This interview is a special support to hers spontaneous and symbolic gesture. However, we discussed with a man who is not one of those who are only famous by being celebrities and by nothing else. This interview is a special support to hers spontaneous and symbolic gesture. However, we talked with a man who doesn’t belong to the ones who are only famous by being celebrity. Branko Bojovic, an architect may, with a clean conscience, say that he is one of those who have been  working very hard all their lives.  Certainly, Mika Brzezinski has not been a motive to talk with an architect, Mr. Branko Bojovic. Government of RS adopted the Proposal of Spatial Plan up to 2015 year, and final activities about the adoption of this very important strategically document are in completion phase. Since, Mr. Bojovic is the leader of team for preparation of this Plan, during our discussion we have been focused just on Spatial Plan.

• Why do we designate the spatial plan as one of the most significant strategically documents?

Branko Bojovic, B.Sc. Architecture:

Team that participated in preparation of the Plan accepted the standpoint, which I have already explained a several times, and that is the following one:
Every political territory – country, region, entity, municipality …has two the most relevant element of structure: population (all that has been done, it must be done for humans) and space, and space is a living space of people. Those people live in this territory, and must be related to that territory, in some way.  And, citizen of RS can’t be related towards territory of RS, in same way as towards territory of Alaska.    Since, that is his living space in which he fulfills his own needs, where he lives and works and where his children growing up …he must develop that area in accordance with his own interests, requirements, in the way how he can do it and in accordance with his own possibilities. And, this is why:
Man (a social being) may intervene in space, may build it up, as much as his income allows. He may invest in railways, roads, sewage, water supply, production facilities…
And that is why the space is so important. All that man works should be worked out in the way that it doesn’t cause any damage in space. Because damage within the space is to people’s disadvantage.  Thus, if you pollute soil, air and  water, you caused the damage to people who directly or indirectly depending on that space. In terms of that, space is socially important category as much as a man, who is certainly a primary one, because all is done for his needs.

• Does the prolongation of this document adoption have the negative consequences on its quality and application?

Branko Bojovic, B.Sc. Architecture: No, it doesn’t have, because of the following reasons:
We tried with sector’s analyses to complete all that, which Law and Rule book passed on basis of the Law foresee. In meantime, it came a new Government that brought new programs. We wanted all that was brought by Government  to be included in our Plan, and because of that the Prime Minister prolonged the deadline. In that period, it turned up some other initiatives that could be of significance for Republic of Srpska.

Namely, we had planned even before this prolongation of the deadline, for example the gas line from Bijeljina to Novi through Posavina, but as primary gas line. In addition, it appeared a Russian interest to construct the gas line from Burgas and we think that is a favorable chance in terms of energy politics of Russia, which Republic of Srpska may use and not construct the primary gas line, but at same time to construct transit gas line with the same function, but to get income from transit, i.e. gas. Therefore, I think that we got a quality thanks to the prolongation of the Plan. 

• Can you set aside a few significant strategically moments planned with Spatial Plan, which will significantly raise a quality of living in RS, and are you generally satisfied with quality of this document?

Branko Bojovic, B.Sc. Architecture: I am pleased with what we have done, although, I must say it put unusually great effort into preparation of this document. Up to now, I prepared over one hundred of planning elaborates, from the small plans for villages up to Spatial plan of Republic of Serbia, but for Spatial plan of RS many difficulties arose.    Republic of Srpska is part of former Bosnia and Herzegovina with incomplete information for planning needs. Thus, this is politically young territory. It has all possible problems – problems of territory, problems of territory structure, problems of the lack of information, without census, without inventory of flats, problems of transition process where it had been lost many economic subjects transforming into something without a clear development identity.  For example, it used to exist the `giants companies such as Cajevec. Now, this big `giants` transformed, and only left a small enterprises that used to be the parts of giants, and now these enterprises are without any development vision.
We found in the situation that is `a quite fluid` and in that situation we achieved a maximum with enormously great effort and great time consumption.
Spatial plan is by definition a very complex document that must include all spatial elements significant for its development and construction, that is for population that live there.
We think that priorities of the first phase of the implementation of this plan are found within sector of infrastructure.
Infrastructures are different by its character – some are strict, hardly to adapt in the space, for example railways, and some are very flexible such as electrical and telephone installations.
In history of Balkan, during last 200 years, there are big territorial changes. Every change of territorial organization implied a different kind of infrastructure. Now, all complex of infrastructure adapts to Republic of Srpska, and firstly adjusted telecommunication installations that are the most fluid, and it is the most difficult to adjust railway infrastructure as rigid system.     We expect that the biggest changes will occur in the sectors of energetic and road traffic, because that transformation already happened in sphere of telecommunication traffic and post offices. In addition, we first of all think about roads that must be adjusted to territory. Republic of Srpska must get Juzno-Savska primary route connecting six – seven big towns – from Novi, over Prijedor to Banjaluka, Doboj and Bijeljina. It would be much better that the highway Belgrade – Zagreb was constructed south from Sava, and not north from it. From Belgrade to Zagreb, that highway comes into contact with Sremska Mitrovica and Slavonski Brod, and not with any other towns. And, south from Sava there are many towns that left out of any contact with this highway. So, they have to be connected on the highway now.
Second big change will occur in sphere of energy. Third big change will be intervention within tourism – in order to protect big parts of RS from uncontrolled and preserve for controlled tourist development.
And fourth big change will be in sphere of water management. Only afterwards, it will come to other things, I mean, in completely different organization and in some other way developed.

• How have you started to cooperate with Institute for Urbanism of RS and your engagement in preparation of SP of RS (+background about your career)?

Branko Bojovic, B.Sc. Architecture: I am in friendly relations with Milan Bursac  (I know him since 1970 year), who managed the preparation of Phase plan from  1996 year. We prepared dozens of planning elaborates. And, when it started the preparation of this document, Milan thought that I should participate in its realization. I accepted an invitation and we split management of different fields of expertise. Milan took over the field of population management, and field of regional development aspects.... I took over the fields of residence, economy, social service, monuments... Those fields are different by informatics basement...That is how I started to work on spatial pan of RS.
In terms of my biography, I am one of those people who have worked very hard  all their lives. I have 41 years of service – according to the decision about pension, and for 14 years I was teacher at Faculty of architecture in Belgrade, for 7 years at Faculty of geography, and for three years I was a volunteered as assistant at Faculty of Architecture, which all means 20 years of secondary service.  
Speaking about the plans – I participated in preparation of the Spatial plan of Republic of Serbia, which after 30 years of preparation had been adopted in 1996 year. I prepared many regional spatial plans for inter-communal regional municipality of Kraljevo, Podunavska inter-communal community. I participated in preparation of the master plans: Beograd, Soko Banje, Bar...and for many other towns. Generally, I participated in preparation of over hundreds of planning elaborates, from competitions, the plans for villages up to big territories, in terms of spatial planning. Therefore, I participated in publishing of over thirty urban planning studies, collections, monographs, atlases...and thirty urban studies, seventy domestic and foreign papers, over three hundred articles published in field of expertise. In terms of that, my reference list has over one thousand of activities carried out during 41 years of service, counting as well lectures, juries, round tables, discussions ...
Therefore, I have good references. Milan included me in preparation of this Spatial plan and I hope that I fulfilled my task.  

• Can you draw a parallel between the preparation of SP of RS and preparation of similar documents in Serbia, Montenegro ...?

Branko Bojovic, B.Sc. Architecture: I will give you only one example:
Spatial plan of Republic of Serbia was initiated with decision of Parliament, with one Council meeting held in spring 1956 year. As a young engineer I attended to that Council meeting.
Republic of Serbia started the preparation of that spatial plan with the best institutions and the most skilled staff. And, then it came constitutional reform, amendments from 1968 year, and constitutional falling apart of Serbia in 1974 year, so provinces brought the plans, and Republic of Serbia couldn’t prepare the Plan. Thirty years passed, and then in 1996 year, Republic of Serbia adopted the Spatial plan. Here, for example, difference between spatial planning of two countries is the following one:
One year after Dayton agreement (by your measurement of time), Spatial plan of Republic of Serbia hadn’t included the chapter of economy at all. It started transition process, and it was not very clear what it was going to happen with economy. However, we made some maps and with great effort incorporated into the document. Prof.PhD Mita Perisic managed with Spatial plan of Republic of Serbia. He was a great expert in the field of spatial planning, but even he couldn’t plan the chapter of economy.

• What would be your recommendations – what would be the most significant economic resources, i.e. economic branches, which Republic of Srpska should strength in aim of development?

Branko Bojovic, B.Sc. Architecture: In guidelines (in chapter about economy), I defined it in the following way:
Republic of Srpska has three kind of resources – first of all people. That means, one million and 500 thousand of people of different qualification structure. Some of them are trained for highly demanding jobs, I mentioned Cajevec...
However, it goes from non qualified to highly qualified labor in different sectors of productions.
Second set of factors are natural resources -  forest, nature, ore, agricultural land. It is an illogical fact, that Republic of Srpska has a shortage of food.
And, finally, already constructed roads, energy infrastructure, factories, structures of social services...present third – anthropogenic resources. These three things ,i.e. people, natural factors and anthropogenic resources, followed by regional principle of priority development are key ones.
What would be the best locations for agriculture? For example, the best region for collection of medical herbs and growing of citrus fruits is in Herzegovina, and plump growing in Posavina. Currently, within area of Republic of Srpska there are some paradoxes: the largest facilities of sawmills are located in the area of Laktasi and Bijeljina, where there are no lumber mass. That is systemic deformation.
It can not be given a general recommendation. Of course, agricultural production won’t be developed in Banjaluci or electrical industry on the peak of Ozren. It doesn’t make any sense.
Since, the area of RS is a very complex one, it must be set up the rational regional principle, and to be determined the priorities.
RS must meet its requirements for food. There is no need to import the vegetables. It is senseless to produce pasta, and not to grow up wheat crops for pasta production. You don’t use energy of water a lot, and you could use it much better...
However, every area of RS should determine its own development chance, its development priority.

• How do you evaluate your cooperation with IURS?

Branko Bojovic, B.Sc. Architecture: I evaluate it as a very good. We had some minor problems with selection of collaborators...Otherwise, Mr. Roljic and Mr. Bjelica are two directors that I worked with, and who always treated us (the ones who come from Belgrade) in very professional way.