You are warmly invited to the IUSD guest lecture “Planning for inclusion: Lessons from Roma Housing and Settlement Transformation in Serbia” by Dr. Zlata Vuksanović-Macura of the Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, which will take place on Thursday 23 October 2025 at 18h. We will convene in classroom 9.06 in the K1 building; Zlata will join us online. Therefore, there is also the possibility to join online via this link: https://unistuttgart.webex.com/unistuttgart-en/j.php?MTID=mcdf731eb19ae04bddb2e390ace95d213.
The Lecture
The lecture examines efforts to improve the housing conditions of Roma communities, focusing on in-situ upgrading of informal settlements, relocation processes, and new construction projects, with particular attention to participatory and inclusive planning methodologies. Drawing
on research and project-based experiences in Serbia, it analyses the interrelations between social housing, urban planning, and community engagement in addressing structural vulnerability and social exclusion. The discussion highlights the challenges in balancing the legal, spatial, and social dimensions of improving Roma housing conditions and creating pathways for more equitable urban development, grounded in local participation and evidence-based policymaking.
The Lecturer
Zlata Vuksanović-Macura, PhD, is an architect and urban planner with experience in urban planning and the development and implementation of social inclusion policies. She has worked in various environments, including a local NGO, a public urban planning company, and UN-Habitat. Her research interests include urban planning, urban history, social housing and informal settlements, particularly the settlements and housing of the Roma communities. She is a senior research associate at the Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
