Serbian Professor Highlights Human Factor As Key To Future Urban Development

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 19. The sustainability of cities depends not only on the quality of infrastructure, but also on social ties, culture, and community engagement, the professor at Union Nikola Tesla University in Belgrade, Darinka Golubović Matić, said, Trend reports.

She made the statement during the panel discussion“Bridging Grassroots Communities and Global Urban Expertise” as part of the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13).

“Engineering provides the necessary foundation-safe buildings, reliable systems, mobility, water supply, energy, and risk protection. But this infrastructure cannot be successful without taking the human factor into account,” she said.

According to Golubović Matić, urban development must take into account people's habits, culture, social ties, local knowledge, and the daily needs of the population.

“By 2050, engineers must collaborate much more closely with communities, architects, urban planners, and local institutions,” the professor noted.

She emphasized that the infrastructure of the future must be more adaptive, people-centered, and built with the participation of the population.

“The goal is not only to build durable structures, but also to create spaces where communities can live, interact, and thrive in the long term,” Golubović Matić said.

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