Abstract
The power plant “Power and Light” (1932, Belgrade) was the first one to generate alternating current in Serbia. Situated along the Danube river, it represented a part of an industrial area positioned in the Dorćol neighborhood, close to the urban core. Since 2005, the whole area has been exposed to a significant transformation into a luxurious residential and commercial complex, triggered by the intentions of private investors and directed by the ideas of changing city authorities. Considering the unpredictable local context created by the dominant post-socialist transitional economy, the article focuses on the sensitive relationship between the social sustainability of the ongoing urban regeneration plans and the emerging neoliberal forces targeting the areas of industrial heritage. Consequently, the case of the Dorćol ex-power plant and the anticipated changes in its urban surrounding are analyzed according to the selected principles of social sustainability. Revealing numerous controversies, both on the level of preferred urban policies and their questionable application, this case addresses the problems of heritage (re)use and regeneration in an environment of fast-shifting governmental priorities and financial flows, with reduced receptivity to sustainable solutions.
Highlights
“Power and Light”, it was built in Dorćol, in the industrial area developed between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century
The detailed regulation plan for Marina Dorćol seemed to be exclusively tailored to that business arrangement, since it resulted in a master plan of the area that maximized all profit parameters, while neglecting existing local specificities
The comparative evaluation of three successive periods defining the urban regeneration of the Dorćol power plant complex and Marina reveals that the selected criteria of social sustainability were largely not respected, especially during the first two phases
Summary
Academic Editors: Nada Beretić, Arnaldo Cecchini and Valentina Talu. Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The first power plant with alternating current in Belgrade was built in 1932, 40 years after the discovery of alternating current and Nikola Tesla’s only visit to Belgrade. Named “Power and Light”, it was built in Dorćol, in the industrial area developed between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Situated on the right bank of the Danube, with a purpose-built river port, it used lignite from the Kostolac coal mine. It was gradually disconnected from the system and stopped working in 1967, falling into decay
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