URBAN PLANNING AND THE URBANISATION PROCESS IN SERBIA IN THE EARLY 1950s

After suffering extensive damage caused by the Second World War, Serbia went through a reconstruction period. Between 1944 and the mid1950s, the government prioritised economic growth and worked on rebuilding and modernising the infrastructure, urban structures, and systems. Urban planning was seen as crucial in creating the conditions for state development. Societal and five-year plans, supported by urban plans, enabled accelerated economic progress and growth. The urban planning profession was institutionalised, with planning theory and practice introduced alongside social, economic, and political changes. Through an examination of the activities of the Urban Planning Institute of the People’s Republic of Serbia, established in 1946, this paper rethinks the link between urban planning and the social aspect of the planned economy in response to the rapid urbanisation and industrialisation of cities.