The reconstruction of one of the main Belgrade artery produced new environment for pedestrians in Belgrade Centre - sidewalks of the following streets: Kralja Milana, Terazije, Kolarceva, and pedestrian part of Njegoseva Street. It might be recognized as an example of pioneer mission in Serbia and its surrounding. Considering very difficult living circumstances on this area in the nearest past and, also, in the current period of transition, this reconstruction may be treated as the real accomplishment. Out of 5000 meters of curbs that had been installed and 400 meters on street crossings had been lowered to the level of the street. More of 25000 square meters of sidewalk pavement were realised with tactile paths that covers 2670 square meters. For the first time in the Balkan region, tactile paths for visually impaired citizens had been woven into the pavement, enabling them to walk without other person’s assistance. Warning tactile surfaces on returned curb ramp (5% slopes) on pedestrian crossings have a total of 570 square meters. Warning tactile fields on approaches to street junctions, bus stops, subways and public buildings entrances and exists, have total of 140 square meters. The main construction period of streets hardscapes lasts from 2002 up to 2003, but without predicted and designed street furniture and equipment. Hence, Belgrade streetscapes are still under construction and are waiting for new public investment effort. The improvement of public space, especially of pedestrian environment, is the important element of the urban regeneration initiation, which includes both the renewal of physical space and upgrading of value system, attitudes and behaviour of process participants. As this reconstruction was one of the major public investments in Belgrade at that time, it drew a lot of media attention and that was another opportunity to stress the need for accessible and safer pedestrian environment for all citizens. The paper will be written in an attempt to analyze, four years later, the accomplishment degree of two focal design objectives groups: (i) improving the sidewalks usability by upgrading accessibility of street space for all citizens, as the way of creating accessible, barrier free, safer and more pleasant pedestrian environment; and (ii) considering public space improvement as the way for achieving higher degree of public space urbanity, that does not represent only the physical features of urban space, or territorial belonging to the city, but both, the quality of urban space and citizens inside it. (Author/publisher) This publication may be accessed by Internet users at: http://www.ictct.org/workshop.php?workshop_nr=25
Samenvatting