The hall of the Local Community Center 1 in Banja Luka was filled at the forum "Public Space is Our Space", which was organized last night by the citizens' group "Za Plan" as part of the "For the City Together" campaign, which they are implementing with the support of the Pragg project.

For more than two hours, citizens, representatives of the professional community, and activists discussed how parks, green spaces, playgrounds, squares, the Vrbas River, and other public spaces are planned and developed in Banja Luka, as well as how citizens can have a greater role in making decisions regarding the spaces they use every day.

Representatives of the settlements of Rosulje, Obilićevo, and Aleja Centar presented examples and the problems they face regarding public spaces, pointing out the need for citizens to be involved much earlier in the planning and development processes.

Through their presentations, they highlighted the importance of preserving green spaces, transparent planning, and the timely involvement of citizens in processes that directly affect the spaces they use every day.

The presentations were followed by a panel discussion with the participation of Prof. Dr. Igor Kuvač, Prof. Dr. Ljiljana Došenović, and the representative of the citizens' group "Za Plan," Sanda Vukojević.

During the discussion, it was repeatedly emphasized that public space is a matter of quality of life, health, environmental protection, and how we want our city to develop, not just a matter of the physical characteristics.

The message heard throughout the forum was that citizens do not want to be asked later in the process, when the plans are completed, or when the works begin. They want to be involved in time, while there is still an opportunity to discuss different solutions.

The participants' common conclusion was that Banja Luka needs more transparent and open planning processes, as well as greater participation of citizens and the professional public in decision-making about the development of public and green spaces.

The "Public Space is Our Space" forum is part of the "For the City Together" campaign, which aims to improve the participation of citizens and the professional public in planning and developing public and green spaces in Banja Luka.