Zelena Istra: Urban Plan Adopted Without Public Participation Leads to Conflict

08 July 2008

The Zelena Istra environmental association accused the municipal authorities in Pula, Istria, of lack of understanding and resistance to greater inclusion of citizens in the setting of social and spatial priorities of use of space when preparing the General Urban Plan that will soon be submitted for adoption by the City Council.

Zelena Istra says that the low democratic culture demonstrated in the adoption of the GUP will only lead from one conflict situation to another.

`No amount of self-praise of the City Administration will hide the fact that this plan is purely speculation and profit motivated`, comments the association, adding that the GUP is a result of the monopolized autocratic government and its ties to private investors.

Numerous objections by discontent citizens during the preparation of the GUP are proof that spatial solutions do not respond to the interests of the community, adds Zelena Istra, for reasons that intensity of utilisation of space is not adapted to the real needs of the citizens.

The whole process proceeded without any public debate worth mentioning, and the citizens were completely excluded from the planning of their own development, says Zelena Istra, adding that there are more positive examples, such as the GUP of Bale Municipality, which was adopted with a general consensus, meaning that such plans can satisfy the needs of all citizens and development needs with simultaneous preservation of space.

`Besides infrastructural and environmental problems, the first negative results of this GUP will be felt by private citizens who rent tourist accomodation`, believes Zelena Istra, with conclusion that the City of Pula has denied the citizens their fundamental democratic right to influence issues that have impact on their lives.