Scientific Basis for Examining Current Rural Situation and Rural Settlements as Potential Centers of Development in Serbia

Besides Spatial Plan of Serbia, the fundamental social prerequisite to the constitution of a rational network of villages of different centrality (functional and hierarchic level) is the elaboration of a strategy of rural development of Serbia. This ought to define the main long-term targets of rural development, prerequisites and conditions for their realization, the role of villages and rural economy in economic and general social development, as well as the long-term expectations with regard to the development of villages and transformation of traditional peasantry into a modern, market-oriented type, etc. From that point of view, the above scientific basis for examining the current rural situation, primarily its spatial-demographic and functional aspects, and rural development – so far and in future, within the context of selecting rural centers to constitute centers of potential development of smaller groups of settlements and territories, which practically means of Serbia as a whole with its network of hierarchically structured settlements – urban and rural, in which certain rural settlements function as bearers, initiators and regulators of development and positive transformation of economic and geographical environment. This type of scientific research has become the main development issue in the light of evident shortage of new, systematized and accurately formulated knowledge about villages, rural development and future prospects of villages in Serbia. Long years of meticulous research of our villages have provided a basis for activation and rational utilization of abundant natural, human (demographic), and material (productive) resources, which may be put to a multiple use within the context of developing a fully market-oriented economy. The degree of our success shall depend on the potentials and general economic interests at all social levels – local, subregional, regional and state (federal and republican). It shall, however, primarily depend on the size of social investment in scientific research, which shall reflect global social needs and particular economic and political interests. As noted earlier, there are both needs and interests to develop rural planning as an integral part of spatial planning, which is an asserted part of the general system of planning in Serbia.