Sustainable transport development strategies. Case study: extension of the pedestrian zone in Belgrade central area

Abstract

During the seventies, Belgrade mostly has developed in step with other European cities. This particularly refers to the creation of the pedestrian zone in the centre of the city, similar to those that at that period appeared in Paris, Munich and Vienna. The first idea of creating a pedestrian zone in the centre of Belgrade emerged in the early seventies, and was formally defined in the General urban plan from 1972 and later in the Regulatory Plan for the Central Zone of Belgrade from 1977. The fundamental reconstruction of Knez Mihailova Street and the Republic Square was carried out following the urban design project created by architect Branislav Jovin. The works started in May, and the street was open to pedestrians on 20 October 1988. By mid-2010, the majority of planned interventions of this kind have contributed to the formation of the pedestrian zone in the centre of city. Following the recommendations on sustainable urban development and the introduction of a new green hierarchy of urban transport, current development trends favour the further expansion of the pedestrian zone to the banks of the Sava and Danube. Bearing this in mind, the paper would present an overview of past and current efforts to apply the principles of sustainable development in Belgrade, discussed from the aspects of transport policy and concepts for creating a pedestrian-friendly environment.