Ministry of Space

Belgrade

Ministry of Space (MoS) was formed in 2011 as a non-institutionalized activist collective stiving to activate different kinds of unused urban spaces through direct action and/or municipal negotiations. Several initiatives evolved into a national campaign that advocated for the more transparent regulation of public property management, one that is consistent with the common interest of citizens. In parallel, MoS developed other programs and expanded its organizational mission to encourage and foster citizen participation and mobilization in defining public interest in urban and spatial planning and urban resource management. 

MoS has supported numerous groups in opposing and reversing officially proposed urban planning modifications in their neighborhoods that were against their interests. The collective also initiated, organized, and led multiple bottom-up actions that addressed the specific urban development or common management of public goods. In addition, MoS carries out transdisciplinary research and educational programs in cooperation with domestic and international institutions and organizations. 

In this context, the collective: (1) produces relevant and applicable research in the sphere of urban development and commons-based research;  (2) participates in international and national scientific, expert, and civil society projects; (3) develops educational modules in the sphere of urban politics, housing, and urban commons;  (4) regularly publishes academic and scholarly articles that explore the potential of different social, economic, and urban practices;  (5) organizes international and national seminars and conferences on urban theory, urban commons, and urban politics, among other relevant topics.