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In recent decades, the paper industry has undergone many changes, making this industry more lucrative, "greener", and thus more attractive. Today, recycled paper is a key raw material for paper production. However, this intense growth has also increased the number of market players, making competition more intense and dynamic and causing frequent turmoil. In such an environment, planning procurement and forecasting the price of recycled paper is a big challenge, even for highly experienced procurement managers. In addition, paper production itself is a dynamic process that requires all key grades of recycled paper to be available at all times. Accordingly, managing the optimal level of recycled paper stocks is also a difficult task faced by the procurement unit. The goal of this paper is to address these challenges by developing a new model for the sustainable procurement of recycled paper in the paper industry with the help of the principles of strategic management. Specifically, we aim to enhance our understanding of the factors driving the complexity of recycled paper procurement management. To this end, we conducted a comparative case study in four European companies. To build cases, we collected secondary data on the sampled companies as well as primary data from interviews with top executives at these companies. On the basis of the results from the comparative case study, we propose a new model for the procurement of recycled paper that helps increase the accuracy of forecasting price trends and by extension overall procurement performance. In a nutshell, this paper seeks to improve procurement processes by reducing the complexity of the enterprise procurement unit as well as by offering guidelines for the maintenance of optimal stock levels of recycled paper.

Social enterprises are gaining great importance, since they can efficiently solve social problems and help reduce unemployment. Thus, it is important to discover how social entrepreneurial intention (SEI) can be enhanced. In this paper, a model of the impact of entrepreneurial education (EE) on SEI is formulated by relying on the human capital theory. It is hypothesized that EE acts on SEI directly as well as indirectly by increasing the perceived importance of social entrepreneurship (PISE). The model was evaluated on a sample of 400 students from the Republic of Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The analysis was conducted using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). In addition, a multigroup analysis was conducted in order to establish differences in the proposed relationship between countries. The obtained results indicate a positive impact of EE on SEI and a positive impact of PISE on SEI in both observed countries. The influence of EE on PISE, as well as the indirect effect of EE on SEI through PISE, was confirmed in Serbia, but not in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The results of this paper justify further government investment in the development of educational programs. This paper also gives recommendations to universities, educators, and researchers.

Social enterprises are gaining great importance, since they can efficiently solve social problems and help reduce unemployment. Thus, it is important to discover how social entrepreneurial intention (SEI) can be enhanced. In this paper, a model of the impact of entrepreneurial education (EE) on SEI is formulated by relying on the human capital theory. It is hypothesized that EE acts on SEI directly as well as indirectly by increasing the perceived importance of social entrepreneurship (PISE). The model was evaluated on a sample of 400 students from the Republic of Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The analysis was conducted using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). In addition, a multigroup analysis was conducted in order to establish differences in the proposed relationship between countries. The obtained results indicate a positive impact of EE on SEI and a positive impact of PISE on SEI in both observed countries. The influence of EE on PISE, as well as the indirect effect of EE on SEI through PISE, was confirmed in Serbia, but not in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The results of this paper justify further government investment in the development of educational programs. This paper also gives recommendations to universities, educators, and researchers.

Development of sustainable tourism is viewed through the scope of planning procedure, participation of all stakeholders, and resolving possible conflicts. The methodology is based on empirical exploration and compared two case studies of the Middle Danube Flow coast segment. The common denominator, apart from the location in the same region and on the bank of an international river, is the use of recycled land for the purpose of converting it into a tourist complex. This paper has a wider theoretical background, tailored and selected for this research purpose. Ambition was expressed to answer the questions of how to carry out the strategically set tasks at the level of detailed design and implementation, what kind of interactions to expect, and if it is possible to single out key approaches and steps and form recommendations for achieving satisfactory and non-conflicting results. The authors search and look for similarities among the chosen development directions and the decisions made which can point to a common methodological framework and options for creating an attractive, profitable, and sustainable tourist product. The conclusion is that desirable sustainable tourism can be reached through careful location and content selection, choice of adequate land use, and balanced alignment between protection and development. This paper indicates the possibility of an additional step towards a joint solution, which is not only a compromise, but is valued as being of high quality and desirable.

It is an indisputable fact in the world today that lithium is one of the key chemical elements of the future, one that is critically important for the development of renewable energy sources, electromobility, green industry, and the overall sustainability of our planet. Lithium ore, in the form of jadarite, was discovered in Western Serbia in 2004, with an estimated 10% of the world’s reserves. This paper presents the basic elements and methodology of the spatial plan for implementing the Jadar project for the exploitation and processing of the mineral jadarite in Serbia and the accompanying strategic assessment of the plan’s impact on the environment, which was carried out by the authors of this paper. The procedure for public participation during the development of the plan was analyzed, as well as the subsequent campaign by environmental activists against the exploitation of lithium, and the political decision to invalidate the plan and stop the project. The aim of the paper is to point out the dilemma that arises, in the opinion of the authors, when the problem of lithium exploitation in the initial stages is moved from the domain of spatial planning to the domain of strictly environmental activism, and, in the end, the political domain. The authors take the position that if there is no plan for development, there is no foundation on which to develop and monitor the environmental dimension of development, direct the subsequent design process, or assess the environmental impact for each of the planned facilities, after which process it is possible to make final, binding decisions of a technical, legal, or financial nature. The basic conclusion is that the issue of the potential exploitation of lithium, the most important aspect of which is its environmental impact, must be considered and resolved in several steps, while the role of spatial planning cannot be neglected.

Cultural assets in the area of the Danube Limes in Serbia are an integral part of the world heritage “Roman Empire Borders”. The research presented in this paper includes the tourist and cartographic visualization of 19 Roman sites in the Danube Limes region of Golubac–Radujevac, to determine the real possibilities of tourism development in this area. The historical and cultural heritage of this area is among the most attractive tourist destinations in Serbia, Djerdap National Park and Djerdap Geopark. Despite its diverse cultural and historical values and the specific and unique natural environment, this area is not sufficiently used for tourism. The research included the evaluation of localities, which may serve as the basis to establish which activities should be undertaken in order to plan, use, preserve, and protect such important cultural assets, under the principles of sustainable tourism development. Information based on spatially referenced data in the research process requires cartographic support, in order to understand the geospatial relations of the site significance. Cartographic visualization enabled efficiently systematized data organization, spatial identification, presentation, and the use of complex information from the mapped area in the data analysis in this paper.

Digital transformation is becoming more ingrained into everyday life and is a talking point among researchers today. It has been evident from the growing number of publications that have focused on various aspects of digital transformation in the last few years. Based on the number of papers published, one of them is of much less interest to researchers: the managerial role of Chief Digital Officer (CDO) inherent in digital transformation. Having this in mind, a systematic literature review was conducted to elucidate the CDO's role, duties, and required competencies. In this paper, the results and conclusions of 22 papers are presented based on the search criteria outlined by the Web of Science and Scopus index databases. It is obvious that managing digital transformation is becoming more important as digital transformation affects almost every sector of business. The purpose of this study is to examine the position of Chief Digital Officer in terms of its position, role, and responsibilities as well as its necessary competencies. The results of this study could serve as the basis for future research in this area, which judging by the relevance of the topic, will certainly be more intensive.

This paper will mostly focus on the analysis of the implementation of cookies and their impact on the data collected from users. The first part of the paper will describe the basic characteristics and concepts of cookies. Their functionalities, categories and possibilities for creation will be presented, as well as the role of the privacy management software and its importance in cookie processing. The last part of the paper will deal with the impact of cookies on user privacy, with reference to two important regulations related to the protection of user privacy (GDPR and CCPA). The processing refers to the technological goals and challenges that arise from the introduction of data protection principles as well as the possibility of overcoming the gap between GDPR and CCPA requirements and technical capabilities. Finally, a description of the general concept of cookies is provided, with the advantages and disadvantages of their introduction. Comparing the approaches of working with cookies contributes users' insight into their specifications in order to correctly draw conclusions about the implementation of cookies. The authors give proposals and critical opinions on safety and potential directions for future development.

Depopulated or abandoned spaces are a consequence of the emptying of settlements and the complete disappearance of the human factor in the use of space. The aim of this paper is to determine the size and structure of this space—clusters that can be considered abandoned at the regional level. In the focus of this paper is the space at the district level in Serbia, within which significant changes in land use occurred in the period 1990–2018. Time series of formal databases and data obtained by GIS tools were analysed in order to observe the changes in the structure of surfaces and to define the trend of merging or increasing the empty space during the last two decades. This paper analyses planning documents and strategies in order to determine with which problems the state identifies abandoned areas and what planning solutions are possible. A new method for calculating the homogenization of abandoned space is presented. The results indicate the homogenization of the abandoned space in the border regions in the south of Serbia, as well as major changes in land use, such as reforestation and reclamation of agricultural land.

The bioeconomy aims at decreasing reliance on fossil fuels, preventing or reducing climate change, eliminating insecurity, and efficiently using resources; however, fierce controversy exists on conceivable pathways to accomplish these objectives. The transport sector alone, which encompasses all other industrial sectors, has grown with regard to its energy demand by 50% over the past 30 years. The aim of this paper is to promote a dialogue as to whether an economy based on biomass can be more sustainable than today's existing economies, considering that the economy needs to expand and be boosted, while creating a cascading and recycling system. This semi-systematic review paper discusses four research questions based on findings from the last 20 years: (i) What are the crucial issues in the ongoing debate on the development of a sustainable bioeconomy concept? (ii) Where are the major conflicting points and focuses? (iii) How does the bioeconomy follow current urbanization and land-abandonment trends? (iv) How will the crisis linked to the COVID-19 pandemic change these previous scenarios? As it is not easy to currently predict which pathway will be the most effective, whether it be the one taken as of now or a specific novel pathway, this article recommends following a strategy that is diverse regarding its approaches to shaping the bioeconomy and further funding of renewable energy sources, along with the involvement of urban planning. In addition, conclusions are validated through a questionnaire completed by 51 experts in the field.

The subject of this paper is to determine how the COVID-19 virus pandemic affected the situation in Serbian villages. The task of the paper is to show the positive and negative consequences that resulted from the pandemic. This would indicate that some of them may represent a new idea, a chance, or would work in favor of the sustainability of the villages of Serbia. In support of objectivity, research was carried out among the population that inhabits the rural areas of Serbia. It examined the extent to which internationally recognized phenomena and consequences of the COVID-19 virus pandemic were present in the study area and considered the nature of their impact on sustainability. The results of the semi-structured questionnaire were processed using descriptive statistics, t-test, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Respondents contributed to the conception of possible solutions with their comments. The obtained differences in the answers resulted from different socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, but also from the fact that the villages of Serbia differ in natural and social characteristics. Respondents’ responses are in favor of economic and sociodemographic sustainability, but they do not think in terms of environmental sustainability. The paper reveals several development opportunities, which complement each other and contribute to different methods for sustainability of rural villages in Serbia.

This paper addresses the challenges of architectural higher education to cope with a state of continuous change within the relationship between heritage and sustainability. The initial assumption is that research activities based on design taxonomies—terms used in architectural discourse of heritage and sustainability—followed by fruitful analysis and discussion can contribute to the advancements in curricula design and development. Accordingly, the paper aims to develop a new methodological framework for addressing sustainability and heritage, enriching curricula design and assessment strategy. Data collection on identification and analysis of terms was carried out within the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership titled Enhancing of Heritage Awareness and Sustainability of Built Environment in Architectural and Urban Design Higher Education (HERSUS). After the process of filtering, interpretation, and comparison of project findings, a three-fold comprehensive analysis was conducted: (a) learning outcome quantitative analysis, (b) cross-cutting analysis of spatial scales and course types, and (c) synthesis. The paper results in the methodological framework that reinforces different pedagogical approaches to heritage and sustainability derived as a result of the applied research process. The main conclusions are concerned with the applicability of the methodological framework, designed for the improvement of existing and development of new comprehensive courses and programme contents.

The subject of this paper is to determine how the COVID-19 virus pandemic affected the situation in Serbian villages. The task of the paper is to show the positive and negative consequences that resulted from the pandemic. This would indicate that some of them may represent a new idea, a chance, or would work in favor of the sustainability of the villages of Serbia. In support of objectivity, research was carried out among the population that inhabits the rural areas of Serbia. It examined the extent to which internationally recognized phenomena and consequences of the COVID-19 virus pandemic were present in the study area and considered the nature of their impact on sustainability. The results of the semi-structured questionnaire were processed using descriptive statistics, t-test, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Respondents contributed to the conception of possible solutions with their comments. The obtained differences in the answers resulted from different socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, but also from the fact that the villages of Serbia differ in natural and social characteristics. Respondents’ responses are in favor of economic and sociodemographic sustainability, but they do not think in terms of environmental sustainability. The paper reveals several development opportunities, which complement each other and contribute to different methods for sustainability of rural villages in Serbia.

Social, political and economic changes have generated processes of revitalization of the built environment in post-socialist countries since the beginning of the 1990s; these changes are related to the physical structure of the city, its facilities and its functions, as well as the city landscape. Urban planning affects people’s quality of and way of life, as well as residential satisfaction with the built environment, especially that of older people, who make up a significant part of sustainable communities. This paper examines the residential satisfaction of older adults in terms of mobility—that is, their ability to move using facilities offered by public transportation and public places—in two neighborhoods of Novi Sad which have undergone the most extensive urban regeneration. This approach is different from the existing urban studies dealing with residential satisfaction, which makes it a contribution to the literature. Unlike previous studies—which have explored residential satisfaction at the level of accessibility to local facilities, safety in the urban environment and support from the environment—this paper also investigates the impact of movement in public space on the residential satisfaction of older people. The results show that the residential satisfaction of older people is low with regard to public transport, the arrangement of public spaces and traffic infrastructure.

The complex Krupaja karst system, located in Serbia, which consists of a strong karst spring, a thermal karst spring, and a borehole that captures sub-thermal waters, has been studied. A phenomenon which gives rise to the occurrence of karst waters of three different temperatures within a relatively short distance (about 200 m) led us to assume that these karst waters are formed within the same karst aquifer and circulate through different levels of karst channels that are zonally distributed within a vertical profile; this was confirmed by assessing the groundwater ages. Based on the development of karstification, as presented in this paper, as well as on previous investigations, explanations of four types of circulation within same karst system are provided. The results of measurements of stable isotopes (H, 18O, and 13C) and radioactive isotopes of tritium and T+He and 14C, as well as hydrochemical water analyses, speleogenetic spatial modeling, speleodiving research, etc., confirmed the assumption that these groundwaters belong to the same karst system. However, these karst waters have different residence times, i.e., from only a few days to over several decades and even up to approximately 4000 years, circulating through channels with various distributions along the depth of the karst aquifer.

Many European countries have faced the process of urban shrinkage in recent decades. Due to the various theoretical aspects of urban shrinkage, there are numerous approaches to the interpretation of this process. The most widely accepted of these refers to the demographic component as the starting point for defining this phenomenon, with the decline of the total population as the main indicator. The demographic shrinkage of cities in Serbia is a process that has been in place since the 1960s, with the dynamics of spatial-demographic and socioeconomic transformation during the post-socialist transition having exacerbated urban shrinkage. As a result, over 80% of urban settlements are affected by it. This paper identifies the trajectory and spatio-temporal patterns of the intensity and dynamics of urban shrinkage for the period from 1961 to 2022. The aim of this work is to show the diversity of shrinking cities and to explore the driving forces behind this process in Serbia. In this study, we conducted an analysis of population trends in 167 urban settlements in Serbia. Further analysis included the identification of contrasting spatio-temporal and demographic dynamic patterns characterized by either natural losses or out-migration. Due to the complex urban trajectories, a typology was created that distinguishes four different types of shrinking cities: continuously shrinking cities, episodically shrinking cities, recently shrinking cities, and resurgent cities. The results are important to achieving a better understanding of how patterns of local population trends change over time and space. The result will thus be a step towards explaining the main demographic factors causing population change and inter- and intra-regional differences between shrinking cities in Serbia, as well as towards examining urban renewal opportunities in the future.

Cost estimates in the early stages of project development are essential for making the right deci-sions, but they are a huge challenge and risk for owners and potential contractors due to limited information about the characteristics of the future highway project. While previous studies were mainly focused on achieving the highest possible estimation accuracy, this paper aims to propose cost estimation models that can provide satisfactory accuracy with the least possible effort, and to compare the perspectives of owners and contractors, as the key stakeholders on projects. To de-termine cost drivers (CDs) which have a high influence on highway construction costs and re-quire low effort for their establishment, a questionnaire survey was conducted. Based on the key stakeholders’ perceptions and collected data set, cost estimation models were developed using multiple regression analysis, artificial neural networks, and XGBoost. The results show that rea-sonable cost estimation accuracy can be achieved with a relatively low effort for 3 CDs for the owners' perspective and 5 CDs for the contractors' perspective. Additional inclusion of input CDs in models does not necessarily imply an increase in accuracy. Also, the questionnaire results show that owners are more concerned about environmental issues, while contractors are more con-cerned about the possible changes in resource prices (especially after recent high increases caused by COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war). These findings can help owners and potential con-tractors in intelligent decision-making in the early stages of future highway construction projects.

Farm tourism is often considered a form of tourism whose main characteristic is sustainability. Nevertheless, the existing literature also provides a partial approach, where the development of farm tourism is analyzed within the context of sustainable development and crisis situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the paper is to analyze environmental, social, and economic factors as vectors for the sustainable development of farm tourism by applying a specially designed SFT model. An empirical study was carried out on a sample of nine farms in the peri-urban area of the city of Novi Sad (the Republic of Serbia). Sustainable development was analyzed using dynamic social, economic, and environmental indicators with the aim of finding a model that could be used to ensure more stable economic income for the population, social equality, and environmental protection. By applying the SFT model, it was determined that the current position of farm tourism is not fully compliant with the aims of sustainable development due to its clearly dominant economic dimension and less developed social and environmental sustainability. The results were further analyzed with the aim of achieving a balanced development of farm tourism, which needs to be based on the continued application of the concept of sustainability. The results could be used by public and private institutions in the tourism sector, as well as creators of legal regulations and strategies in the field of sustainable and rural tourism, with the aim of further developing and improving its sustainability.

In this paper we demonstrate a new conceptual framework in the application of multilayer perceptron (MLP) artificial neural networks (ANNs) to bankruptcy risk prediction using different time-delay neural network (TDNN) models to assess Altman's EM Z ''-score risk zones of firms for a sample of 100 companies operating in the hotel industry in the Republic of Serbia. Hence, the accuracies of 9580 forecasting ANNs trained for the period 2016 to 2021 are analyzed, and the impact of various input parameters of different ANN models on their forecasting accuracy is investigated, including Altman's bankruptcy risk indicators, market and internal nonfinancial indicators, the lengths of the learning periods of the ANNs and of their input parameters, and the K-means clusters of risk zones. Based on this research, 11 stability indicators (SIs) for the years under analysis are formulated, which represent the generalization capabilities of ANN models, i.e., differences in the generalization errors between the preceding period and the year for which zone assessment is given; these are seen as a consequence of structural changes at the industry level that occurred during the relevant year. SIs are validated through comparison with the relative strength index (RSI) for descriptive indicators of Altman's model, and high correlation is found. Special focus is placed on the identification of the stability in 2020 in order to assess the impact of the COVID-19 crisis during that year. It is established that despite the fact that the development of bankruptcy risk in the hotel industry in the Republic of Serbia is a highly volatile process, the largest changes in the analyzed period occurred in 2020, i.e., the potential applications of ANNs for forecasting zones in 2020 are limited.

Adequate financial management is of great importance to the health care system. In the contemporary state of affairs, health care is facing numerous limitations due to drastic costs and growing pressures to provide quality health care. In such appalling conditions, the managers of health organizations must build skills and knowledge that go beyond the comfort zone of their clinical competencies. It is necessary to develop their leadership skills. Bearing in mind the importance of financial competencies, the general aim of this paper is to determine the competencies of the managers of Serbian health institutions (private and public sector) in this area. Insufficient attention has been given to how health care organizations’ financial literacy affects their sustainability. For the purpose of this prospective research, a questionnaire was created that surveyed the managers of various health care institutions. The results of this study indicated that managers of health organizations have a relatively modest level of financial knowledge. However, they participate in financial activities to a large extent. This gap between the function they perform and the knowledge they have can potentially harm the well-being of the health care organizations they lead. Managers of organizations in the public sector showed a more active role in the development of business plans and more frequent independent decision making, while managers of organizations in the private sector gave more importance to financial control, negotiation, and internal financial reporting, for the improvement of the management process.

Nowadays, fossil fuels are used in a clearly unsustainable way that can bring potentially catastrophic consequences. Electricity is currently delivered to end users by generation and energy transmission companies. Previous research shows that the development of modern circular economy sets a need for the re-orientation of socio and economic development of decentralized systems, including energy basis. In addition to being ecological, the use of renewable energy sources also has economic significance by contributing to energy independence. Citizens, industries, local and national authorities become interconnected within emerging novel renewable energy sourcing communities, through which they establish trade of energy and, most importantly, models of investing and reshaping the distribution of renewable energy. The modern portfolio management of renewable energy networking is aiming toward decentralized systems of trade, where the consumer becomes a producer (prosumer) within the network, itself managed by users. Excess energy produced in the micro-grid nets within the over-arching national and transnational energy grid should be accounted for and managed with blockchain technology for financial and structural security. The decentralization of the energy market requires the establishment of strict norms that will regulate the market and taxation of profits arising. The extensive literature review on blockchain in the energy sector reflects a very pragmatic and narrow approach to the topic, although it is evident that the distribution of energy within the blockchain would enable economic development through reducing cost and ensuring more secure energy trade. Blockchain technology embeds the related digital codes, in which information will be visible to all, but also secured from hacking and duplicating. However, there are challenges to this paradigm, not least the energy consumption of the extensive nodal mesh required to perform the necessary protocols. This paper ai

This paper deals with a three-component aluminum alloy AlMg4.5Mn that was welded using a GTAW process in the shielded atmosphere of Ar+70%He+0.015%N2. The weld-metal toughness was evaluated at three different temperatures using instrumental Charpy pendulum impact testing to measure not only the total energy, but also the crack initiation energy and the crack growth energy. Fractographic analysis of the fracture surfaces and EDS analysis of large second-phase particles on fractured surfaces at each temperature were also carried out. Fractographic analysis at different temperatures indicated a clearly distinguishable fracture mechanism. It was inferred that the absorbed energy was closely correlated with the fracturing of surfaces. Moreover, it was concluded that with decrease in the amount of microscopic voids and dimples, the total energy absorbed also decreased.

Tourism is one of the fastest-growing and most visible sectors of the global economy, contributing significantly to boosting a nation’s economy. Currently, tourism-led economic growth considering sustainable approaches is becoming increasingly important in public policy. Recent urban and regional studies have begun to focus on the sustainability of tourism from social, economic, environmental, and cultural perspectives. The research aims to identify the most important issues and barriers to sustainable tourism development in Uzbekistan and proposes the most effective culturalization strategies to overcome those barriers. This paper involves the application of Global RPM (Globalization, Rationality, Professionalism, and Morality) analysis in combination with SANEL HERMES (Sightseeing, Admission paying, Night touring, Experiencing, Learning, Healing, Enjoying, Rest and Relaxing, Memento shopping, Eating and Drinking, and Staying) model based on data from a variety of sources, including literature review, participation interview, tourist survey, and expert questionnaire to identify and classify influencing factors that show existing barriers to sustainable tourism in Uzbekistan. Finally, a set of culturalization strategies is proposed, evaluated, and ranked by experts using a Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix. The results of the survey have shown that tourism activities are currently not sustainable in a satisfactory manner. However, if the policymakers consider the relevant strategies and take this study into account, as well as its findings, then Uzbekistan can be made more attractive in terms of sustainable tourism.

The focus of this study is buildings for public purposes, specifically for higher education, planned in zones of spatial cultural-historical units. Sustainable urban planning in areas with cultural-historical heritage is a particular challenge since the higher education facilities themselves have their own functional requirements, which are much easier to fulfill in “softer” locations. The research objective is to prove the hypothesis that it is possible to indicate a prescription for the practical application of the theoretical model and define the necessary steps to achieve the best sustainable quality results in practice. The paper analyses the associated process, relational settings, circumstances, participants, and timelines, and it presents the results of final designs based on two parallel case studies of new capital buildings for the University of Belgrade. Methodologically it gives an overview of the context, referring to other research and examples, detailing chosen case studies, and describing their backgrounds, conditions and requirements, frameworks, chronologies, approaches, and results. The discussion concludes with theoretical models originating from the comparison of implemented steps in the process of creation and evaluation of architectural ideas and summarized similarities and differences, aiming that there is a common model suitable for further applications. The practical result of the research is findings about the pathway for the best original planning solution emphasized through the institution of urban architectural competitions as a mandatory step, recommending wider participation of experts in the process of evaluation.

Nowadays, fossil fuels are used in a clearly unsustainable way that can bring potentially catastrophic consequences. Electricity is currently delivered to end users by generation and energy transmission companies. Previous research shows that the development of modern circular economy sets a need for the re-orientation of socio and economic development of decentralized systems, including energy basis. In addition to being ecological, the use of renewable energy sources also has economic significance by contributing to energy independence. Citizens, industries, local and national authorities become interconnected within emerging novel renewable energy sourcing communities, through which they establish trade of energy and, most importantly, models of investing and reshaping the distribution of renewable energy. The modern portfolio management of renewable energy networking is aiming toward decentralized systems of trade, where the consumer becomes a producer (prosumer) within the network, itself managed by users. Excess energy produced in the micro-grid nets within the over-arching national and transnational energy grid should be accounted for and managed with blockchain technology for financial and structural security. The decentralization of the energy market requires the establishment of strict norms that will regulate the market and taxation of profits arising. The extensive literature review on blockchain in the energy sector reflects a very pragmatic and narrow approach to the topic, although it is evident that the distribution of energy within the blockchain would enable economic development through reducing cost and ensuring more secure energy trade. Blockchain technology embeds the related digital codes, in which information will be visible to all, but also secured from hacking and duplicating. However, there are challenges to this paradigm, not least the energy consumption of the extensive nodal mesh required to perform the necessary protocols. This paper ai

Construction, one of the largest global economic sectors, has been severely challenged by the economic uncertainties brought on by COVID-19. Since 2020, pandemic-related disruptions and remedial measures have made its historically low performance even more difficult. As a result, recent research mainly addressed these negative consequences on the construction sector. In contrast, this paper aims to identify mitigation strategies recognised as good practices on construction projects in Serbia, in addition to detecting disruptions and quantifying their effects on cost and time overruns. A particular emphasis is given to how the pandemic hastened digital transition and encouraged the adoption of modern project management practices. The research was carried out through a survey of two rounds, conducted one year apart, to obtain an in-depth overview. The findings indicated that, although it had an impact on construction projects, the pandemic was not particularly harmful, because of widely used remedial measures and modern project management techniques. However, the pandemic did not modernise project implementation substantially nor significantly increase the use of cutting-edge digital technologies. Nevertheless, it encouraged project managers to think about introducing new approaches in project management, where digitisation is the new normal. The research findings may indicate to academia and practitioners what strategies may assure a project’s implementation even in enormously changed conditions, such as during a pandemic.

The primary goal of this paper was to investigate the strength of the influence of different types of risk on the travelers’ intention to visit destinations in future, that are, prejudiced due to COVID-19, marked as “stigmatized”, “isolated”, or “risky destinations”. Field interview research was conducted at the “Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport” (Serbia). The results obtained by multiple regression analysis showed that all types of risks influenced the intention of travelers, with financial risk showing a more significant impact. Canonical discriminant analysis indicated that men were most afraid of human induced risk, service quality risk, natural disaster and COVID-19 risk, and they chose safer destinations. Among the women, the biggest fear was financial risk, socio-psychological risk, and food safety risk. Older respondents and those under the influence of external factors decided on safer destinations, while financial status did not play a significant role in predicting the choice of destination. The selection of the destination according to the degree of security was determined by the ordinal regression methodology. The entire research presents a certain novelty, because so far in the numerous studies on the topic of the negative consequences of COVID-19 on tourism, there has been no discussion of stigmatized or risky destinations that received that epithet, and were therefore negatively and unfairly marked in the minds of tourists for future visits.

This study examines the nexus between employee engagement and the performance management process using the example of Fruška Gora National Park, Serbia. The main scientific problem is to refocus awareness on performance management systems and to investigate methods to upgrade employee engagement. The paper starts with the main hypothesis that employee engagement is a main factor for increasing employee efficiency. The practical tasks of this study are to define the relationship between employee engagement and performance management processes, and to find out what creates employee engagement. Since national parks have a lot of specifics as an organization, we proposed that their employee engagement is much more pronounced. The research was carried out on 103 employees of the Fruška Gora National Park, Serbia. Our findings indicate that employee engagement is directly proportional to the feeling of belonging to the company; further, if employees feel that a superior appreciates their work and effort, this will also increase employee engagement. Finally, a successful performance management process will positively impact employee engagement.

This paper studies shopper acceptance for using beacons in the purchase process. The main goal is to examine shopper response to beacon-triggered promotions and propose a model that would help retail practitioners plan the implementation of beacons in stores. The model was evaluated via an in-market test to examine the effects of beacon-triggered promotion on shopper attention, technology acceptance, and the decision to purchase. The test was conducted in Belgrade, Serbia in 10 representative stores where beacons were implemented with 10 twin control stores. The SimplyTastly mobile application was used for sending notifications. Furthermore, two more in-market beacon activations were analysed in Croatia and Bulgaria. The results showed that shoppers accepted beacon technology and that beacon-triggered promotion had a positive impact on shopper attention, purchase behaviour, and the decision to purchase. The results show that the proposed model could serve as a sound basis for the implementation of beacon technology in retail.

In this paper, we assess the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the bankruptcy risk of a sample of 100 hotel companies and, consequently, on the hotel industry in the Republic of Serbia. The assessment applies to the period, 2019-2026, with the use of the data on the financial indicators for 2015-2020. Five novel structural time-series models, which have the indicators derived from Altman's EM Z ''-score model as predictors, were used, and a new conceptual framework for assessing bankruptcy risk is provided. The framework expands the applicability of credit-risk-scoring models to multiyear predictions, and it takes into account the dynamism of the transitions of the firms among Altman's risk zones. The predictions that were obtained when the Springate and Zmijewski scores were applied along with the Altman Z ''-scores demonstrate the fair applicability of the scores for the models that are introduced here. The results of the models were confirmed by 270 artificial neural networks and they were compared to the results of the classical time-series models. The crisis started to have a negative effect on bankruptcy risk in 2020, and this effect is expected to rise until 2023; currently, in 2022, the highest number of hotel companies may be headed for bankruptcy. Amelioration in the position of the companies cannot be expected before 2024; however, even in 2026, the risk of bankruptcy will remain high when compared to the pre-COVID-19 period and, thus, the surviving companies will become more fragile to any further exogenous changes. These results provide a basis for the adaption of state-supported measures and business policies in order to withstand the crisis and to ensure sustainability.

Cities worldwide are growing fast, compromising their surrounding landscapes, and consuming too much of scarce resources. At the same time, due to the changing climate, temperatures in cities are rising and weather extremes have become the new normal. Most (western) cities are facing a worrying loss of biodiversity, and inhabitants are more and more alienated from daily experiences of nature, the environment and food. To be liveable in 30 to 50 years, cities have to face these challenges and it is inevitable that they develop towards liveable green sustainable circular systems. This Special Issue focuses on the transition that this involves: which combination of social and ecological changes should take place and how can we prepare ourselves for these changes? We should be very much aware of the local conditions that enable specific solutions, such as culture, the layout of a city, the quality of an embedding into the surroundings of the city, and existing policies. We are also curious about lessons learned and how they can be implemented elsewhere. Both aspects should be taken into account in contributions to this Special Issue. Papers discussing emerging green practices that address themes like liveability, food production, ecology, heat reduction, water retention, and combine the strengths of the involved stakeholders are very much welcomed. We are, therefore, interested in integrated, sustainable and green solutions for multiple socio-ecological problems in dense situations. In addition, we are interested in whether these practices comply with existing theories of sustainability transition processes?

Mass housing neighbourhoods (MHN) represent the leading pattern of urban transformation and expansion in the second half of the 20th century, and accordingly evaluation, regeneration and redesign of the MHN represent a necessary and challenging task in the contemporary research context. In the practical scope of MHN rehabilitation, various holistic approaches and design strategies are identified that affirm both ecological transition and social transformation of these urban settings. However, the level of application of such approaches across Europe varies greatly, and requires research initiatives of a comparative nature that open a cross-geographical debate at the European level. Although there is a series of evidence-based studies that define the conceptual framework of MHN, i.e., large-scale housing settlements, through historical-interpretative and chronological analyses, the academic debate on practical and feasible MHN rehabilitation and their sustainable integration into the urban development of cities at European level is underdeveloped. The specific objective of this paper is to establish preliminary insights into the current level of MHN rehabilitation and to identify challenges for further actions through (1) a comparative analysis of MHN role models from the second half of 20th century, and through (2) insights from an implemented expert questionnaire. The research engages a comparative case study analysis as the primary method and analyses MHN in Germany (as a representative of Western Europe) and in the two ex-Yugoslav countries, North Macedonia and Serbia (as representatives of Eastern Europe). This research has highlighted the main obstacles and challenges for MHN rehabilitation and demonstrated the importance of a multiscale approach to MHN analysis, having in mind that through the distribution of design values at the analysed spatial levels (neighbourhood level, building level, and apartment level) the application of affirmative indicators within

Sustainable building involves reducing negative environmental impacts with a simultaneous increase in life quality. The aim is to optimize building performances while considering all aspects of sustainability: environmental, economic, and social. The building structure determines the building’s performances, and it should be designed and evaluated as a subsystem of the building, in line with the objectives of the system–building. This paper investigates structural design based on integrated design objectives within the criterion of social benefits for users throughout the use phase of the building, focusing on protection and safety, aspects of comfort, spatial organization, spatial adaptability, and maintenance. The problem was studied using integrative literature review methodology and system theory. The main findings of the research are a review and critical analysis of the representative literature and the derived conceptual framework for structural design based on the criterion of social benefits for building users, which should support more comprehensive and more efficient decision-making during systemic design and optimization of buildings. The presented integrated literature review indicates the need for the application of a systemic approach to structural design in order to create sustainable buildings.