Phase 0 as a Field for Establishing Common Interest: An Innovative Methodology for Sustainable Urban Regeneration in Serbia

Urban regeneration in Serbia is shaped by complex and competing public, private, professional and community interests, while the existing planning framework lacks a structured pre-planning methodology for examining these interests, contextual conditions and alternative development trajectories before formal planning decisions are made. This study aimed to address this gap and support the articulation of common interest in sustainable urban regeneration. The research synthesised an analysis of the Serbian regulatory and strategic framework and a review of international policy frameworks into a set of methodological requirements, which were translated into an operational Phase 0 framework comprising an analytical layer, a strategic layer and subsequent implementation through existing planning and design instruments. The resulting methodological framework integrates interdisciplinary spatial analysis, stakeholder and interest identification, measurable and interpretative indicators, scenario development and evaluation, and the formulation of a documented strategic orientation. The principal contribution lies in the integration of these otherwise distinct analytical, participatory and scenario-based functions into a single pre-planning framework in which objectives, alternatives, trade-offs and potential consequences can be examined while development directions remain open to revision. The proposed methodology provides a basis for more transparent and anticipatory decision-making in Serbian urban regeneration.