The Ministry of Construction and the Republic Agency are unlawfully conducting a so-called “public” presentation of the spatial plan for the expansion of the Belgrade Waterfront project. Members of the public, including RERI representatives, were denied access.
Less than three weeks ago, the Republic Agency for Spatial Planning and Urbanism of the Republic of Serbia published on its official website a notice of public inspection for the Draft Amendments to the Spatial Plan for the Belgrade Waterfront project.
The Draft proposes an almost twofold expansion of the Belgrade Waterfront development—from the current 177 hectares to as much as 344 hectares. Some of the key proposed changes include:
- Beyond the Sava Amphitheatre in the city’s old core, the project would encompass parts of the Terazije Terrace (reaching up to the Hotel Moskva), the Belgrade Fair complex, and portions of the Topčider cultural-historical unit, including the Hippodrome and the Old Sugar Factory area;
- This wave of intensive urbanization would also extend to New Belgrade blocks, with the riverbank near the former shipyard designated for new residential-commercial developments;
- The dominant land use within the planned area is (predominantly luxury) residential, with an average apartment size of 125 m², designed to accommodate approximately 33,000 residents.
In addition to the above, this is a project:
- designated by a Government Conclusion as one of special importance for the Republic of Serbia and the City of Belgrade;
- implemented on one of the most valuable locations in economic, infrastructural, and functional terms currently available in the capital;
- which encroaches on a significant number of cultural monuments and protected heritage zones;
- which occupies protected natural areas, habitats of endangered species, and ecologically significant sites;
- which continues to attract undeniable public attention, largely marked by opposition from both the expert community and broader public that has followed the development of the Belgrade Waterfront project over the past decade.
Despite these facts, the Ministry of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure, together with the Republic Agency for Spatial Planning, has undertaken the following actions concerning the so-called “public participation and information process”:
- organized public inspection for the minimum legally required duration;
- scheduled the public presentation at the latest possible deadline (10 days before the closing date for submitting public comments);
- reserved a venue with a maximum capacity of 70 persons;
- misused internal rules governing order in state facilities to unlawfully deny access to individuals who had not registered via email by a certain deadline;
- due to limited space, the interested public was divided into six separate groups.
Due to a delay of only several hours past the unlawful deadline, the notice sent by RERI to the Republic Agency was rejected the following day as a “late submission.” As a result, on the day of the public presentation, anyone who submitted a registration email even minutes past the deadline, or who found out about the time and location via press or television, was denied entry.
Can a space truly be called “public” if access is denied, even with registration (which, legally, is not required)? The right to attend a public presentation is guaranteed by law to all citizens who wish to obtain timely information and submit their comments or objections. By denying the public’s right to participate, the officials of the Republic Agency for Spatial Planning and Urbanism have knowingly acted in violation of the law.
RERI will continue to monitor and respond to all unlawful actions carried out by the aforementioned state institutions in the implementation of the Belgrade Waterfront project. Instead of a concluding statement, we share with you a remark made by the individual who identified himself as the head of security, while escorting RERI representatives from the presentation:
- “Just imagine what would happen if we let in everyone who wanted to know something?”