How to build a city of tomorrow?

Belgrade Waterfront project is currently one of the largest initiatives of urban renewal in the Central and Eastern Europe. Announced in 2012, this public-private investment aimed to transform the most prominent brownfield area on the riverfront of the Serbian capital city. However, it has also caused numerous controversies–such as planning, participative and legislative challenges, functional and aesthetic qualities, and many more.

Students of the Faculty of Architecture from TU Darmstadt attended a joint workshop in Belgrade, Serbia, organised in collaboration with TU Berlin, Michigan State University, and NGO “Ministarstvo Prostora”. The workshop is an integral part of an urban design studio „Transforming Belgrade Waterfront“ and focuses on the ongoing waterfront redevelopment project and the many contestations and negotiations emerging from this investor urbanism initiative.

After one week of inspiring inputs and productive work in international groups, the workshop has ended with presentations of student works. We hope that the students recognized the importance of diverse insights on the planning initiatives in cities and that they will successfully implement their newly acquired knowledge in the urban design assignments back at their home universities!