Less Concrete, More Greenery: How to Improve Our Public Spaces Through PLACEMAKING

We have all noticed that the climate and weather conditions are changing year after year, yet very little is being done to adjust the way our cities function.

To understand what placemaking truly entails and what changes can be made to our cities, we spoke with architect Milena Ivković from Placemaking Western Balkans (PWB), who has been living and working in the Netherlands for years.

PWB was founded several years ago and focuses on improving public spaces across the region. They are active in North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Croatia, while several EU-supported projects are also underway in Romania and Hungary. Their experts research public spaces and provide education, acting as a bridge between the European Union and Serbia, particularly in terms of achieving the goals of the Green Agenda.

The simplicity of placemaking

As Ivković explains, the main advantage of placemaking lies in its simplicity.

"With placemaking, we can revitalise public spaces using design tools and new ways of programming spaces to better meet the diverse needs of the people who use them, particularly in the context of sustainable development challenges. Placemaking is more than just remodelling spaces - it is about creating new ways of using them by strengthening their connection to nature, local culture, and the social and economic needs of those who live and work in the surrounding area," Ivković explains.

The loss of greenery

In recent years, it has become evident that Belgrade, as well as other cities in Serbia, is losing its greenery - something that could have serious consequences amid climate change.

"Unfortunately, public spaces in Serbia are generally static and poorly maintained. More recently, there has been no comprehensive approach to their revitalisation or adaptation to new urban living requirements. There are countless locations in Serbia that could be transformed, starting with rethinking what street space should be and how to return it to pedestrians, given the dominance of car traffic in cities. Another issue is how systematically planned green areas from the 1960s and 1970s can be modernised and improved. Belgrade is rapidly losing the green qualities of its public spaces and streets, precisely when climate change is forcing cities across Europe to find solutions to adapt while maintaining their value, attractiveness, and economic and social development," says Ivković.

According to her, problematic locations in Belgrade and areas in need of "green acupuncture" are easy to identify. The reconstruction of Slavija Square prompted them to address these issues and launch the Agenda 330 project.

"The most affected areas are central city municipalities, which are gradually but surely losing their small squares and parks. There are also locations with inadequate secondary street infrastructure and areas with ‘inter-block greenery’ - spaces that are neither parks, nor streets, nor squares, but rather so-called green zones, a legacy of modernist technocratic urban planning. Due to their undefined status in both spatial and ownership terms, these spaces are now facing serious problems related to pollution, neglect, and degradation.

As part of our WWF-supported Agenda 330 project, we will focus on green placemaking and nature-based solutions in locations that reflect all these issues - Desanka Maksimović Street in the city centre, Ljeska in Banovo Brdo, and Pariske Komune in New Belgrade," she explains.

Abandoned Spaces in Belgrade

A particular problem in Belgrade is the presence of small, neglected, and poorly maintained public spaces that have great potential but are used spontaneously and informally because ownership and responsibility for them are unclear. However, in cooperation with several civil society organisations and local residents, some locations have already been revitalised.
"This allows residents to have spaces where they can take their children or enjoy greenery during the summer," Ivković concludes.

How urban transformations bring financial benefits

The financial benefits of well-designed public spaces are often overlooked. In our region, there is a prevailing belief that environmental policies are insignificant, unpopular, or unprofitable.

Ivković mentioned the example of Rotterdam, a city fully committed to transforming grey infrastructure into green spaces. The plan is to completely reshape public spaces over the next ten years to better prepare the city for increasingly frequent heavy rainfall. To absorb excess water more effectively, fewer concrete surfaces and more green areas are needed. For this purpose, local authorities have allocated around €200 million to create an attractive and functional environment.

"The goal is to create a setting that attracts both residents and investors. When there are better environmental conditions for living and working, rental prices also increase, generating revenue for the city. Additionally, significant savings will be made on insurance costs, particularly in compensating for flood damage and other disasters. If urban infrastructure is adapted to climate change, insurance policies will be cheaper, proving that environmental policies do indeed have strong economic incentives," she explained.

The renovation of Rotterdam’s central railway station took 11 years, during which time the city significantly increased its tree coverage. What was once a grey zone has now been transformed into an impressive urban promenade.

Public space development – Challenges in the region

While it is not possible to directly replicate all European experiences in Serbia and neighbouring countries, the challenges faced locally are different in nature.

"There are obstacles at several levels, from uncontrolled urbanisation and a lack of green spaces to shortages of qualified professionals. Serbia does not have enough specialists working on new methods that integrate urban nature with public spaces. Some of the most obvious problems include the absence of action plans for implementing various spatial development strategies based on conceptual urban design, the failure to recognise the potential of public spaces, and a general lack of 'out-of-the-box' thinking when it comes to their renewal and the creation of new values," she explained.

EU funds can play a crucial role in implementing projects, as they enable "the development of conceptual approaches that can generate concrete solutions based on EU standards and principles."
Boosting regional cooperation

Placemaking Western Balkans plans to intensify regional cooperation by offering expertise in placemaking and assisting in the creation of conceptual spatial solutions and studies - not only in the Western Balkans but also in surrounding countries such as Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, and Romania.

"We are particularly interested in sustainable tourism and its connection to placemaking. Sustainable tourism is a major topic in the EU, and we want to explore how it can contribute to transforming our public spaces. This year and next, we will be working on several projects in this area. In addition, we will continue to focus on placemaking and promoting sustainable mobility - restoring high-quality street spaces for pedestrians and cyclists – as well as green placemaking. We will also actively work on developing our regional network of placemaking professionals and experts, as well as building a knowledge and resource base, for which there is already interest and support from the EU,” Ivković announced in her interview with Eupravo zato.

What can we learn from the Dutch?

Since Milena Ivković has lived and worked in the Netherlands for years, we asked her how the Dutch have been so successful in designing public spaces, to the extent that their cities are ecognized as some of the greenest in the world.
Due to the country’s unique geographic and climatic conditions, nature in Dutch cities is more than just an aesthetic or luxury feature, she explained.

“It is primarily a question of survival and urban functionality. The Dutch have a long tradition of using natural resources, integrating them with built structures to support city development and improve urban life. Nature in public spaces is considered an essential part of urban design and is treated as an equal component alongside other city planning functions,” she concluded.

(EUpravo zato)