Urban Planning as a Chance for Preservation and Affirmation of Historical Underground Spaces—A Case Study of Kosancicev Venac, Belgrade, Serbia

Kosancicev Venac represents one of the most important and most sensitive urban complexes of old Belgrade, which in the chronology of urban development represents the oldest conserved part of the city with a spontaneously developed urban matrix. One of the characteristics and specifics of the area of the Kosancicev Venac is the presence of underground lagums from the mid-eighteenth century. By following the requirements and measures of conservation and preserving the monument status of the area, a planning solution was made, with the aim of preserving, affirming, and improving the area, protecting the public interest, making conditions for creating new values regarding surroundings to include cultural, historical, and architectural heritage into the modern development of city life. The significant goal of the Plan is the inclusion of historical underground areas and tunnels in the planned public uses on above-ground surfaces and building foundations of the affirmation of Belgrade’s underground spaces as a tourist potential. By adopting the Plan, the conditions have been met for realization of capital facilities of public use in culture and higher education and designing the areas in public use according to the highest standards of urban, architectural and landscape design, and repurposing lagums, which are part of the history of Belgrade, for contemporary uses.