this respect, we can management of participatory activities is the focal point acknowledge urban system references - the indicators of of urban interventions in Savamala, and these networks maintenance, transformation and/or change. involve a range of local and city NGOs as well as several IOs, initiatives and collectives. In a few cases (Urban Incubator Belgrade, Mikser festival etc.) the municipal authorities multiple maintenance, transformation and change actions provide support in these managerial networks. However, Based on agent profiles and networks, we have identified local, municipal and city authorities as well as international Savamala. First of all, the settlement of civil organisations funding organisations (embassies, foreign institutions) take hasthat supported influence theservice state and of thecommercial urban environmentactivities and in recreation zones already present there. Several traditional several projects in the implementation networks (Savamala, craft shops have been in Savamala for decades and now, apart place in financialfor making; networks The game (funding of Savamala; instruments) Camenzind, and in NextSavamala and Savamala design studio projects within as well as art and culture initiatives fostering cooperation, UIB). In the case of UIB, the activities in Savamala also globalisationfollowing the andhype modern of its low-profile business trends bars andhave restaurants, positioned comply with the Goethe-Institut campaign to focus some of their activities in their branches worldwide on “Cities but also the international level, promotes Savamala among and Urban space”. Speaking of these participatory projects, architects,themselves artists there. and Their all significance, young creative not onlyworkers at the of citythe they are pillars of bottom-up research and education region and Europe. networks and in this manner they cooperate with Serbian Visible spatial transformations are activation of the and European universities7. At a limited level, a few agents waterfront area (for a while activities and events were organised on abandoned ships on the Savamala coast before 7 Faculty of Architecture, (FAUB), University of Fine they were removed), and the preservation and improvement of cycling paths (initiative of Streets for cyclists NGO). The Arts of Hamburg (HfBK), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ)

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Table 1: Agent preferences – contextual preferences for agent activity

preservation of skills and traditional crafts (Savamala a actions also speak of the competence and alertness of place for making); fostering the sense of community and bottom-up agents to respond to the dynamics of the modern sharing (UIB was the pioneer in participation, followed by urban context. Goethe guerrilla collective, which organises and supports civil, participatory and design activities and operates in CONCLUSION KM8 community space); and informing and educating Having followed the aims and results of the activities in public (The game of Savamala, My piece of Savamala etc.) are the major social transformations which have been directly capacities for Savamala to transform a crisis of aggregated induced by this pioneer bottom-up agency. Moreover, Savamala analysed herein, we have identified the following the local population emphasises that these participatory mobilise available local human resources, comply with programmes, with reference to their organisational currenturban conflicts global trends into an in opportunity participatory for urbanism, urban development: low-budget preferences and capacities, take into account the needs of revitalisations and creative economy initiatives, educating the locals, youngsters (UIB) (Müller-Wieferig and Herzen, the apathetic local population on the importance of active 2013) and marginalised groups (Ministry of space and participation in urban planning and development, having a critical attitude and “learning by doing” towards urban development of Savamala’s creative cluster and small-scale planning. It is also important to acknowledge that local NDVBG) (Mitić and Miladinović, 2016). Conversely, the citizens are not the main actors in these interventions. In major smooth transformations that have made Savamala this manner, the bottom-up nature of the agency in Savamala visiblehype brownfield on an international regeneration scale. and public place design are is rather limited to the activation of the alternative and non- Finally, urban change induced by these bottom-up activities institutionalised cultural scene with the focus on the whole city, as well as the aggregation and multiplication of such these activities encounter understanding and support from NGOs in Savamala. However, negative changes have taken cityis limited authorities. in its Formingscope, but the it Savamalashows significant civic district potential, as well if in Savamala (Club of Savamala funs and friends) having been heritage regeneration are their ultimate goals. It is also placedplace as in well the –middle the first of intrinsicallydifferent agendas bottom-up and interests, organisation has importantas participatory to mention urban thatupgrade, the combinationand brownfield of Savamala’sand urban ended up as a type of informal political body in party service. spatial capacity (its central urban position and the proximity To this extent, the livelihood of Savamala is still assumed to be to bus and train terminals) and the primary activity of these at least disseminated from the ground up through the social bottom-up agents (inclined to boost knowledge and vision bonds between different social groups (artists, youngsters, building as well as experience sharing potentials) has led to students, senior citizens) and among neighbours and locals, prompt and adequate reactions to the current refugee crisis and achieved through the mutual efforts of participation that has hit Europe, and with it, Belgrade. The activities for and dialogue from these urban actors with different helping refugees/migrants are coordinated by Mikser and backgrounds. At some point, these internal relationships have surpassed all their campaigned and institutionalised organisations –the United Nations High Commissioner for initiators (UIB, Mikser festival), being followed by informal financially supported by many national and international Refugees (UNHCR), CARE International (Cooperative for events such as: meetings of the locals in the “Spanish house” Assistance and Relief Everywhere), the Red Cross etc., as space, the co-action of roasting peppers, and open access 8 well as by supplies and care from the locals. to spaces for artistic and educational purposes (KM8). Moreover, through several of the activities, a variety of urban 8 Miksalište, a sister organisation of Mikser, coordinated These 1,200 volunteersefficient actors have become engaged in using these open public from 68 countries and provided help (food, advice, clothes, medical spaces (UIB, KM8, Mikser festival) and they are actively examinations, education etc.) for more than 130,000 refugees.

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Figure 5: Urban assemblages (Source: authors) thinking and imagining what the positive future of these media campaign and the role of the Goethe-Institut have certainly paved the9 way for Savamala and have ensured a transform the socio-urban landscape of Serbian cities is place for Savamala among the European neighbourhood theplaces strong might expression be. In this and light, statement the major of cultural benefit and that artistic could symbols of creative clusters and urban upgrade potentials10. interests within the agendas of these activities and raising the awareness and promotion of participation in the urban Bureau Savamala, a project within UIB, attentively followed the UIB project domain. roll-out9 and acknowledged and analysed its presence in local media. 10 http://house.mikser.rs/en/guardian-mikser-house-one-10-best-industrial- Though it may also sound pretentious, the intensive UIB chic-spaces-worldwide/

22 spatium Cvetinović M. et al.: Participatory urban transformations in Savamala, Belgrade - capacities and limitations

In response, it should be attentive to the possible Lydon, M., (ed.) (2012) Tactical Urbanism, http://streetplans. negative effects of such a trendy image that could lead to , accessed 28th July 2013. Ekskluzivno: Ko stoji iza org/research_and_writing.php The growing presence of Savamala in the media has also građanskih pokreta u Srbiji i šta su njihovi stavovi [Exclusive: ledgentrification to the exposure and the of expulsion its contextual of the resources current population. to several Mitić,Who is A. behind and Miladinović, the Civic Movements V. (2016) in Serbia and What are Their powerful and uncompromising actors. In addition, instead Standpoints]. Nedeljnik, http://www.nedeljnik.rs/nedeljnik/ of exploring the potential of bottom-up approaches, actions portalnews/ekskluzivno-ko-stoji-iza-gradanskih-pokreta-u- and actors, certain decision makers have contributed instead srbiji-i-sta-su-njihovi-stavovi/, accessed on 5th Aug 2016. Müller-Wieferig, M., Herzen, E. (2013) Urban Incubator to transnational companies11 to support their activities. In Belgrade: Report of Programme Year 2013. Belgrade: Goethe tosum, the the commodification lack of strategic of development culture and goals, space public and resorted funding Institute. and institutionalised approaches for cultural institutions Cities after Socialism as a and agendas certainly makes these bottom-up activities Research Issue, http://dspace.cigilibrary.org/jspui/ seem ephemeral and sporadic. Consequently, they could be Petrovic, M. (2009) . Accessed on 16th Aug 2016. wiped away by any whim of more powerful interests and handle/123456789/8490 Yugoslavia. Town planning review 60 (3), pp. 271-286. “UrbanSimmie, Incubator J. (1989) Belgrade.” Self management (2013), http://www.goethe.de/ and town planning in politicalAcknowledgements influences focused on Savamala spatial capital. ins/cs/bel/prj/uic/sav/enindex.htm th July 2016. The paper is a result of research carried out within the Transition and Empirical Evaluation, accessed of the Future29 Spatial socialist City in a Transitional Country: Case Study of Vujošević,Development M., of Zeković Serbia, S., Maričić T. (2010) Post-Socialist scientific project “Urban Development Model of a Post- WSEAS Transactions on Environment Savamala Neighbourhood, Belgrade, Serbia” funded by the and Development Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF Project number 6 (9), pp. 666–676. of Urban Development in Serbia” (SPUDS) funded by the Vujović,Process,in S., andThe Post-Socialist Petrović M. (2007)City, edited Belgrade’s by Kiril Post-Socialist Stanilov, pp. SCOPES100013_152572), program of and the Swiss the project National “Support Science Foundation to Process Urban Evolution: Reflections by the Actors in the Development , accessed361–83. The16th Aug GeoJournal 2016. Library 92. Springer Netherlands, REFERENCES(SNSF Project number IZ74Z0_160503). http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4020-6053-3_18 Megaprojects as Bousquet, F., Le Page, C. (2004) Multi-Agent Simulations and an Instrument of Urban Planning and Development: Example Ecosystem Management: A Review, Ecological Modelling 176 Zeković,of Belgrade S., Maričić, Waterfront T., Vujošević, Project, in M. Tech4Dev (2016) 2016 UNESCO (3–4), pp. 313–32. conference “From Innovation to Social Impact.” Lausanne: Crooks, A. T., Patel, A., Wise, S. (2014) Multi-Agent Systems for EPFL. Urban Planning. In: Pinto, N. N., Tenedorio, J. A., Antunes, A. P., Cladera, J. R. eds. Technologies for Urban and Spatial Planning.

Cvetinovic, M., Bolay, J.C., Kucina, I. (2013) An Engine for Hershey: IGI Global, pp: 29-56. Bottom-up Urban Development in Action: A Case Study of Savamala Civic District., in ISOCARP conference “Frontiers of planning”, Brisbane, Australia. Decoding urban development dynamics through Actor-network Cvetinovic,methodological M., Nedovic-Budic, approach. EPFL Z., Bolay,Working J.C. (2016a)Paper, Lausanne: EPFL. Examining Post-socialist urbanity by Methodological Cross-pollination. Cvetinovic,EPFL Working M., Nedovic-Budic, Paper. Lausanne: Z., Bolay,EPFL. J.C. (2016b) Grönlund, Bo. (2007) Some Notions on Urbanity, in International Space Syntax Symposium. Vol. 6., http://www. spacesyntaxistanbul.itu.edu.tr/papers/shortpapers/112%20 -%20Gr%C3%B6nlund.pdf, accessed 16th Aug 2016. Krusche, J., Klaus P., (eds.) (2015) Bureau Savamala Belgrade: Urban Research and Practice in a Fast-Changing Neighborhood. Berlin: Jovis. Latour, B. (2005) Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network-Theory. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.

11 The Mikser festival was supported by Samsung, Marlboro, and Levis, for example. Received August 2016; accepted in revised form November 2016.

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