Urban Regeneration of Large Housing Estates Post-Socialism in Niš, Serbia : Resource Effecient Planning in the Urban-Societal Context

Abstract

This publication analyzes the challenges and opportunities in housing that arose in the post-socialist transition period in the city of Niš, Serbia. The joint research project between HafenCity University and the Technical University of Niš proposes urban interventions for the Krive Livade district in Niš, designed to initiate a renewal process for the aging housing estates. The research is a result of close cooperation with local researchers and a comprehensive analysis of local conditions. From the management of public spaces to the activation of the local population and the supply of renewable energy systems, the projects take up different aspects of urbanism to use them as a basis for improving the quality of life for the local inhabitants of Niš. The focal points are based on the five central components of the master program “Resource Efficiency in Architecture and Planning” (REAP): Climate and Energy, Materials and Waste, Water, Energy Efficiency and Governance. Although the projects are tailored to the characteristics of Krive Livade, they have been developed with the explicit aim of serving as blueprints for projects in similar urban environments, in the Balkan region and beyond.