Daily population mobility is increasingly shaping the spatial organization, functional relations, and urban development of Serbia, while the processes of metropolization and the expanding gravitational influence of large cities are redefining traditional models of the settlement system. These contemporary demographic and spatial transformations were discussed by Marko Filipović, Research Associate at the Centre for Demographic Research, during a lecture dedicated to daily commuting and the functional transformation of Serbia’s settlement system.
Within the lecture titled “Between Place of Residence and Place of Work: Daily Commuting and the Functional Transformation of Serbia’s Settlement System”, contemporary processes of spatial and demographic development in Serbia were examined, with particular emphasis on the functional integration of settlements through everyday migration flows and the transformation of urban systems under conditions of post-socialist social change.
The lecture focused on the functional dependence of settlements, the daily redistribution of population, and the structure of daily migrants, including an analysis of the role of Belgrade as the dominant node of the national urban system.
It was emphasized that the traditional hierarchical organization of settlements is gradually transforming into a network of functionally interconnected spaces, based on intensive daily commuting between urban centers and their hinterlands. Particular attention was devoted to the processes of metropolization and suburbanization, which contribute to strengthening the gravitational influence of large cities, while peripheral areas simultaneously experience processes of demographic decline and weakening functional autonomy.
Analyses of the day-night distribution of the population pointed to pronounced spatio-temporal fluctuations within urban systems. Central urban zones and certain functional poles record high daytime population concentrations due to the predominance of employment, educational, and service functions, whereas residential areas assume the primary role during nighttime hours.
A special segment of the lecture was dedicated to Belgrade’s daily commuting system, which stands out as a key generator of spatial interactions and transformations within the broader regional context. It was highlighted that the influence of the capital city significantly exceeds its administrative boundaries, shaping functional urban regions and redefining contemporary patterns of population mobility.
Within the discussion, the need to integrate the concept of functional urban systems and temporary, i.e. daytime, population into processes of spatial and urban planning, transport policy, and urban development governance was emphasized. It was concluded that understanding these processes represents one of the key prerequisites for sustainable planning and balanced regional development under conditions of contemporary demographic and economic challenges.
The lecture by Marko Filipović was organized as part of the cycle dedicated to presenting newly affiliated colleagues at the Institute of Social Sciences.
