On the website of Slaven’s Ministry, you’ll find a document proudly signed by Slaven himself on October 11, 2024, titled “Rulebook on the Internal Organization and Systematization of the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property.”
Let’s look at page 5:
“1.1. The Directorate for Spatial Planning performs tasks related to: drafting and adoption of planning documents (!); defining and adopting quantified planning objectives (?); development of a professional evaluation system for planning documents (Sveto Gavrov! And no one else!); defining methodologies and professional criteria on which planning decisions are based (!); providing study-based, analytical and informational foundations for the creation of planning documents; organizing early public participation and public hearings during the drafting of planning documents,” etc.
And then there’s the so-called Sweetheart Law (Article 34), which states that state-level planning documents are to be prepared by a business entity established by the Government would be the hopefully-soon-to-be-born “Agency for Spatial Planning of Montenegro” (AzPPCG).
It goes on to say that this entity may also perform note: may, not must tasks related to data collection, background material, and other documentation required for planning, and informing the public, etc. In other words, first, I’d bet all my money that Slaven’s team has no deep understanding of what a modern spatial planning information system should include, especially in terms of what kind of data it must store.
Second, the competencies of the (hopefully upcoming) Mićko-and-Slaven-run AzPPCG are not exactly aligned with those of the existing Directorate for Spatial Planning under Slaven’s Ministry, so expect overlaps and confusion.
And don’t forget (Article 12, paragraph 1 of the Sweetheart Law) that “For the purpose of spatial planning, the Ministry establishes and manages the national spatial information system, within the digital platform for spatial data infrastructure, in accordance with the law regulating that infrastructure.”
This means that the Ministry manages the system directly, not indirectly via the hoped-for AzPPCG which would arguably make more sense. Also, under Article 130, paragraph 1, item 11, whether the Mićko-and-Slaven Agency is even authorized to prepare planning documents under this Sweetheart Law is not up to Mićko or Slaven to decide but rather (drumroll, please): the urban planning inspector!
So maybe it’s time we as a technically extinct profession scratched our collective heads and considered a career change… to waiting tables. Because this? This barely makes sense anymore.
Still don’t believe me? Check the Spatial Planning Act of our fraternal Republic of Croatia and see what it says on the matters I’ve mentioned.
And let’s not forget: we’re yet to see who Mićko Spajić (aka The State) will appoint to head the future (God willing) AzPPCG. One thing seems clear real planning and urbanism haven’t existed here since late antiquity. Which also means the conditions haven’t existed to develop professional planners and urbanists who could now, at this complex moment, take on the responsibility of spatial planning in Montenegro our mother, may she be blessed and glorified.
If you don’t believe me, ask Sveto Gavrov or better yet, just look out the window. No need to ask anyone anything.
It also wouldn’t hurt if someone preferably someone younger from Slaven’s Directorate for Spatial Planning (which is, after all, responsible for drafting laws and bylaws related to spatial planning) could harmonize the newly ratified Law on the Ratification of the Agreement on Cooperation in Tourism and Real Estate Development between the Government of Montenegro and the Government of the United Arab Emirates with the so-called Sweetheart planning laws. Just for the sake of form. So we know where we stand. So we can stop bothering with spatial planning if we don’t have to. If Mićko (aka The State) has already decided to take full control of spatial policy.
Written by our correspondent A.A.
