Representatives of the City of Vranje, institutions, the business community, civil society and the local community gathered today at a Public Forum to discuss the city’s vision for future development and project ideas that could contribute to achieving it. The Forum was held as part of the process of developing the Territorial Strategy for the Urban Area of the City of Vranje, with the support of the European Union through the EU Support for Integrated Territorial Development – EU INTEGRA programme, implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of European Integration.
The EU INTEGRA programme is implemented by the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). Under the component of the Programme implemented by UNOPS, technical assistance is provided to local self-governments to develop territorial strategies in line with the EU regulatory framework for Cohesion Policy and territorial instruments for integrated and sustainable territorial development, as well as to strengthen capacities for their implementation.
“European Union Cohesion Policy starts from the needs and potentials of specific territories and entails the active participation of local institutions, the business community, civil society and citizens in development planning. The development of the Territorial Strategy enables Vranje to use this process to assess its economic, social and spatial potentials, define development priorities and link them with concrete project ideas. Through the EU INTEGRA programme, we support local self-governments in gaining experience and building capacities to apply this approach, which is an important part of Serbia’s further preparations for the future use of European Union funds,” said Valentina Vidović, Head of the Department for Establishing and Developing Systems for the Management of the European Union Structural and Cohesion Funds at the Ministry of European Integration.
“The city’s location on Corridor X, its industrial and entrepreneurial tradition, and the characteristics for which Vranje is already recognised provide a solid foundation for development. However, it is important to connect these potentials with new knowledge, innovation and the modern economy, thereby creating new opportunities for the economy, employment and young people. At the same time, our natural, cultural and built heritage, including Vranjska Banja, should be better integrated with the development of culture, tourism and the local economy. The development of Vranje should also mean a greener and better-organised city, as well as high-quality and accessible services for all our citizens,” said Slobodan Milenković, Mayor of Vranje, speaking about the potentials on which the city can base its future development.
The Public Forum was preceded by an analysis of the existing situation and thematic discussions with representatives of the public, private and civil society sectors, based on which the objectives and measures of the future Strategy were defined. At the Forum, this process was opened up to a wider range of local stakeholders and citizens, who discussed the identity of the urban area, the green transition and urban mobility, an innovative and smart economy, social well-being and development management, as well as the vision for Vranje’s future development.
“The Territorial Strategy should bring together the city’s diverse needs and potentials within a single development framework. That is why, following the analysis, discussions with local stakeholders and the definition of objectives and measures, it is important to validate these directions with the wider community and connect them with project ideas that can contribute to their implementation. In this way, the outcome of this process is not merely a strategic document, but also a basis for further planning and future development initiatives in Vranje,” said Viktor Veljović, Capacity Development Manager within the UNOPS-implemented component of the EU INTEGRA programme.
The youngest members of the community were also involved in discussions about the future of Vranje through the art competition “My City in the Future”. Pupils from Branko Radičević Primary School and Svetozar Marković Primary School presented their ideas through artworks showing what their city could look like and what could make it a better place to live. Participants of the Public Forum voted for the exhibited works, after which prizes were presented to the authors of the best entries.
