Danube and Sava rivers as locomotives of urban transformation – development process of the Belgrade coast

This thesis examines the historical, spatial, and strategic relationship between the city of Belgrade and the Danube and Sava rivers, analyzing the role of waterfronts in urban transformation processes. The main objective is to trace the evolution of Belgrade's waterfront zones through both historical planning documents and contemporary urban projects, and to evaluate this process in comparison with other Danube capitals - Vienna, Budapest, and Bratislava - in order to position Belgrade within a broader European context. A qualitative research methodology was adopted. The General Urban Plans of Belgrade from the years 1923, 1950, 1972, 1985, 2003/2021, and 2022/2041 were systematically analyzed, focusing on the functions attributed to riverbanks, spatial priorities, and proposed interventions. In addition, three recent projects-Belgrade Waterfront, the Linear Park, and the Park of Friendship-were evaluated through spatial analyses and visual comparisons. Belgrade was then compared with Vienna, Budapest, and Bratislava based on five strategic criteria: public space organization, river-city integration, socio-ecological approaches, cultural identity, and participatory governance. These criteria were not derived from literature but were formulated based on the content of actual strategic documents, which lends both theoretical and practical originality to the research. The findings indicate that the transformation of Belgrade's riverfront has followed three main spatial models: intensive restructuring (e.g., Belgrade Waterfront), gradual adaptation (e.g., Donji Dorćol-Linear Park), and public continuity (e.g., Park of Friendship). These models reflect different spatial articulations of the city's complex relationship with its rivers. The comparative analysis reveals that although Belgrade holds strong physical and symbolic potential, it lags behind its Danube counterparts in areas such as participatory planning, strategic coherence, and ecological awareness. The originality of this study lies in the integration of physical space with aspects of collective memory, cultural identity, governance frameworks, and public participation. The use of visual materials and the development of a custom transformation model to illustrate temporal and functional shifts further enhance the applicability of the findings. The thesis aims to contribute both theoretically and practically. On the theoretical level, it engages with multi-dimensional frameworks such as public space theory, cultural landscape theory, sustainable urbanism, and ecosystem services theory. Practically, the study provides spatial strategy insights that can serve as a reference for urban planners and decision-makers in both Turkey (e.g., in coastal cities like Istanbul, İzmir, and Mersin) and Serbia. Nevertheless, some limitations emerged due to the unavailability of certain plans or the incomplete implementation of current projects. Future research could be expanded through a larger sample of case studies, inclusion of stakeholder perspectives, and digital tools such as remote sensing and GIS technologies. In conclusion, this thesis demonstrates that rivers are not only natural resources but also carriers of collective memory, drivers of strategic planning, and frameworks for redefining urban identity. Although developed through the specific case of Belgrade, the research offers a comparative and integrative model applicable to river cities globally.