The latest phase of the National Football Stadium project in Belgrade, which also includes facilities for the international Expo 2027, foresees further expansion of the construction area in the Surčin and New Belgrade districts. Is this legally compliant?

The land for the project has been expanded multiple times.

According to the new plan, which has been made publicly available and has already been modified four times, the Nacionalni Stadion and the Expo facilities will cover a total area of 813.6 hectares. This is approximately seven times larger than the original plan, which corresponds to the area of about 1,100 football fields. The new plan includes more than 600 plots in Surčin, mostly owned by the Republic of Serbia and the City of Belgrade. However, it seems that the additional expansion of the project will force the government to purchase more privately owned plots. In the original plan from 2022, the stadium area covered only 119 hectares. Subsequent expansions increased it to 167 and then to 350 hectares. Now, in the fourth phase, the area exceeds 800 hectares.

The plan foresees that after Expo 2027, part of the land will be converted into a residential area for about 4,500 people. Additionally, new investments are planned, including a theme park and transportation infrastructure.

© Fenwick Iribarren Architects

Group concerned with planning issues highlights numerous shortcomings

These plans, however, are generating increasing controversy. The organization Nova planska praksa is calling for the establishment of all necessary rules for the use and regulation of the Sava River’s waterfront zone, to be implemented through the development of a detailed regulatory plan. Alternatively, it proposes excluding this area from the stadium’s plan. This organization, which focuses on spatial planning, urbanism, and sustainable development, seeks to promote transparency, professionalism, and public participation in planning processes.

The fourth phase of the National Stadium’s spatial plan also includes the left bank of the Sava River from Block 45 to the Ostružnica Bridge. Nova planska praksa emphasizes that no justification has been provided for this solution, its objective, or concept. They note that this area is already covered by key urban plans for Belgrade and has specific solutions that are now being altered without explanation. They question why this public asset is linked to the stadium and Expo 2027 and why it is being treated as a national matter instead of a city issue, rushed through a process that disregards the right of the public and experts to participate in the planning process.

© SRBIJA sa tribina

Are the plans unconstitutional?

The organization also points out that the fourth phase of the plan is inconsistent with the Constitution, the Planning and Construction Act, and other regulations and development strategies. Experts and residents warn that this plan opens the door to uncontrolled development of public land along the Sava River.

• The planning solutions for this area fall below professional standards.
• There is no analysis of the scale of unauthorized development or the condition and threats to the flood embankment.
• The future use of the land and the principles of construction have not been defined.
• No detailed technical documentation has been provided, including for the reconstruction of the embankment.
• The plan contains contradictory provisions about construction in the water protection zone, which this area falls under.
• It allows for the construction of transportation infrastructure and passages through the embankment, but without specifying their purpose.
• The graphic plans lack basic information about regulation and land levels.

Nova planska praksa argues that before the plan is approved, early public consultations should be held, followed by proper public consultations lasting at least 30 days. The document must be complete, understandable, and professionally prepared. They also emphasize that the plan is not based on any national or Belgrade strategic document, and it contradicts the Sustainable Development Strategy until 2030. There is no evidence that urbanizing 800 hectares is sustainable in any way.

They note that the area covered by the plan is within three zones protecting Belgrade’s water supply, including large waterland areas. The plan repeatedly mentions the need for expert assessments of the impact on water sources and the water supply network, but it does not specify who is responsible for these analyses or how their results will be implemented in the technical documentation. Therefore, Nova planska praksa demands clear regulations regarding the development of the Sava waterfront, the use of this area, and the approach to illegally built structures.

© Fenwick Iribarren Architects