The platform Be part of the plan presented to local governments
The City of Kragujevac presented the work of the "Be Part of the Plan" IT platform to other local governments, aiming to expand the network of cities and municipalities that will use this platform to inform citizens about planned changes to planning documents.
This was one of the topics at this year's session of NALED's Business Friendly Certification (BFC) Club of Cities and Municipalities, as part of the pilot project "Citizens' Voice in Urban Planning," funded by the Sweden International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) Silp Fund and running until the end of May.
The application was developed for the City of Kragujevac, chosen as the pilot local government, enabling the public to be informed about planning documents undergoing changes and adoption procedures via email, SMS, or Viber messages. The platform was launched within the project "Citizens' Voice in Spatial and Urban Planning" in cooperation with NALED and the Faculty of Geography, with support from Sida's Silp Fund.
- The 'Be Part of the Plan' platform allows citizens to register with their selected location, street, and parcel number, ensuring they are informed whenever the City of Kragujevac makes changes to planning documents in that area. This increases transparency, which is one of our primary goals," said Dejan Ružić, Deputy Mayor of Kragujevac.
Ružić highlighted that Kragujevac is particularly proud to be among the first cities in Serbia to receive the Business Friendly Environment Certificate. This is supported by results over the past eight years, including a reduction in unemployment, attraction of direct investments, and faster permit issuance.
Dušan Vasiljević, Director for Competitiveness and Investments at NALED, noted that BFC club members are cities and municipalities implementing best practices and acting as "engines of local economic development" in Serbia.
- Today, we will also discuss the state of investments in Serbia. Based on statistical data, we can compare the progress of BFC club cities and municipalities with the rest of Serbia. Our data shows that municipalities in the BFC club achieve about 20% better results in terms of investment amounts and the speed of issuing building permits," said Vasiljević. He added that some of the most advanced applications for connecting citizens and local governments will also be presented, making local administrations even more interactive and open to citizens.
