Deadly Urbanism in Serbia: Killing Cities and Creating Cities That Kill

What happens when urban development becomes a mechanism not for life, but for death? In her latest article, Ana Vilenica investigates the violent transformations of Serbian cities under the pressure of authoritarian governance, speculative urbanism and extractivist capitalism. Focusing on a tragic roof canopy collapse at the Novi Sad’s reconstructed train station, the article explores how deadly outcomes are not accidents, but symptoms of a broader system—one that prioritizes capital accumulation over human lives.

Connecting this event to a wider web of urban renewal projects, authoritarian governance, and infrastructural violence, Vilenica shows how state, international investors and private actors work hand in hand to “modernize” cities while actively dismantling public institutions and public safety. This is not just about urban neglect—it is about the deliberate creation of cities that kill.

The text also highlights resistance: student uprisings and efforts to build solidarity networks from below. In doing so, it calls for a radical rethinking of urban life—not only in Serbia but across the global landscapes of deadly urbanism.

📰 Read the full article here:👉 https://berlinergazette.de/deadly-urbanism-in-serbia-killing-cities-and-creating-cities-that-kill/