Magazine Lobyst, October 16,2022
Foto:Milica Šolajić Popović
Everything started with a boyhood dream. Predrag Šainović, a urolog and surgeon born in Belgrade, had his childhood dream. “I remember my childhood by the vacations I spent at my grandparents’ in Kraljevo, eagerly waiting for the races at Beranovac. I used to spend whole days by the track, fascinated by the sound of the engines,” Predrag told Kurir. Serbia Ring, in August 2022, announced that Šainović won the Endurance race in the GT4 class and claimed the championship title for the year 2022.
Predrag is living his childhood dream.And we others are dreaming. If you had asked me a few years ago to imagine and tell my dream, it would surely have been related to the most advanced technological wonders being planned, developed, and happening in the cities of the future on other, distant continents.
Then came the pandemic, closed the roads, and knocked me off the clouds. It taught me that what is around me is all I have. In fact, it taught me to see again what I had stopped perceiving! And then came the logical question:
Is it possible for my city to become a “City of the Future”?
Almost 54% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and it is estimated that by 2050, according to the United Nations, two-thirds of the global population will live in cities. From cities with just a few thousand inhabitants, we have arrived at megalopolises with over 30 million people, spanning thousands of kilometers and continuing to grow. Urban life is created by people. Everyone in cities—residents, private citizens, experts, politicians, activists, individuals—contributes to this process, and thus a city can grow and develop through the collective efforts of all towards achieving a vision of development.
That this idea is more realistic than colonizing Mars is confirmed by contemporary trends in state development, where local communities are expected to create development paths based on available resources, identify potential, attract investments, enable settlement, encourage connectivity, collaboration, and trust among people, and motivate citizens to love their city.
Predrag Šainović, a man who achieved his dream, said to the Sports Association of Kraljevo: “I regret that there are very few opportunities for motorsport in our country. Besides the significant financial resources required for pursuing this sport, the lack of proper racetracks is certainly one of the major problems. I hope, and I really wish, that in the future conditions will be created for the construction of a quality racing track, where even our youngest could take their first racing steps. With the construction of Corridor 11, the opening of Morava Airport, and the racing heritage of Beranovac, Kraljevo has become the most serious candidate for such a project.”
The legendary Beranovac Autodrome is part of a military training ground, located in the settlement of Beranovac, about two kilometers from the center of Kraljevo, on the road to Kruševac. The length of the track where car races are held is 5,250 meters. The track’s capacity is 32 racing vehicles. Since 1973, the traditional Kraljevo Grand Prix has been organized there. A tradition that has lasted 50 years, but not only a tradition, but also a strategic and clear vision for the city’s development from the past century. A great potential, a comparative advantage, a local resource available for future generations as a unique vision for the city’s development that we all agree upon, whether we are from the general public or the public sector.
We agree that Predrag would not have reached for world trophies without the Beranovac Autodrome, and how many more champions Beranovac could have produced remains only a matter of speculation. This space would not only contribute to creating champions, as the auto industry is highly developed and attracts and engages numerous experts, scientists, engineers, managers, hospitality professionals, and global stars.
But Beranovac is not the only thing we can offer or use to stand out on the world map.
Anticipating the challenges of the future, our city of the future could certainly offer a lot in the domain of building modern urban infrastructure that meets all contemporary ecological standards. The city has the potential to expand into the surrounding rural areas, where the preserved and unpolluted environment has great potential for organic food production, which could be quickly and affordably supplied to the population. Thanks to its advantageous location in the West Morava region, the basin plains and lowest valley areas are suitable for crop cultivation, meadow and livestock farming, and vegetable growing. Sustainable agriculture, which develops near urban areas and thereby delivers products through limited transportation, is the ideal of modern living. Many megacities will spend astronomical sums of money to achieve this ideal, but with good strategic planning and responsible management, it is simply achievable here.
In today’s world, water is the main economic and security issue of the 21st century. The United Nations has identified around 300 potential hotspots worldwide where international armed conflicts over water could break out. The most significant territorial asset of the city of Kraljevo is certainly the Goč Mountain, located about thirty kilometers from the city center, with over 250 sources of clean water.
Goč is one of the most diverse mountains on the Balkan Peninsula in terms of plant life. Thanks to its natural characteristics—preserved biological diversity of plant life and forest communities, beautiful landscapes, favorable climate, and abundant rivers—a part of the mountain has been designated as the Goč-Gvozdac Special Nature Reserve. Advocates of a healthy lifestyle, organic food, alternative medicine, hikers, biologists, students, and the general public have long been aware of the mountain’s riches, known for its forest strawberries, medicinal herbs, mushrooms, and wild garlic—ramsons.
In the modern world, high-capacity transit routes that speed up travel times are imperative. Kraljevo is located at a crossroads of major roads. We are witnessing the ongoing construction of the Morava Corridor highway, which, alongside existing road and rail networks, makes the city’s transportation position exceptional.
Most importantly, the soul of our city, without which there is no comfortable home, is the Žiča Monastery. A medieval Serbian monastery from the first half of the 13th century, it is located three kilometers from the city center and belongs to the Žiča Eparchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church. It was founded by the first king of Serbia, the great visionary Stefan Nemanja, who fought for political independence from the Byzantine Empire and the unification of Serbian lands into a single state. Situated halfway between Constantinople and Rome, it crowned seven Serbian kings and has been passed down through generations as an inexhaustible source of strength and eternal spiritual inspiration.
It is often impossible because it has not been attempted
Just as we have inherited great and bold visions for development along with rich territorial capital, it is necessary in our time to understand our place in the world, to recognize what we need and what we can offer to the world on a local, regional, and national level. We need to think about the future, plan it, and work together to create a new world.
But the story of the future is always on shaky ground because there are no “facts” about the future. Why should we even concern ourselves with the future when we have too many current obligations and problems in our busy lives? On the other hand, most people understand that it is necessary to follow trends, but they also believe that it is the job of other people. The very thought of involving your closest friends or colleagues in the story of the future makes you hesitate because, imagine the answer to the question – “Who wants to join me in the future?”
But the fact is that the future begins in the present. Belief in the process creates the future.
This is confirmed by the experience of Predrag Šainović, who shared his story with Nova: “While my friends were taking their first steps with the Yugo hybrid, I was finishing my studies and specialization, so I only got my first chance on the track in 2017.” He began his career with the Yugo, drove a Clio, and then made his debut in the TCR Championship in a Cupra I. In his final race, he won the 2022 title in a Mercedes GT4.
Planning for the future doesn’t require engineering precision. Do as much as you can, and that’s already something. Here’s what some people who have tried their hand at world championships have to say about it.
One of the world’s leading futurists, Professor Sohail Inayatullah, at the UNESCO Chair for Futures Studies in the Sejahtera Center for Sustainability and Humanity, told Diplomacy&Commerce magazine:
“More and more nations, especially in the Middle East and Asia, have developed strategic foresight centers. They gather information on emerging issues, opportunities, and risks, and present insights to ministries and executives. Public servants are increasingly becoming futurists who learn the tools of the trade. But this research is not just theoretical, as these centers advise nations and corporations not only on what is next but also on what to do further. They help adapt to a changing world while also fostering the trust and capacity to create a new world.”
When he became a champion, Šainović said: “I learned to not only adapt the car to myself but also to adapt myself to the car.” Both of them openly share their recipes for success with us.
WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY
Futurists predict the areas where the greatest investment growth will occur in the next twenty years. There will be a need for the replacement of infrastructure (roads, bridges, water supply, and sewage systems) that, from a global perspective, is a legacy from 50 years ago and realistically needs to be renewed. Climate change, which we witness almost daily, requires the protection of communities exposed to water surfaces, the relocation of entire residential complexes, the construction of flood defenses, and the development of new materials adapted to rising temperatures. New ideas, investments, and jobs are sought in the field of new energy sources. It is also predicted that due to global population growth, there will be an increased demand for rapid, efficient, and economical construction. There will also be a growing need for infrastructure that provides care and support for the elderly. Agriculture and food production will attract significant investments because, as predicted, changing temperatures will alter plant cultivation conditions, necessitating the development of new, more resilient, and higher-yielding plant varieties.
Global Economy and the New Spatial Division of Labor
The global economy has brought with it a new spatial division of labor, and in this context, the success of cities depends on their innovative and creative capabilities. Not only Kraljevo but every city in Serbia needs to reassess its resources and potentials, mobilize its public, and define its strengths. If we do not identify with the place where we live, there is neither the strength for success nor the unity or belief in a better future. In managing our cities, everyone should participate, freed from the prejudice that we are the periphery of the world. It is essential to constructively, productively, and coordinately create a distinctive local quality that we will believe in and push forward in the global arena.