The impact of changes in urban planning parameters on infill development and the morphology of inherited residential neighborhoods and architectural design: The case of the city of Niš

Abstract

In the post-socialist period, cities in Serbia have undergone intensive spatial transformations, with changes in urban planning regulations playing a significant role in the development of inherited residential areas. This paper examines the impact of changes in urban planning parameters on the emergence of residential infill development and the resulting morphological and spatial transformations of inherited modernist housing estates, with a particular focus on the city of Niš. The research is based on the hypothesis that the redefinition of the planning framework, shifting the focus of urban planning from the quality of life at the neighborhood level to the quantification of parameters at the level of individual parcels, has created the conditions for economically driven but spatially and environmentally unsustainable infill development. The study is grounded in an analysis of relevant planning documents, a comparative assessment of urban planning parameters before and after the transformations, and a spatial and morphological evaluation of a case study of a socialist-era residential neighborhood, Krive Livade in Niš. The results indicate a significant increase in building coverage and floor area ratios, residential density, and building height, accompanied by a simultaneous reduction and fragmentation of green and open spaces. These changes have led to the disruption of spatial coherence, a decline in environmental comfort, and the loss of the neighborhood's morphological and architectural identity. Although infill development is theoretically recognized as a tool for sustainable urban development, in the analyzed context it emerges as a consequence of inadequately defined urban planning parameters and the absence of a holistic planning approach. The paper highlights the need to redefine the role of local planning regulations through the integration of ecological, social, and aesthetic criteria into future planning practices.