At the place where Belgrade now has the Ušće park, until 2027 and the exhibition EXPO blocks of new buildings will be lined up. Hundreds of trees will be cut down to produce the bricks and concrete needed for the aquarium, museum, panoramic balloon and gondola station.
This is stated in the Urban Planning Decision signed by the architectural studio MITarch led by Branislav Mitrović, professor of the Faculty of Architecture. "Vreme" conducted an interview with Mitrović, in which he talks about what he saw of urban planning and the preservation of greenery in Belgrade.
This urban project brings an underground Aquarium, a balloon for a panoramic view of the city above ground, but also a gondola station to Kalemegdan, which seems to be still current.
The completion of these facilities is expected by the world event Expo 2027. The lex specialis was voted for this project, in order to allocate money from the budget without a tender. What does "Vreme" write about?.
What will happen to the trees?
"We have learned that in the coming days hundreds of trees are being cut down in Usce for the implementation of the project within the EXPO event, i.e. the construction of an aquarium and a natural history museum underground in the Friendship Park in Usce," wrote the Ministry of Space at the beginning of July. They state that the procedures that led to this are "non-transparent and unacceptable".
The petition to preserve the park has already been signed by 10.000 citizens.
However, the trees that have now been cut down are not directly related to EXPO 2027, Marko Jakšić, architect and activist of the Belgrade Remains initiative, told "Danas".
"It's about the felling of several trees that took place these days for the needs of running a hot water pipe along Mihajla Pupin Street and for the (unjustified) needs of a raft owner. The real, massive felling is yet to come and it is well known what it is planned for and how big it will be," warns Jakšić.
The planned felling implies a much larger area and it was agreed in the recently confirmed urban planning project, drawn up on the basis of the Detailed Regulation Plan from 2019.
With these documents, the construction of numerous other facilities is planned on the territory of Usce Park - a museum of 21st century art, an art plateau, a giant mast with a flag, sewage pumping stations, a footbridge from the Branko bridge to the Great War Island and another footbridge next to the natural history museum, as well as a whole series of auxiliary facilities and new areas.
Renovation of the coastal fort due to the construction of a pier for cruise ships along the Sava Quay is also underway, due to the lack of accommodation capacity for EXPO 2027.
When will the work begin?
The urban planning project for the improvement of Park Ušće was adopted at the beginning of 2025. As the aquarium and the natural history museum are included in the EXPO facilities, construction could begin very soon, pending the procedure for obtaining a building permit, just like the cutting of trees that stand in the way of the new flagship progressive project.
