Introducing smart governance perspectives to Belgrade strategic planning processes

Abstract

The intensive natural, social, political and economic urban transformations call for the inevitable shift in Belgrade planning paradigm, stepping out from the conservative comprehensive planning, to strategic, process-based planning along with balancing the needs and priorities of a larger range of urban stakeholders. Its institutional design will be assiduously examined in the coming period as the City is in process of drafting new development strategy and new City Statute. These strategic/legal innovations present an opportunity to introduce smart governance concept which is determined by the following factors: political strategies and perspectives, participation in decision-making, transparent governance, and, finally public and social services, and by associated indicators. Taking into account specificities of local governance, this paper considers future links between the strategic planning framework design and different models of e-governance that could be applied to administrative development and effective service delivery processes in Belgrade. It will focus on smart governance innovations in management, policy making and technology, in a contextualized environment seeking new possibilities for citizen-togovernment communication.