Public green areas and their devaluation in a dense city fabric of Sarajevo: Case study of Hastahana Park

Abstract

In a country that is still considered to be in the transitional period, even though the last war was more than two decades ago, the laws and legislations of the urban development with the focus on green areas, are loosely interpreted into reality in today’s Bosnia. The laws on urban planning and development stipulated in the time of former Yugoslav republic were precise in defining parameters in planning. In the former system, these laws were implemented resulting in string of great urban developments. Such big urban projects were executed all over former Yugoslavia in the late 1950s and1960s when industry grew and cities expanded and modernized. These urban projects included residential buildings, public buildings such as schools, kindergartens, municipality buildings, commercial areas as well as healthcare and recreational facilities including sports terrains and public green areas. The ratio between built and un- built was greatly respected leaving enough green spaces for leisure activities. Nowadays, the laws and regulations inherited from the former system are loosely interpreted or are being changed in favour of private investors at the cost of quality of life of cities’ inhabitants. This paper aims to explore the importance of green areas, or lack of the same, in urban developments within dense city fabric in the period of post war Bosnia focusing on current developments in Hastahana Park. The Park is located in popular and largely discussed area of Sarajevo’s Marijin Dvor, were recent urban developments characterized it as new business district of the city. Today, the remaining of Hastahana, the only public park on Marijin Dvor is endangered. Its future is uncertain because the site has been proclaimed, by the municipality authorities, as construction site. Despite attempts by citizens to stop sales and construction in the park area, city authorities ruled in their own favour (or in favour of fast money gain) versus welfare of citizens. The example of Hastahana Park shows that due to strong political pressures the norms and regulations can be changed, the need for big investments is stronger than the care for the need of citizens. While European cities stream to improve the amount of public green areas in cities contributing to healthier environment, at the same time, Sarajevo decreases valuable green areas in favour of giving advantage to construction, increasing already heavy traffic and air pollution in the city. Such reckless and irresponsible decisions have long-term impacts on city development and quality of life of its citizens.