Depopulated and Abandoned Areas in Serbia in the 21st Century—From a Local to a National Problem

Vedran Živanović (), Marko Joksimović, Rajko Golić, Vladimir Malinić, Filip Krstić, Marko Sedlak and Aleksandar Kovjanić
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Vedran Živanović: Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, Studentski Trg 3/3, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Marko Joksimović: Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, Studentski Trg 3/3, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Rajko Golić: Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, Studentski Trg 3/3, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Vladimir Malinić: Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, Studentski Trg 3/3, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Filip Krstić: Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, Studentski Trg 3/3, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Marko Sedlak: Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, Studentski Trg 3/3, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Aleksandar Kovjanić: Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, Studentski Trg 3/3, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 17, 1-20

Abstract: Depopulated or abandoned spaces are a consequence of the emptying of settlements and the complete disappearance of the human factor in the use of space. The aim of this paper is to determine the size and structure of this space—clusters that can be considered abandoned at the regional level. In the focus of this paper is the space at the district level in Serbia, within which significant changes in land use occurred in the period 1990–2018. Time series of formal databases and data obtained by GIS tools were analysed in order to observe the changes in the structure of surfaces and to define the trend of merging or increasing the empty space during the last two decades. This paper analyses planning documents and strategies in order to determine with which problems the state identifies abandoned areas and what planning solutions are possible. A new method for calculating the homogenization of abandoned space is presented. The results indicate the homogenization of the abandoned space in the border regions in the south of Serbia, as well as major changes in land use, such as reforestation and reclamation of agricultural land.

Keywords: depopulation; Serbia; region; land use; structure; analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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