13 Megaprojects as an Instrument of Urban Planning and Development …
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acceptability. The performance of UMPs should derive from key objectives
of policies/plans and public interest. The traditional technical solution-driven
approach in decision-making of MPs characterizes the Global South-East, but
sometimes also appears in the Global North-West;
(e) Setting better regulatory framework involves elimination of policy risks and/or
their inclusion before decision-making (e.g., risk assessment), underestimating
costs and overestimating benefits, as well as different types of ex ante impact
assessments for evaluating, mitigating and balancing different impacts.
Generally, tools suggested in the “alternative”/improved approach are mainly used
in the North-West, while traditional instruments predominate in the South-East. The
new approach in planning, governing and implementing UMPs also requires multidisciplinary approach, critical analysis of the conventional approach, introduction
of measures for improved policies and planning, and determination of the interplay
between the different pools of power.
13.5 Conclusions
Our analysis highlights the differences in institutional, social and economic environment that shape the Belgrade Waterfront Project. At the same time, the BWP
induced a substantial change of institutional framework (introduction of specific
legal and policy instruments) under neoliberal economic pressure, which represents
a key source of future changes in the metropolitan tissue. The benchmarking of the
developmental effects of the BWP especially underlined: intensive social inequalities,
marginal social mobilization of the key actors and stakeholders, intensive impacts
on national level, high displacement effects, high public financial risks, strong urban
transformations, low development and economic effects, low transparency and public
participation, environmental impacts, etc.
The specific nature of the BWP requires specific instruments, including legal,
financial, economic, construction, environmental, and more innovative and flexible urban land instruments. The proposed recommendations for their improvement
would result in better development effects for the city.
Decentralization of regulation powers is important from the standpoint of planning, decision-making, governance, control, and implementation of megaprojects.
It provides recommendations for future research and application, for a continuing
in-depth analysis to mitigate all consequences of the UMPs, including determination
of the interplay between different pools of power (“from power to tower”).
Acknowledgements This paper is the result of research carried out within the scientific project
Support to Process of Urban Development in Serbia (SPUDS) funded by the SCOPES program of
the Swiss National Science Foundation, (2015–2018) and the scientific project The role and implementation of the national spatial plan and regional development documents in renewal of strategic
research, thinking and governance in Serbia No. 47014 financed by the Ministry of Education,
Science and Technological Development of Serbia.
161
acceptability. The performance of UMPs should derive from key objectives
of policies/plans and public interest. The traditional technical solution-driven
approach in decision-making of MPs characterizes the Global South-East, but
sometimes also appears in the Global North-West;
(e) Setting better regulatory framework involves elimination of policy risks and/or
their inclusion before decision-making (e.g., risk assessment), underestimating
costs and overestimating benefits, as well as different types of ex ante impact
assessments for evaluating, mitigating and balancing different impacts.
Generally, tools suggested in the “alternative”/improved approach are mainly used
in the North-West, while traditional instruments predominate in the South-East. The
new approach in planning, governing and implementing UMPs also requires multidisciplinary approach, critical analysis of the conventional approach, introduction
of measures for improved policies and planning, and determination of the interplay
between the different pools of power.
13.5 Conclusions
Our analysis highlights the differences in institutional, social and economic environment that shape the Belgrade Waterfront Project. At the same time, the BWP
induced a substantial change of institutional framework (introduction of specific
legal and policy instruments) under neoliberal economic pressure, which represents
a key source of future changes in the metropolitan tissue. The benchmarking of the
developmental effects of the BWP especially underlined: intensive social inequalities,
marginal social mobilization of the key actors and stakeholders, intensive impacts
on national level, high displacement effects, high public financial risks, strong urban
transformations, low development and economic effects, low transparency and public
participation, environmental impacts, etc.
The specific nature of the BWP requires specific instruments, including legal,
financial, economic, construction, environmental, and more innovative and flexible urban land instruments. The proposed recommendations for their improvement
would result in better development effects for the city.
Decentralization of regulation powers is important from the standpoint of planning, decision-making, governance, control, and implementation of megaprojects.
It provides recommendations for future research and application, for a continuing
in-depth analysis to mitigate all consequences of the UMPs, including determination
of the interplay between different pools of power (“from power to tower”).
Acknowledgements This paper is the result of research carried out within the scientific project
Support to Process of Urban Development in Serbia (SPUDS) funded by the SCOPES program of
the Swiss National Science Foundation, (2015–2018) and the scientific project The role and implementation of the national spatial plan and regional development documents in renewal of strategic
research, thinking and governance in Serbia No. 47014 financed by the Ministry of Education,
Science and Technological Development of Serbia.