FROM TERRITORIAL FOCUS TO URBAN IDENTITY – THE CASE OF TERRITORIAL STRATEGIES IN SERBIA

Abstract After the adoption of the first national urban policy of Serbia in 2019, territorial strategies for urban areas were developed within the technical support of the European Union Program for Local Development (EU PRO Plus). These strategies were established through a communicative process during 2022-2023, encouraging collaborative governance. These are contemporary governance instruments, which are an effective tool for the integration of priority investments, thematic goals and different sources of funding within the territory. Territorial strategies are focused on the economic, ecological, climatic, social, cultural and demographic challenges of territorial development. The main contribution of this research is providing an understanding of the challenges and potentials of the spatial dimension of strategies in the collaborative urban governance. The research should explore the development of urban identity within the process of local policy formation. The research sample consists of twelve strategies, namely specific goals, measures and strategic project ideas. Place-based approach supports the development of specific locations, adapting interventions and investments to unique spatial contexts, with the intention of releasing their underutilized potential. Place-based concept and co-creative process are used in this work as a basic framework for evaluating the development of urban identity.