D.2.1.2 - PP4 Community Workshop in Babušnica: Co‑Creating Practical Solutions for Better Rural Living

In June Danube4Rural.com PP4 Regionalna razvojna agencija Jug/Regional Development Agency South hosted a community workshop in the municipality of Babušnica (Agro Household Zanoga, Gorčinci, Serbia), bringing together local residents, public institutions, civil society organisations, local businesses and experts.

What the community validated 💬

Through a structured World Café discussion, participants reviewed candidate solutions and identified priorities and local adaptations in five thematic domains. A clear preference emerged for starting with small but strategic steps, building on existing spaces and capacities, and strengthening everyday links between local residents, returnees and remote workers.

Key community‑endorsed directions 🌱

🏡 Housing

The community recognised a structured register of vacant and underused properties as a crucial starting point: a systematic mapping and categorisation of buildings by legal status, typology and renovation potential to serve as a basis for future incentives and projects that activate rural housing stock.

🌳 Green and environmental policies

Babušnica’s pristine natural environment is one of its strongest development assets, but it requires community‑led green initiatives that build on local traditions, volunteer actions and short value chains between farmers and tourism providers, supported by stronger environmental infrastructure and local capacities.

🫶 Well‑being and social life

Babušnica can become an attractive environment for remote workers, returnees and newcomers by enhancing existing strengths – safety, calm daily life and proximity to nature – with a more connected offer of social, recreational and cultural activities and targeted welcome programmes for new residents.

🎨 Culture, education and public services

Participants highlighted the importance of transforming underutilised public buildings into multifunctional community centres that combine education, culture, youth programmes, co‑working, community events and access to public services, while integrating local identity and heritage to foster pride and social cohesion.

⚡ Digital inclusion and infrastructure

Even though digital infrastructure remains a challenge, the community supported an approach where future investments are combined with programmes for digital skills, improved e‑services and pilot activities for remote work developed on the basis of existing buildings and local partnerships.

Participants agreed that future pilot activities should be designed as integrated packages: combining the renewal of spaces, green community actions, welcome and well‑being programmes, education and support for local entrepreneurs and farmers. Such interconnected pilots can improve rural quality of life in practice, strengthen the sense of belonging and position Babušnica as an appealing place to live and work remotely.