NONA in Serbia: Šabac Investment Forum and XIII “Green City and Architectural Heritage”

The Regional Investment Forum, held in October 2025 at the Letnjikovac pilot site in Šabac, brought together representatives from local authorities, academia, the private sector, civil society organisations, and international partners within the NONA - New Governance for New Spaces project. The Forum was officially opened by the Mayor of Šabac, whose address highlighted the city’s strong commitment to sustainable urban transformation and support for innovative models of green investment.

Co-organised by the Institute of Architecture and urban&spatial planning of Serbia (IAUS) and the City of Šabac, with the support of NONA partners from Slovenia, Germany, and Hungary, the event served as a platform for dialogue on green investment opportunities and the revitalisation of public spaces through co-creative and inclusive approaches.

Through keynote contributions, thematic panels, and an interactive session, participants discussed reference practices, identified local potentials, and outlined directions for developing a Green Investment Package for Letnjikovac. The Forum reaffirmed the importance of cross-sector collaboration and the integration of green priorities into local development strategies, setting the stage for future urban regeneration efforts in Šabac and beyond.

We extend our sincere gratitude to all Forum participants for their valuable contributions: Ute Meyer (Biberach University of Applied Sciences, NEBoD, Germany), Hans Buster (Teem Engineering; Dutch-Serbian Business Association; Sustainable Communities in Serbia), representatives of Nova Iskra, Ekonaut and KIDHUB (Platform for Innovation in Environmental Education), Delta Holding, the Regional Development Agency Zlatibor, the Centre for Professional Development in Šabac, “Stojan Novaković” Primary School, the City Administration of Šabac, and the City Administration of Veszprém, Hungary. A special note of appreciation goes to the representatives of the AGE+ project, not only for their participation, but also for the recognition they awarded to the NONA team from Serbia.

One day after the Regional Investment in Šabac, another event was held in Belgrade, Serbia, titled Integrating the Green City Vision and Cultural Heritage through the NONA Project.

The XIII International Scientific Conference “Green City and Architectural Heritage”, jointly organised by the Cultural Heritage Protection Institute of the City of Belgrade and the Institute of Architecture and urban&spatial planning of Serbia (IAUS), was held on 10 October 2025 in Belgrade.

The conference gathered experts, researchers, and practitioners to explore the relationship between green infrastructure, cultural heritage, sustainable development, and adaptive reuse. The opening addresses were delivered by Aleksandar Ivanović (Director, CHPI Belgrade), Dr Božidar Manić (Deputy Director, IAUS), and Marko Stojčić (Chief Urban Planner of Belgrade).

Keynote lectures were given by Prof. Dr Dragana Ćorović (University of Belgrade – Faculty of Forestry) and Prof. Dr Ute Meyer (Biberach University of Applied Sciences, NEBoD, Germany). The programme included thematic sessions and panel discussions addressing the links between sustainability, heritage, and urban transformation.

In line with the themes of the NONA - New Governance for New Spaces project, IAUS and the City of Šabac contributed to the conference’s scientific dimension through three papers and a poster presentation dedicated to the NONA project, all published in the official conference proceedings:

·         Relating the Concepts of the Green City and Cultural Heritage through the New European Bauhaus.

·         Urban Governance for Revitalisation of Public Space and Affirmation of Built Heritage – Experiences from the Interreg NONA Project

·         Potentials for the Revitalisation of the Letnjikovac Area: Heritage and Natural Environment

These contributions underline how the principles of the New European Bauhaus and innovative governance approaches can advance sustainable, inclusive, and heritage-sensitive urban transformation, as part of IAUS’s broader mission to disseminate project outcomes and bridge research, policy, and practice.