The Role of Urban Design in Creating Resilient Public Open Spaces Surrounding Urban Small Watercourses: A Case Study of the Kumodraz Stream in Belgrade

Small urban watercourses, often neglected and underdeveloped, have the potential to become integrated parts of the network of urban open public spaces. In this process, urban design plays the key role in their functioning and resilience, strengthening their capacity as high-quality open spaces. The current principles and roles of urban design only partially meet the requirements in making these spaces resilient. This article questions the existing principles and roles of the current practice and proposes a different perspective on the urban design of open public spaces surrounding small urban watercourses, within a framework of socio-ecological resilience. The research consisted of two parts. In the first part, based on both the specific characteristics of the public open spaces surrounding small urban watercourses and discussions of their quality, framed by the concept of socio-ecological resilience, a set of attributes was developed that defined their quality. In the second part, this set was tested through a case study of the Kumodraz stream in Belgrade, Serbia and translated into responsive urban design guidelines in a specific context. This was supported by a pilot survey of 346 potential users of the location. The findings of the case study show that urban design occupies a redefined and very specific position in the revitalization process of open public spaces surrounding small urban watercourses. In addition to its fundamental role in increasing the capacity of spaces and creating high-quality open spaces, it also helps to establish an integrated approach to the revitalization of the spaces surrounding small urban watercourses in a local context.