Belgrade: Imaging the future and creating a European metropolis

Abstract

Belgrade is a European city, the capital of the Republic of Serbia and previously capital of Yugoslavia. The city lies on the confluence of two major European rivers, the Danube and the Sava. Throughout its long history, Belgrade has often been a border city between the East and West and as a result has often been attacked. This has not only influenced, but also shaped its urban structure, especially in the 19th century, when most of the structures related to its oriental Turkish character were demolished and reconstruction of the city began. Belgrade's need to develop itself as a European metropolis in accordance with European standards reveals the discrepancy between its political and cultural pretensions and the real economic opportunities. It also reveals the need of the political and intellectual elite to keep Belgrade, Serbia and Yugoslavia in a state of general development that leaves enough space for political and ideological manipulation, as well as social and national experiments, particularly in the communist and post-communist period. Based on its specific character, Belgrade is recognized as a useful case study that is not simply a “post-communist” city, but a palimpsest of every catastrophe that has been experienced in Europe over a century or more. The connection between the political and urban changes in Belgrade throughout the 20th century is more than evident. Accordingly, this paper will explore what has driven the urban change and the extent to which the balance between state, market and civil society is present in Belgrade, both during its history and today.