Belgrade Waterfront project is set to expand across an additional 327 hectares, crossing the Sava River, as per the recently published Decision on changing the Spatial Plan. This expansion will encompass New Belgrade and Čukarica, along with additional plots in Savski Venac and Stari Grad, as reported by N1.
Amendments to the Spatial Plan for the development of the waterfront area along the Sava River, known as the “Belgrade Waterfront” project, are currently being drafted, as announced in the Official Gazette.
“The proposed amendments to the Spatial Plan encompass parts of Belgrade, including areas within the cadastral municipalities of Savski Venac, Stari Grad, Novi Beograd, and Čukarica, totaling approximately 327 hectares,” states the Decision of the Government of Serbia.
Under this plan, “Belgrade Waterfront” could extend to six additional cadastral plots in New Belgrade, as well as over a hundred plots in Čukarica, reaching all the way to the Hippodrome.
Should the changes to the spatial plan be approved, they would affect locations such as the Belgrade Fair, the old Sugar Factory, the Ada Ciganlija creek, and part of the New Belgrade coast, as reported by Insider. This would also include the “Bristol” hotel, where an underground garage is planned to replace the existing park. The deadline for drafting the amendments to the Spatial Plan is ten months from the date of the decision’s entry into force, with the Republic Agency for Spatial Planning and Urbanism overseeing the procedure.
Art historian Marko Bogdanović from the Center for Urban Development warns against the potential destruction of cultural and historical heritage with the entry of modern architecture into the old city core. He emphasizes the importance of preserving cultural monuments and protected houses to prevent the collapse of Belgrade’s cultural and historical heritage.
Architect and urban planner Iva Čukić, founder of the Ministry of Space collective, describes the expansion as “practically the complete privatization of the Belgrade coast.” She highlights concerns about ecological devastation in the area and criticizes the city planning process as unscrupulous and unprofessional.
