Spatial and functional city structure with examples of Valjevo, Bor and Knjaževac

Abstract

Cities represent such social environments which develop under the influence of their resource hinterland, yet at the same time they vigorously affect changes in their immediate or broader surroundings, depending on dynamics of city limits change. From city origins to the present day, interdependences between its spatial and functional structures can be noticed. Historical context plays a significant role in city development, both in terms of its spatial structure formation as well as in terms of development of city functions and territorial distribution of urban services. Spatial structure of a city is also defined by a set of geographical, economic, social functional and other features in their interdependency. Functional structure of a city depends on its size and position it takes in the functional distribution on a regional level as well as it is related to the functional capacity of a city. This paper analyses concrete examples of spatial and functional structures featuring three Serbian towns: Valjevo, Bor and Knjaževac. From the analysis of their common attributes in this respect, the following can be noticed: formation of the case study towns happened around inherited historical city cores, which even now perform a number of public functions; basic road networks significantly influenced formation of spatial patterns of these towns; spatial development of the towns in the last decade or so was slowed down because of economic and social stagnation, which didn't show major influence on change of spatial and functional structures of the towns involved.

Gradovi nastaju pod uticajem svog resursnog zaleđa, ali isto tako snažno utiču na menjanje svog neposrednog i šireg okruženja u zavisnosti od dinamike pomeranja granice grada. Međusobna uslovljenost prostorne i funkcionalne strukture grada je prisutna od prvih njegovih pojavnih oblika do danas. Istorijski kontekst ima važnu ulogu u razvoju gradskih naselja kako pri formiranju prostorne strukture, tako i za razvoj funkcija i razmeštaj urbanih servisa. Prostornu strukturu grada definiše skup i uzajamno delovanje geografskih, ekonomskih, socijalnih, funkcionalnih i drugih obeležja. funkcionalna struktura grada zavisi od njegove veličine i položaja u raspodeli funkcija na regionalnom nivou kao i od funkcionalnog kapaciteta grada. U ovom radu se na primerima tri grada u Srbiji: Valjeva Bora i Knjaževca, analiziraju karakteristike njihove prostorne i funkcionalne strukture. Pri tome se mogu uočiti neki zajednički atributi koji ukazuju na to: da se formiranje ovih gradova obavljalo oko nasleđenog istorijskog jezgra u kojem je i danas mahom prisutna koncentracija javnih funkcija; da je osnovna saobraćajna mreža bitno uticala na formiranje prostorne matrice ovih gradova; i da je poslednjih decenija prostorni razvoj ovih gradova usporen usled ekonomske i socijalne stagnacije što se još uvek nije bitno odrazilo na promenu njihove prostorne i funkcionalne strukture.