The city of Kruševac was established in 1371 and celebrates its 650th anniversary this year. The strategic documents set the goal of sustainable development of the city and that in the coming period, special attention will be paid to environmental protection projects. The city of Kruševac is recognisable for being the first city in Serbia with a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP). Besides this, the city holds a Sustainable Development Strategy, a Local Environmental Protection Program, and an energy efficiency program.

The organisation of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2015 was a trigger for SUMP development. The City of Kruševac has adopted the SUMP in 2017 (1st SUMP in Serbia). The Committee for SUMP implementation was established shortly after SUMP adoption in order to coordinate the activities. To fulfil the vision and the targets from the 2030 Agenda, the SUMP contains Action plans for every transport mode that covers different types of measures: infrastructural, soft (campaigns) and organisational (regulation, legislation).

Infrastructural measures:

• Reconstruction of the city centre: Improvement of pedestrian infrastructure and accessibility: widening the sidewalks, new pavement with tactile tiles, wheelchair ramps on the intersections, new pedestrian bridge, modernisation of streetlights, reconstruction of parks, creation of new squares with greenery and installation of open-air gyms on several spots.
• Construction of three public garages
• Improvement of cycling infrastructure: construction of bike paths, installation of bike parking “U profile” on 30 locations, installation of bike repair toolsets and instalment of a bike counter, that displays the daily and yearly numbers of cyclists. 
• Establishment of two new PT routes with free of charge electric minibuses. The newly established lines cover the most exciting tourist spots in the city.  

Public relations:

• Organisation of promotional activities: several city cycling tours for all ages; organisation of EuropeanMobilityWeek; improvement of the information about public transport on the bus stops; traffic safety campaigns for different road users; competition for schoolchildren; celebration of significant dates related to environment protection (e.g., Climate change day, International park day)
• Public participation and information: conducting online and offline; maintaining a dedicated Facebook page, “Mobility in Kruševac” for sharing interesting news and events.

Online services:

Due to Covid-19 several self-governance services shifted to online:

• building permit and public bid procedures
• sign up children entering kindergarten
• registration for vaccination against Covid-19

To further improve its services, the city has started opening data on the national Open data portal. This way, citizens can see the visualisation of budget revenues and outcomes.

Energy efficiency

Schools, kindergartens, and health centre were renovated by the installation of thermal insulation of the building, replacement of windows, interior lighting, and heating systems. Additionally, solar panels for water heating were installed on one building. The aim was to decrease energy consumption and GHG emission. The activities were carried out in accordance with the city’s energy efficiency program.

Environmental protection

Regarding environmental protection, numerous measures have been applied: planting trees, arranging watercourses, building waste and water treatment plant, organising public campaigns. The Environmental Protection office and the Department for Emergency Situations of the city’s administration plays a crucial role in preventing the negative consequences of weather disasters and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Measures and activities for environmental protection are included in several strategic documents: Risk management strategy, Local waste management plan, public health plan, Local environmental protection program.

Measures for waste and water treatment include construction of the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Kruševac; improvement of services in accordance with the quality system; treatment of drainage and wastewater in accordance with the highest standards of environmental protection legislated by Serbian government; protection and preservation of the environment, reduction of harmful impact on human health through project “Plant for wastewater treatment of the city Krusevac”.

As another contribution to environmental protection, the city will plant 650 trees as part of the celebration of the 650th anniversary of the cities founding.

Experience exchange

For sustainable development, the exchange of experiences with other cities is vital. Kruševac is a trailblazer in the field of sustainable urban mobility in Serbia and gladly shares its experiences at conferences in the country and abroad. The city is a member of the CIVITAS and CIVINET Slo-Cro-SEE networks.

Sustainable development is a long process, but it is important to continuously move forward step-by-step. Besides infrastructural investment, the increase of awareness and public participation is significant. Networking and cooperation with other cities provide opportunities to increase the capacities and to develop new ideas.