eSpace Removes Barriers to Investment in Serbia
Serbia has more than 3,500 spatial and urban development plans in force; however, in many cases these plans require further elaboration before location conditions and construction permits can be issued. As these procedures often take too long, investments are delayed and the risk of illegal construction increases. To address these challenges, NALED proposes a comprehensive optimization and digitalization of the planning process through the introduction of a unified eSpace (eProstor) system.
The system, preceded by the establishment of a functional Central Register of Planning Documents, would enable electronic exchange of information among institutions, digital issuance of conditions and approvals, and simultaneous collaboration on the preparation and amendment of planning documents. This would significantly accelerate the entire spatial planning process while making it more predictable and transparent.
A new NALED analysis on the coverage of local self-government units with spatial and urban planning documents, prepared with the support of the Government of Sweden under the project “More Efficient Public Procurement and Sustainable Supply Chains for Enhanced Competitiveness”, indicates that the introduction of eSpace would substantially improve planning quality, provided that local governments receive continuous support and capacity-building assistance.
“In a survey conducted among 113 cities and municipalities, 83% of local governments reported that their territory is fully covered by planning documentation, indicating relatively good territorial coverage across Serbia. However, a significant number of these documents were adopted many years ago and have not been regularly updated. As a result, they often fail to reflect current development needs and are not fully aligned with applicable legislation and higher-level planning documents. Additional challenges include a shortage of urban planners at the local level, limited financial and technical resources for managing planning documentation, frequent regulatory changes, and insufficient citizen participation,” said Jasmina Radovanović, Lead Advisor for Property and Investments at NALED.
When it comes to digitalization, although more than 90% of local governments possess planning documents in electronic form, the analysis shows that these are, in most cases, basic digital files lacking a standardized structure and integration into a Geographic Information System (GIS). This limits opportunities for data analysis, information sharing, and broader use in decision-making processes, while also preventing full transparency toward the public.
The establishment of a centralized digital platform would enable all planning documents to be stored and updated electronically in a single location accessible to both competent authorities and the public. This would improve coordination among national, provincial, and local authorities and provide the state with a stronger foundation for making infrastructure, investment, and development decisions.
For citizens and businesses, the greatest benefit would be greater predictability regarding planned urban development projects. Instead of obtaining information on land use, development restrictions, or the status of planning documents from multiple institutions, eSpace would provide transparent access to information on initiated amendments to planning documents and submitted construction permit applications.
Comparative international practice confirms that countries with functional digital registers of planning documentation, such as Slovenia and Croatia, are better able to ensure transparency and coordination in spatial planning. The analysis shows that Serbia should not mechanically replicate foreign models, but rather adopt proven practices, including a clear division of responsibilities between national and local authorities, a unified digital registry, GIS standards, public access to data, and continuous support for municipalities and cities.
