Medijana Municipality Criticizes Niš City's Draft Spatial Plan

The Medijana municipality council in Niš has formally objected to the city's draft Spatial Plan, deeming it insufficiently explained, strategically unfounded, and lacking development direction. Councilors from Medijana presented a series of criticisms, stating the plan fails to clearly define the city's strategic objectives up to 2035 or the desired state it should achieve. They argued the draft should have included more detailed guidelines for developing crucial infrastructure and public facilities. Specific omissions cited include plans for a new general hospital, relocation sites for the emergency services and wholesale market, construction of needed kindergartens, building height regulations, and the route for a railway bypass. The councilors emphasized that altering the bypass route could prevent railway tracks from running through the village of Vrtište and avoid turning Bor and Humska streets into one-way dead ends. They also pointed out that solutions for connecting the new northern bypass to the fast train route from Niška Banja were not clearly explained in terms of traffic infrastructure. The plan's focus on casino and betting shop concentration, to the detriment of quality of life, was also criticized. Medijana councilors believe central city zones should prioritize cultural, tourism, educational, and economic activities of broader social significance, rather than residential construction, especially given high population density and inadequate infrastructure. They also called for more parks, tree-lined streets, and recreational areas instead of commercial developments that do not serve the public interest. The draft's lack of comprehensive consideration for green corridors, their interconnection within the urban fabric, and measures to mitigate urban heat island effects were highlighted. Furthermore, the council noted insufficient attention to environmental pollution, the regulation of the Nišava riverbanks, and the construction of new bridges. A paradox identified in the draft is its projection of a population decline within two years while simultaneously expanding construction land, primarily at the expense of fertile agricultural and forest areas. The councilors also suggested delaying the plan's adoption until a new Spatial Plan for Serbia is finalized, as the current draft is based on a 15-year-old Serbian Spatial Plan created under significantly different circumstances.

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is not sufficiently explained, strategically founded, and development-oriented.