CITYLAB “FUTURE OF BROWNFIELDS IN ZAGREB – CHALLENGES AND AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO PROBLEM-SOLVING”

The City Lab “Future of Brownfields in Zagreb – Challenges and an Interdisciplinary Approach to Problem-Solving”, held on 24 November 2025 at the ZG Forum — which also serves as The UNIC Center for City Futures organised the panel discussion “Future of Brownfields in Zagreb – Challenges and an Interdisciplinary Approach to Problem-Solving” on 24 November 2025 at the ZG Forum, which serves as the hub of the UNIC Center for City Futures in Zagreb. The event aimed to provide insights into key challenges related to brownfield areas, including research, protection, regeneration, legal frameworks and spatial planning processes, while opening space for dialogue on future models of adaptive reuse and cooperation between the City of Zagreb, the academic community, and the wider professional and civic public. The panel gathered representatives of the University of Zagreb from several disciplines, alongside experts from city planning institutions and municipal administration. Introductory presentations addressed the scientific treatment of brownfield topics in Croatia as well as the current status, processes and development perspectives of brownfield areas in Zagreb. The interdisciplinary panel discussion explored spatial planning approaches, environmental remediation, protection of industrial and cultural heritage, legal challenges, and the social dimensions of brownfield transformation, including the experiences of local communities. Moderated thematic rounds encouraged the integration of technical, legal, planning and socio-cultural perspectives, highlighting the importance of coordinated action and knowledge exchange. The event concluded with a strong emphasis on the need for sustained interdisciplinary collaboration and stakeholder engagement in order to establish a coherent model for the regeneration and adaptive reuse of brownfield areas in Zagreb. As the first in a planned series of City Labs dedicated to abandoned and underused urban spaces, the panel contributed to building a long-term platform for strategic urban dialogue within the framework of the UNIC Center for City Futures. — brought together academics from several University of Zagreb faculties, City of Zagreb officials, students, and the wider public to discuss strategic approaches to the regeneration and reuse of brownfield sites. Designed as an open platform for interdisciplinary dialogue and knowledge exchange, the event fostered collaboration across spatial planning, engineering, cultural heritage, social sciences, and urban governance, while raising public awareness and generating ideas for sustainable urban development.