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Spatial and Environmental Planning of Sustainable Regional Development in Serbia

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Spatial and Environmental Planning of Sustainable Regional Development in Serbia View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by RAUmPlan - Repository of Architecture; Urbanism and Planning SPATIUM International Review UDK 711.2(497.11) ; 502.131.1:711.2(497.11) No. 21, December 2009, p. 39-52 Review paper SPATIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING OF SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN SERBIA Marija Maksin-Mićić1, University Singidunum, Faculty of tourism and hospitality management, Belgrade, Serbia Saša Milijić, Institute of Architecture and Urban & Spatial Planning of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia Marina Nenković-Riznić, Institute of Architecture and Urban & Spatial Planning of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia The paper analyses the planning framework for sustainable territorial and regional development. The spatial and environmental planning should play the key role in coordination and integration of different planning grounds in achieving the sustainable regional development. The paper discusses the spatial planning capacity to offer the integral view of the sustainable territorial development. The brief review of tendencies in new spatial planning and regional policy has been given. The focus is on the concept of balanced polycentric development of European Union. The guiding principles of spatial planning in regard of planning system reform in European countries have been pointed out. The changes in paradigm of regional policy, and the tasks of European regional spatial planning have been discussed. In Serbia problems occur in regard with the lack of coordinating sectoral planning with spatial and environmental planning. Partly the problem lies in the legal grounds, namely in non codification of laws and unregulated horizontal and vertical coordination at all levels of governance. The possibilities for the implementation of spatial planning principles and concepts of European Union sustainable territorial and regional development have been analized on the case of three regional spatial plans of eastern and southeastern regions in Serbia. The dissadvantages in implementing the strategic environmental impact assessment as an instrument for coordination and integration of sectorial planning with spatial and environmental planning have been analized. The strategic environmental impact assessment has been implemented only in the spatial planning process. Through spatial planning process its feedback effect on sectorial planning has been indirectly achieved. The priority actions in Serbia for achieving the spatial and environmental planning role in coordination and integration of different planning grounds in sustainable regional development have been given. Key words: sustainable territorial and regional development, regional spatial planning, sectoral planning, coordination and integration, strategic environmental impact assessment. Integral strategic planning can occur solely as spatial2 and environmental planning and detach THE ROLE OF SPATIAL AND a consequence of an integral view of them into a separate block of institutions - ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING IN development and future. It can not happen considered able to have a coordinating and SUSTAINABLE TERRITORIAL AND simply by joining social, economic, spatial and integrating role in planning and directing REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE environmental components or development development - are becoming increasingly EUROPEAN UNION1 aspects. In order to overcome partial planning emphasised. These expectations are based on or establish a comprehensive view and an The orientation towards establishing unified, organised direction of spatial systems and 2The paper is prepared as a part of the scientific integral strategic planning is currently present decision-making, one must make many projects TP 16013 “Approach and concept for in all European countries with developed assumptions (economic, political, regulatory compilation and implementation of Strategy of Spatial planning systems. etc.) which have been implemented in few Development of Serbia", and TP 16007 “Sustainable countries (the Netherlands, Finland and the Development and Organization of Spas and Other Tourist Settlements in Serbia”, financed by the Republic 1 Danijelova 29, 11 000 Beograd, Serbia Scandinavian countries). of Serbia Ministry of Science and Technological [email protected] With the development of the sustainable Development. development concept, tendencies to integrate spatium 39 Maksin-Mićić, M. et al.: Spatial and environmental planning of sustainable regional development in Serbia the necessity of integral and problem-based on the other, have both conditioned the search own right. The agenda retains all crucial approaches to planning and control over for the most suitable tool to integrate different elements of ESDP and introduces several general resources, and the necessity of aspects of general and sectoral policies and newer tasks. Orientation towards improving coordination and cooperation aimed at realise sustainable territorial development. polycentric development has been confirmed development of the respective sub-systems, and the tasks have been defined in order to Spatial planning is being promoted as one of co-existing in actual space and the contribute towards a more balanced the instruments of sustainable development environment. development, balancing quality of life across that can offer an integral view of future the population, sustainable use of resources Along with the aforementioned, it should be development of territories. The assumed and territorial capital of the region and entire kept in mind that there are significant capacity of spatial planning is based on its EU. Strengthening regional identity and better differences between the spatial planning spatial dimension and capacity to coordinate utilisation of potentials of the regionally systems of individual European Union and integrate various policies, from economic differentiated EU territory was stressed as one countries, due to differences in geographical development, transport and environmental of the crucial challenges. conditions (size and density of population), protection to cultural policies. The basic task of historical and cultural conditioning, inherited spatial planning is to plan sustainable territorial What is significant is that the Territorial Agenda land use patterns, the extent of urban and development as a general strategic framework introduced mandatory implementation of an economic development, political and for general and sectoral policies. Therefore, integrated strategic territorial approach, ideological aspirations. Similarities emerge in spatial planning realises a control role as well, i.e. implementation of integral planning and relation to the consistency in recognising the because it enables decision makers to view the management for all actors in EU, especially significance of setting the framework for results and effectiveness of different policies in local and regional actors, within limits set out policies and procedures in utilisation of space, specific space, as well as to foresee their at Pan-European and national levels. The environmental protection and sustainable efficiency and necessary future adjustments establishment of the integral approach to development, and relations towards broader (Adams, Alden, Harris, 2006) guiding and managing development of the social and economic goals. This means that it European Union was also supported by the A succession of the European Union is possible to establish common frameworks revised European Union strategy for developmental documents were adopted, as and principles to develop the system of sustainable development (EU SDS, 2006). well as several Pan-European initiatives, planning and - within these limits - spatial representing a new generation of strategic The following were categorised as territorial planning, but also that the systems will documents. The largest contribution to priorities in scope of the EU development develop differently and adapted to the promoting the role of spatial planning in the process: (i) strengthening polycentric specificities of each state. This position was European Union was provided by the document development and innovation through also confirmed by recent surveys (UNECE on European Spatial Development Perspective networking urban regions and cities; (ii) 2008), which do not explicitly recommend a - Towards Balanced and Sustainable establishing new forms of partnership and universal approach to strategic planning, albeit Development of the Territory of the European territorial management in developing urban and granted that the integrated strategic approach Union (ESDP, 1999). Starting from the rural areas, predominantly at the level of is present in all reformed systems of spatial fundamental goal of EU integration processes functional urban areas; (iii) promoting regional planning in European countries. to achieve sustainable and balanced competition and innovation clusters with the What is expected of spatial planning today, development of the European territory, the aim of stimulating development and primarily at the level of the European Union most important contribution of ESDP was to specialisation of peripheral and and its regions? What are the basic changes in establish the concept of balanced polycentric underdeveloped European regions; (iv) approach, policies and principles of spatial development, i.e. polycentric system of urban strengthening and spreading trans-European planning, and the possibilities of their cores, staring with the positive experiences
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