The 20th century brought about major social challenges related to civil and human rights, triggering changes in urban environments and gradually adjusting the spatial and functional performances of cities to the needs of all users. In this article, the concept of Universal Urban Design (i.e., “Design for All”) is regarded as a sustainable placemaking process which enables the higher accessibility and usability of cities for all people, regardless of their age or (dis)abilities. The pilot project “Creating Accessible Pedestrian Corridors by the Limitless GIS Application” conduced in Serbia from 2017 to 2019 by the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Belgrade and the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Limitless proposes an innovative approach to urban design. Based on information and communication technology (ICT) adaptation, it is focused on the alternative concept-design of buildings, provision of ICT-based infrastructure, socioeconomic integration of all users, and ultimately on overall urban sustainability. The main outcome of the project was the development of a Geographic Information System (GIS) android application and an e-platform for adaptive placemaking. The project also provides a set of accessibility criteria based on Universal Urban Design, criteria that enable the mapping of locations based on the type of use, a set of recommendations for identified problems, as well as a brief analysis of the latest technological solutions for overcoming detected physical barriers. The Limitless GIS android application differs from the existing ones since it primarily identifies two target groups: (1) people with disabilities who could upload necessary data by established criteria; and (2) employees in the public sector (city authorities and municipalities) in charge of planning alternative routes and setting priorities and investment costs based on the identified problems. Pilot results of the project have revealed that in the current Serbian practice, there is still a lack of planned, consistent and continuous movement routes in urban areas. Terrain configuration represents a serious limitation for people with disabilities, while lifting platforms are recognized as a better solution than ramps (both for paraplegics and quadriplegics), due to their higher efficiency and minimized spatial requirements. Therefore, the android application and e-platform presented in this article contribute to the detection of actual problems at the local level as well as to the overall improvement of planning/design practice in Serbian cities.

This article gives an insight into the problem of climate change awareness in the process of architectural education. The course Urban Structure at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture, is used as a case study that reveals a sensitive relationship between the university curriculum, teaching methodologies, students’ experiences/obtained knowledge and the local background. The course included Problem Based Learning method in order to increase applicability of up-to-date knowledge on climate change. The results were tested before and after taking the course, via survey based on the semi-open type of questionnaire, distributed among 246 course attendees. The testing was conducted twice, during the school years 2013–2014 and 2014–2015. The comparison between the knowledge acquire via theory (the test results provided at the beginning of the course) and the knowledge obtained by Problem Based Learning (the results obtained after the course ended) confirmed the increased level of student’s awareness of environmental problems, as well as the extended scope of their ability to respond to occurring problems caused by climate change. Furthermore, the results obtained by a questionnaire are used for setting of new educational guidelines.

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.

The contemporary urban functioning of cities requires adaptability and progressive development guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) that can be adjusted to local circumstances and needs. Currently, the small border towns in the Republic of North Macedonia (RNM) are facing numerous problems on social, economic and ecological levels (e.g., economic inequality, the unemployment and social isolation of citizens, the insufficient implementation of planning documents, the inadequate physical and functional structure of public spaces, the lack of environmental plans, improper waste management, etc.), which have influenced the efficiency and sustainability of their systems. Therefore, urban transformations are necessary due to the alarming reduction in the working-age population and the general stagnation which these towns experience. The aim of this article is to define possible solutions and recommendations for the ongoing urban challenges and transformations based on the performed analysis of the primary data sources, especially targeting the psychological and behavioral levels of identified problems, the culture of living and the management policies of local governments. The main research method used in the study was the AQAL method (all quadrants, all levels), which provided a comprehensive perspective of the current urban problems and conditions combined with a comparative analysis within an integrated framework. The application of these methods enabled the identification of the specific problems in the border towns, as well as the means and capacities for solving them, while simultaneously addressing the shortcomings and opportunities for urban renewal. By understanding the different viewpoints provided by the AQAL method, local governments, planners and policymakers can create adaptable urban models that can accommodate and overcome future changes and obstacles generated by contextual limitations. The obtained research results represent a starting point for the development and improvement of local sustainability through the advancement of economic innovations, environmental practices and social relations. Furthermore, specific recommendations are provided, directly and indirectly targeting the specificities of the selected towns, their urban development and management, as well as their future environmental and social sustainability.

The main idea of this paper is to highlight the spatial and morphological potential of smaller settlements in Vojvodina, for their adaptation and transformation according to the principles of sustainable urban form and the concept of 'green' city. Because of its specific combination of rural and urban characteristics, both functional and morphological, the attribute 'rurban' is assigned to these settlements in the paper, stressing the importance of this duality in terms of their ecological transformation, but also their impact on the sustainability of the entire network of settlements in Vojvodina. Spatially-morphological resources of sustainability of 'rurban' settlements were observed in several spatial levels, and their importance at the level of a regional network of settlements is examined, as well as urban matrix and the level of the building plot. All of that was done in order to analyze and apply theoretical concepts of sustainable urban form for multiple spatial level, with emphasis on regional and local. From the perspective of urbanism and architecture, the possibilities for spatial-morphological adaptation of rural settlements were explored in order to respond to the needs of the population whose life requires a more 'urban' than what the villages are offering today. .