In this guest post, former USF International Fellow Dr Aleksandra Djordjević reflects on the lessons learned during her visit to the Research Centre for Territory, Transports and Environment (CITTA – Centro de Investigação do Território Transportes e Ambiente) at the University of Porto.
Before applying to the USF International Fellowships, I had never considered whether Serbia might be a country of the Global South.
Coming from a country where political power is often leveraged to secure individual, predominantly private interest through urban development, as an architect, I was aware that Serbia might not be classified as part of the Global North. However, I was uncertain about where we fit. After discovering that Serbian nationals were eligible to apply to the USF International Fellowships, which refers to the OECD list of ODA recipients (2024-2025) as one eligibility criteria for the scheme, I began to ponder the rationale behind any such classification—examining the historical context, geopolitical dynamics, and patterns of economic and spatial development. The clarity I sought began to take shape after attending the USF workshop at the London School of Economics in June 2024. During my first interactions with the USF board, current and former trustees, and fellows, I was introduced to the idea of an intermediate category—Global East(s). At the workshop, Professor Hyun Bang Shin directed me to the work of Martin Müller, who insightfully characterized countries in Southeast Europe as “not wealthy enough to be part of the Global North, not poor enough to be part of the Global South… but also not exotic enough to be the focus of research debates.”
This initial engagement with researchers from around the world not only deepened my awareness of the diverse challenges faced by the Global South but also profoundly shaped my interest in understanding Serbia’s position in the Global North-South discourse within the field of urban studies. These experiences also solidified my commitment to developing a book that explores the ethical dimensions of urban development in Serbia. Moreover, they reinforced my decision to continue working in my country of origin after the fellowship while recognizing the importance of fostering meaningful collaboration and knowledge exchange with scholars from both “poles.”
Before starting the USF International Fellowships, I was not aware of how much I would gain.
I applied to the USF International Fellowships to spend three months at the University of Porto – Faculty of Engineering – Research Centre for Territory, Transports and Environment (CITTA – Centro de Investigação do Território Transportes e Ambiente) with the ambition to prepare the book titled Unfolding the good in city development practice but without knowing how much I will gain from this experience. My sole intention was to focus on the book by transforming PhD research into a publishable format, but I ended up designing an additional research paper derived from the shared interest with mentor – Vítor Manuel Araújo de Oliveira, conceptualizing elective course curricula for the home University (University of Belgrade – Faculty of Architecture), participating in the conference in Brazil and meeting a lot of peers from the field with whom I will hopefully collaborate in the future.
Although writing a book is an intensely individual task that requires focus and solitude, the role of the mentor and the scholarship itself has influenced the exploration of how to present the research within a global academic and professional context. This process helped me identify which sections need to be elaborated in greater detail to ensure the international understanding of locally specific urban development practices. Additionally, the mentor’s generous sharing of editorial and authorial experience—from structuring to titling the book—has been invaluable. My research is primarily focused on exploring the intersection between ethics and urban development, with particular attention to how the notion of ‘the good’ influences urban planning and design. This research centred around the urban development practice of the capital of Serbia – Belgrade, contributes to the ongoing discourse on sustainable and equitable urban development within urban studies. I use ‘the good’ as a notion that is essential for planning as an activity in order to secure its legitimacy and as a framework for evaluating urban practices. I use it fully, understanding that it is an axiological concept that cannot be defined descriptively (cognitively). Accordingly, the book I am working on systematically explores how ‘the good’ is formed, identifying the aspects that guide value judgment about what is considered good. These aspects are perceived as magnetic poles of the moral compass interpreted as the tool for collective ethical orientation among the forces of power, public interest, justice, dialogue, morphology, and politics. In conjunction with the idea of the multilayered nature of good (minimum, optimum, maximum) as defined by different normative theories and approaches (Kantian ethics, consequentialist ethics, and virtue ethics), the book establishes a theoretical framework for evaluating existing practices and proposes a method for formulating recommendations aimed at improving urban development practices.
Case studies from Belgrade serve as examples of typical spatial development practices by the private sector (Beko/K-district Study) and the public sector (Stepa Stepanović Settlement Study), chosen as sufficiently complex to raise various ethical questions. The examples are presented not with the intention of labelling them as good or bad but rather to provide a basis for evidence-based answers and to demonstrate how recommendations can be defined to achieve different layers of good within the context of Belgrade development practice. Therefore, unfolding the good refers both to the exploration of its multilayered nature and to the understanding of how good is defined in urban development practice. Together, these insights aim to create a framework for evaluating urban development practices and methods to move from theory to practice.
This research makes a contribution to urban studies by challenging conventional narratives around urban development and ethics. In the book, I provide insights into how complex urban development practice can be assessed and how different levels of good could be achieved, using Belgrade as a case study. This work enriches discussion on urban ethics and governance and opens new paths for exploring the moral dimensions of the city, specifically in post-socialist contexts.
Before visiting Porto, I did not have as many life and career goals as I have now.
Lastly, the fellowship provided me with the opportunity to live and work in Portugal, a country with a rich cultural and historical context. At the CITTA Institute, I found a highly stimulating environment for academic exchange, but more importantly, I met people with whom I hope to have established lifelong connections.
Working with my mentor, Vítor Oliveira, not only provided invaluable advice for writing my book, but also provided strategies for positioning oneself within a field, and insights into leading a research unit. His approach to mentoring PhD students and academic rigour in research and practice will be particularly useful as I continue my academic career at the University of Belgrade. Overall, the experience enriched my understanding and clarified my ambitions, allowing me to have a more focused path for the future.