Project e-Space: Building a Digital Platform for Spatial and Urban Planning and Development in Serbia

Abstract

Besides supporting the general idea and goals of sustainable development in every aspect of a modern life, there are many other reasons for accelerating digitalization efforts within the public sector in Europe. These efforts are also notable in the spatial and urban planning and development domain, where a majority of the European cities and countries following the common policies, strategies and accepted standards (like, INSPIRE, TA2030, Digital Europe, Urban agenda for the EU, ESPON, etc.) have already established or are in development of the different digital databases and platforms for the spatial and urban planning data management, as well as their usage for a various and improved internal and public services provision. The purpose of this article is to present a Project “Improving spatial planning and development in the Republic of Serbia by establishment of e-Space digital platform”, i.e. the e-Space project, launched in March 2021 by the Serbian Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, which aim is to establish the so-called e-Space digital platform that would support the spatial and urban planning and development process and related services provision in Serbia, both on national and local level. While increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the public decision-making and territorial/land policy management, this platform should additionally improve, streamline and make more transparent the current spatial and urban planning and development practice in Serbia in general. Thus, starting from the identified problems and obstacles within the spatial and urban planning and development domain in Serbia today, as well as needs of the public sector, businesses and citizens to have easy access to the territorial/land development related information, as well as adequate tool for participation and efficient services provision, the general concept, objectives and main functionalities and components of the future e-Space digital platform have been described in this article. Besides number of the direct advantages that establishment of this digital platform would bring to the domain of sustainable territorial/land management and other domains in Serbia (gender equality, investment, taxation, etc.), it could be assumed that several obstacles still need to be resolved or managed during this project implementation in the coming years.