The Velje brdo project, which the Government of Montenegro declared a project of public interest, will enable the conversion of forest and protected areas into construction land. This includes part of the protected area of the Rijeka Zeta Nature Park, as well as the Mareza water source zone.
Marina Izgarević Pavićević from the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property (MDUP), in the program Colors of the Morning on TV Vijesti, pointed out that the amendments to the Spatial-Urban Plan of the capital Podgorica will ensure that the area is planned and sustainably urbanized, and that it will not lead to the devastation of nature.
"The government has formed a coordinating body to monitor the implementation of this project. And this is precisely the confirmation that this project will really be implemented as planned through the preparation of this planning document and of course the implementation of this planning document by the state, that is, the entrusted persons of the investors on the ground," she said. Marina Izgarević Pavićević, state secretary in the relevant ministry.
She stated that the area of Velje brdo, as a state property, will become an exemplary example of urbanization, similar to Block 5 from the socialist era.
"All these planning solutions have a certain time horizon, but unfortunately that horizon has expired, new generations of planning documentation have not been brought, and we need to work on that in the coming period," explains Izgarević Pavićević.
One of the problems of urban planning in Montenegro is outdated planning documentation, given that many plans were drawn up between 2007 and 2014. Large population migrations to Podgorica, confirmed by the results of the census, require a redefinition of spatial planning policy and alignment with contemporary needs.
During the public hearing, citizens submitted a number of initiatives, mostly for repurposing space and increasing capacity. However, insufficient awareness of the need for public content in this area was pointed out. Work on the drafting of the planning document proposal is in the final phase, and its adoption is expected in January 2025.
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