SPACE ACTIVATION

In Belgrade, but also in other cities of Serbia, there are abandoned and neglected public spaces, which could be useful for the whole community. They are often abandoned buildings, which have fallen into disrepair and remain as a monument to the state that once existed. They can no longer fulfill their primary purpose, due to "market unattractiveness".

In the creation of the organization, the focus was on unused public spaces, which were deteriorating, and had the potential to be recreational, cultural and social centers, which will be available to all citizens.

Together with the citizens, we managed to turn the passage in the center of Belgrade into Street gallery and together with the artists, let's create a space for public display of works. One of the actions close to our hearts was the conversion of an abandoned space Inex film in Karaburma to a socio-cultural center, which benefited many Belgraders. We also launched the activation of the "Zvezda" cinema after a three-year campaign.Cinemas: Return of the written off". 

In addition, we supported numerous local struggles for spaces in Belgrade, but also throughout Serbia. In 2013, we mapped formal and informal groups on the territory of Serbia through "Action map” with the desire to contribute to mutual learning and connection, and two years later we published the manual Who and how manages public property with the intention of contributing to the improvement of this area and helping local efforts in activating the space.

Finally, in 2020, we summarized our knowledge in the area of ​​commons in a book Spaces of Commoning: Urban Commons in the ex-Yu region.

What is noticeable is that there is no will or mechanisms on the part of the City that would enable common spaces. In neighboring Croatia, the state and the city make such spaces available to organizations that apply for use. We do not have this system, but that would not be the first step we would take. Before that, it is necessary to determine the registry of all such spaces, so that we all have an overview of what is available to us. 

Read more about public property in the text Who needs public property?