Understanding the relationship between land use and land cover and thermal environment has recently become an emerging issue for urban planners and policy makers. We chose Belgrade, as a case study, to present a cost- and time-effective framework for monitoring spatiotemporal changes of green spaces in relation to the land surface temperature (LST). Time series analysis was performed using Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS imagery from 1991 to 2019 with an approximate 5-year interval (18 images in total). Spectral vegetation indices and supervised land cover classifications were used to examine changes of green spaces. The results showed a fluctuating trend of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the normalized difference water index (NDWI). The highest values were recorded in 2019, indicating vegetation recovery in the last decade. A significant positive correlation was determined between the spectral vegetation indices and the amount of precipitation during growing season. The land cover classification showed that the share of vegetated and bare land decreased by 11.74% during the study period. The most intensive conversion of green and bare land into built-up land cover occurred in the first decade (1991–2000). To assess spatiotemporal changes in the LST, Landsat Collection 2 Surface Temperature products were used. We found a negative correlation between change in the spectral vegetation indices and change in the LST. This indicates that the reduction in vegetation was associated with an increase in the LST. The municipalities that were the most affected in each decade were also identified with our framework. The findings of this study are of great relevance for actions targeting an improvement in urban thermal comfort and climate resilience.

In recent decades, contemporary cities have been exposed to numerous impacts, primarily population growth and climate change, resulting in a condition where the overall quality of their living environment, as well as the quality of life of their inhabitants, increasingly takes on negative aspects. Green infrastructure, as a planning concept, has long been recognized as a measure for establishing a healthier living framework in urban landscapes while respecting the characteristics and potential services of natural and nature-based ecosystems. The search for establishing a regulatory framework for green infrastructure, applying a modern, multidisciplinary, and scalable approach, is a process unfolding worldwide. Based on the principles of international and national conventions and directives, as well as an analysis of all administrative and physical constituent elements of green infrastructure, the Green Infrastructure Strategy of the City of Belgrade was developed and adopted by the city governance. The strategy identifi ed key challenges in implementing the concept and defi ned specifi c objectives, outlining strategic guidelines for achieving urban ecosystem services. Through the implementation of measures and activities prescribed by the strategy, the process of forming a comprehensive regulatory and professional framework for the preservation and development of the city's green infrastructure has begun, contributing to the creation of a resilient Belgrade urban landscapes.

The proposed planning solution concept in the Elaborate for early public preview of the General Urban Plan of Belgrade (2022) represents a strategic solution for the development of the green infrastructure (GI) of Belgrade, which is in step with the goals and strategic determinations of the development of the Administrative Area of Belgrade, as well as international documents, respecting the continuity of planning natural systems on the territory of the city, using recognized strengths and opportunities, solving weaknesses and removing threats, finding inspiration and foundation in the experience of European and world cities. Achieving optimal conditions for the quality of life of the citizens of Belgrade through the "healing of the city" was set as a strategic goal for the planning and development of GI. As a precondition for achieving the defined general goals, integral and integrative planning of the GI was set, which implies development integration and correlation linking through the development of individual purposes and the development of the entire area of Belgrade, where the GI is a generator of sustainable development of the city. In this context, further steps imply favoring the meaningful connections of its development within different areas, thereby erasing the boundaries between sectoral topics and ensuring the comprehensive development of GI. The twelve operational objectives of the development of GI favor the services provided by ecosystems as integral elements of GI. The development of GI was proposed through the following basic conceptual planning solutions: the natural core of Belgrade, two rings of the city, green and river flows, an area of urban healing, an area of open spaces and nature in the city.

Contemporary urban development imposes an increasingly pronounced need for aligned spatial transformations with the preservation of natural resources, adaptation to climate change, and the improvement of quality of life. In this context, the concept of green infrastructure has been recognized as an integrative framework that connects ecological processes with spatial and urban planning. However, the ways in which green infrastructure is strategically articulated and operationalized through planning processes vary depending on the institutional and spatial context. The aim of this paper is to identify the dominant strategic approaches to green infrastructure planning and to examine their implications for spatial and urban planning. The research is based on a qualitative comparative analysis of selected European green infrastructure strategies, while the Green Infrastructure Strategy of the City of Belgrade is considered as an analytical case study within the specific institutional and planning context of Serbia. The analysis focuses on three key components of strategic articulation—visions, objectives, and measures—in order to identify recurring patterns that shape the integration of green infrastructure into planning practice. The results indicate a high degree of convergence among strategic approaches, particularly regarding the emphasis on quality of life, ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, and the strengthening of climate resilience. The identified patterns indicate the need for transformation of regulatory frameworks, the improvement of planning procedures and instruments, and the adoption of a spatial logic based on connectivity and multifunctionality. The analytical examination of the Belgrade Strategy shows that its structure of visions, objectives, and measures encompasses the key regulatory, procedural, and spatial prerequisites for incorporating green infrastructure into planning practice, and at the same time, its operationalization depends on institutional capacities, information systems, financial instruments, and mechanisms of intersectoral coordination. The paper concludes that green infrastructure strategies play an important role in mediating between public policies and spatial planning solutions, while their effectiveness depends on the alignment of regulatory, procedural, and spatial instruments.