National Urban Policy and Digitalisation of Urban and Territorial Planning

The event is going to combine activities that are undertaken by the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure in Serbia in cooperation with the GIZ/Ambero on sterghtening of local land managment in Serbia. The activities that are going to be described are strongly conncted to realisation of SDG 11 and implementation of New Urban Agenda. Activities of urban and territorial planning, which are going to be in focus of the event as the case study of Serbia, are the topic of the New Urban Agenda in the part 'Planning and Managing Urban Spatial Development' (paragraphs 93-125). In the three forthcoming years, until 2020, Serbia is going to adopt two crucial documents at national level National Urban Policy in 2018 and National Spatial (territorial) Plan in 2020. Those two docuements, and particularly national spatial plan has to be made in smart way using benefits of digitalisation and with use of established information system on spatial planning (paragraphs 156 and 160 of NUA). National urban policy is going to propose and prepare solutions for smart development in Serbia, in accordance of paragraphe 66 of NUA. Regarding the realisation of SDGs, although the activities that are going to be presented in the event are most related to the SDG11, the integrated approach which is the principle respected in Serbia is supportive in the sense of taking into account other SDGs and coordination with their activities and targets. Targets of the SDG11 are going to be dealt with in the National Urban Policy. One of the targets refers to the participation of citizens and all interested stakeholders in urban development, the topic that is tradtionally present in Serbia and that needs constant improvements, another topic that is going to be presented in the event. The reference is going to be made to the topic of Strategic Environmental Assessment as a tool for territorial and urban planning. The link with local communities and localisation of SDGs and NUA is an important topic in Serbia, in accordance with Guidelines on decentralization and basic services for all (paragraph 85 of NUA). National associations of local self-governments and municipalities is coordinating numerous activities of localization in the field of urban development. Republic of Serbia is going to continue its efforts in the implementation of New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals. The side event is going to present those activities which are going to be presentd in Kuala Lumpur just around a week later that the kick-off conference for elaboration of National Urban Policy in Serbia that should take place on the 2nd of February 2018. The aim of elaboration of National Urban Policy is to enable and support effective urban/territorial governance in Serbia (paragraphs 85-92 of NUA).