Bosnia's Banja Luka and Novo Sarajevo move forward with contested urban plan revisions

The Inspectorate of Republika Srpska ruled on 31 July 2026 that all recent changes to regulatory plans in the city of Banja Luka were illegal because they did not conform to the current Urban Planning framework. The decision, prompted by the citizen group “Za Plan”, ordered the city’s spatial‑planning department to halt revisions adopted by the city assembly in 2021‑2022, including projects in the Vrbanja, Lauš 3, Kumsale and Ada Debeljaci areas.

On 30 July, the Municipal Council of Novo Sarajevo approved a proposal to transform the long‑neglected Bosna Auto‑Grbavica II site into a modern business‑cultural centre. The plan replaces previously planned residential blocks with public‑interest facilities such as cultural venues, retail, services, pedestrian spaces and new parking, aiming to revitalize the area and improve quality of life for local residents.