A forum on urbanism held at the AGGF

A public forum on urbanism titled "Contemporary Urban Planning" was held on April 24, 2025, at the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Geodesy of the University of Banja Luka (AGGF UNIBL).

"The Law on Spatial Planning and Construction of the Republic of Srpska, along with a set of accompanying regulations, represents a quality document that clearly defines activities in this field. However, due to certain deviations in its application on the ground, it is necessary to change the awareness of the direction that modern spatial planning and urbanism should take," said Bojan Vipotnik, Minister for Spatial Planning, Construction, and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska, emphasizing that this law served as a starting point for drafting similar laws in some countries of the region.

Vipotnik pointed out that the local society, as well as the region as a whole, still lags behind global standards and solutions in urbanism.

"While we are still struggling with illegal construction, new generations of smart cities are emerging around the world. For this reason, this forum represents an extremely important link in communication," said Vipotnik.

The Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Geodesy, Prof. Saša Cvoro, PhD, highlighted that this event was an opportunity to exchange views and experiences in the field of urbanism, and thanked the relevant ministry for its support, as well as the lecturers who actively participated.

"This is an opportunity for the academic and professional community to meet and exchange experiences, and to work together with local governments and republic authorities to improve modern urban and spatial planning," said Cvoro.

Nebojša Knežević from the Civil Engineering Institute Banja Luka said that the goal of the forum was to highlight the issues in strategic planning and urbanism through dialogue. He emphasized the need to raise public awareness about the importance of rational land use, not only for construction purposes but also for humane living, considering other elements such as transportation, green spaces, and parking lots.

The forum was organized by the "Urban Eco Center" Association, under the patronage of the Office of the President of the Republic of Srpska, in cooperation with the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Geodesy of the University of Banja Luka.

(AGGF/UNIBL)