This research examined changes in the microclimatic parameters affecting thermal comfort in three residential settings with various urban forms in the city of Niš, Serbia, that underwent intense post-socialist urban densification. Outdoor microclimate was modeled for summertime conditions in two scenarios, before and after transformation, by using ENVI-met software. The obtained results offer quantitative data on microclimatic conditions in the chosen settings and comparisons between scenarios. Findings revealed significant variations in the transformed scenarios, with distinct patterns in specific open spaces: a single mid-rise development forming a square in a high-rise setting showed a wind speed decrease, a daytime mean radiant temperature increase despite lower temperature, and an increase in humidity; extensive low- and mid-rise development in a green high-rise setting generated the highest temperature increase at night, notably reduced daytime and slightly elevated the nighttime mean radiant temperatures, and presented inverted temperature and humidity patterns in urban canyons during the day and night; dispersed densification in low-rise setting manifested the highest wind speed increase, significantly increased the daytime temperature, and mostly raised the nighttime mean radiant temperature. Urban design strategies for sustainable public open space that enhance the resilience of densified areas include using shading from transformed western/southern-edge buildings, avoiding small partly-framed spaces and fragmented grassy surfaces, implementing urban gaps to support nighttime cooling, and framing public open space with trees.

Small towns are highly exposed to urban shrinkage, but the attention to them has still been weak in the research, especially in Serbia. Therefore, this study deals with small towns in the Region of Southern and Eastern Serbia, with the goal of elaborating a typology of small towns based on shrinking characteristics. Shrinking small towns were first mapped and then grouped using principal component and cluster analysis. The results indicate that the patterns of shrinking differ and that four clusters of shrinking towns with distinguishable specific characteristics can be identified. This research contributes to understanding of different causes and trajectories of small shrinking towns and suggests a possible application of presented methodology as an urban planning tool.

Serbian territorial policies actively supported small towns during the socialist period, fostering growth. However, the post-socialist transition brought socio-political changes, economic restructuring, and widespread depopulation. Subsequent territorial policies have largely neglected the development of small towns, resulting in urban shrinkage across much of the country. This paper examines the developmental challenges facing small towns in Serbia, focusing on their current position within national spatial policy and planning framework. Drawing on European spatial policy and theoretical insights, the research aims to: 1) identify the primary obstacles to development of small shrinking towns; and 2) explore potentials for policy improvement. The findings highlight the need for a more targeted and strategically aligned policy framework to revitalize Serbia’s small towns.

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are increasingly prioritized in contemporary urban planning of residential areas, as they offer sustainable and resilient responses to environmental and social challenges, by integrating nature to enhance climate adaptation, biodiversity, and human well-being. Given their crucial role in enhancing public open space (POS), multiple (re)development projects for residential POSs integrate NbS measures and elements into planning and design concepts. This paper presents the experience of the City of Niš, Serbia, in regeneration of POS within a multi-family residential neighbourhood through a case study. Due to its evolving legislative and planning frameworks that increasingly recognize the importance of NbS in urban development, Niš represents a suitable research polygon. The selected study site is a residential neighbourhood within a large housing estate in Niš, which has recently undergone significant POS redevelopment. This area illustrates both a rare local example of NbS implementation, and the consequences of subsequent intervention that disregarded NbS principles. The paper explores the key factors influencing implementation outcomes, as well as the opportunities and challenges for advancing NbS in the local context. The study finds that implementation is hindered by regulatory and funding gaps. A successful rain garden project highlights NbS benefits, though it requires further support for a long-term impact. In contrast, the subsequent POS regeneration in the neighbourhood without NbS reveals the negative consequences of passive planning, limited community involvement, and non-compliance with strategic goals. The findings highlight the need for a more integrated, participatory and sustainability-focused approach to urban regeneration.

Large housing estates were the dominant form of housing in socialist cities, with more than half of the urban population residing in them – sometimes even exceeding 80%. While the primary focus in housing construction was on efficiency and quantity, attention was also given to the quality of living. The layout of these estates, featuring detached buildings surrounded by expansive green spaces, was designed to create optimal microclimatic and sanitary conditions while also providing recreational areas in close proximity to the apartments. After the fall of socialist regimes, cities in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Southeastern Europe (SEE) underwent multilayered transformations known as the post-socialist transition. This period was marked by the return of property rights over real estate – buildings and land – through processes of privatization and restitution. As integral parts of the urban structure in socialist cities, large housing estates underwent significant changes during the post-socialist period. This paper examines the impact of post-socialist changes on the development and transformation of public open spaces (POS) in inherited multi-family housing areas in selected countries of CEE and Serbia, with a particular focus on the influence of land restitution. By analyzing these examples, the paper aims to establish a relationship between land ownership and the state of POS and identify the potential for their future development and management in a post-socialist context.

The focus of this paper is on smart mobility concept (SM) and its contribution for achieving higher quality of life. In last decade SM solutions become a very important instrument of urban planning, which are applied in response to various challenges that cities around the world are facing. Consistent to the aim of this paper, the examples from Zurich are analyzed, in which numerous SM solutions have been applied, making it suitable for examining the effects of their synergic implementation for the quality of life improvement.