Culture design-led regeneration as a tool used to regenerate deprived areas. Belgrade - The Savamala quarter; Reflections on an unplanned cultural zone

Abstract

"Not enough clarified redevelopment and regeneration initiatives could compromise culture and cultural heritage. Avoiding the sustainability due to possible loss of cultural assets could be irreplaceable. Award-winning developers and architects from urban and tribal communities discuss today how to successfully strike a balance between economic redevelopment and the sustainable management of cultural assets; based upon culture." (Jonathan, The emergence of culture-led regeneration: a policy concept and its discontents, Working Paper, University of Warwick, Centre for Cultural Policy Studies, Coventry, 2007). We all recognise how important it is to respect local culture, heritage and tradition; with regeneration, we attempt to focus on quality, balanced with economic opportunity for the population, optimising the visitor's experience by applying a creative mix of cultural, environmental and historic resources linked with social and economical aspects. The new term 'placemaking' does not only measure a physical structure by its aesthetic design; it also defines the integrity of the experience had by the individual, which contributes to the economic viability of public spaces, the resources used and the health and wellbeing of the community. Culture design-led regeneration may be used as a tool to create cultural districts, cultural hubs, etc. and to utilise these zones in order to begin the gentrification process, with all its positive effects. Even unplanned cultural zones, such as Belgrade's Savamala quarter, show that the process can be unstoppable if initiated under the right circumstances.