An open space for discussions about the future of cities

For years we have been engaged in gathering people and building political communities, so over time it became our goal to create a space where these gatherings of events would take place, with the aim of connecting various relevant experts and citizens for the purpose of urban development. This kind of space gives the opportunity to many who did not have the opportunity before, now to participate in the democratization of the city. That's why we started organizing public discussion programs in our space, opening it up to new people and new communities, and introducing various topics and questions. Since 2023, we have realized four series of public discussions and we are preparing to start the fifth. 

So far we have held the following programs:

1. Economy of the city - Critical analysis of contemporary urban development
2. To a different city
3. In the same fire - Energy poverty and green transition
4. Better cities, healthier people - Green infrastructure in Belgrade

During this period, our central room realized over 30 events, open and semi-open to the public, with a wide range of participants (more than 700 participants).

These programs involved various actors, depending on the topic of discussion. The participants were representatives of civil society organizations, activists, academics and scientists, representatives of public institutions, as well as citizens from the communities we cooperate with. Also, the participants came from Belgrade, other cities in Serbia, but also from abroad. 

We will use these results to upgrade public programs. They will serve as a basis for expanding the scope and impact of future initiatives. By building a diverse and engaged community around urban development, we have laid the foundations for deeper cooperation between civil society, the academic community, public institutions and citizens.

In the future, this space will continue to serve as a platform for inclusive dialogue, introducing more interdisciplinary approaches to urban issues. The knowledge, networks and ideas emerging from these discussions will be used to advocate for policy changes, strengthen civic engagement and launch collaborative projects aimed at democratizing city planning and development. In addition, established contacts with actors from different sectors and countries enable further international cooperation and knowledge exchange, ensuring that discussions evolve and address new challenges in urban development.

The biggest positive change that we have noticed when organizing these events is the appearance of completely new people and faces that we have not met before at similar events, who often aim to gather the same group of people. We are extremely satisfied that the circle of people interested in public discussions has expanded, and we plan to continue in that direction in the future.