Summary:

The Beautiful Cetinje project deals with economic revitalization of the Old Royal Capital through urban reconstruction of the cultural heritage. We do so by implementing energy efficiency measures, providing vocational trainings, supporting small businesses and encouraging green design ideas and innovation in overall urban development.

Cetinje, the old Montenegrin royal capital, also known as the “City of museums”, holds great potential for growth of cultural and nature-based tourism. The public spaces of Cetinje, including its streets, plazas, parks, public buildings and institutions have a great potential to become major destinations and engines of economic life, attracting and supporting both residents and tourists.

Objectives:

The overall objective is to support underdeveloped municipalities lead the process of economic revitalization trough urban reconstruction. The re-use and improvement of the existing resources, both material and human resources, implies that the concept is not only building on the three pillars of sustainability i.e. environmental, social and techno-economic, but also manages to enhance the five capitals: human, environmental, social, financial and manufactured capital.

Activities:

Activities are organized around four general objectives:

• Supporting low carbon development through regenerating urban environment and revalorizing buildings of historical and cultural importance, by implementing energy efficiency measures and making buildings and infrastructure more environmentally friendly.
• Enhancing employment generation by increasing employability of long-term unemployed people through vocational trainings and creating new jobs, thus contributing to reduction of unemployment rate; Encouraging small and medium entrepreneurship and self-employment trough providing support to “green-business” and “greening” existing business.
• Encouraging green design ideas and innovation in overall urban development. 
• Cultural heritage restoration and valorisation related to restoration and valorisation of buildings that are part of cultural heritage.

Expected results:

Beautiful Cetinje project seeks to economically revitalize the city through a variety of measures aimed at support to small business, renovation and adaptation of buildings and public spaces that are part of historical and cultural heritage. This is in order to preserve them, but also to improve them by implementing energy–efficiency measures and sustainable design ideas, thus making buildings and public spaces more environmentally friendly. Additionally, this project will create opportunity for vocational trainings in specific construction skills to significant number of unemployed people in Cetinje, which will then have the opportunity to apply for new temporary or permanent jobs. Subsequently, they can be hired by companies contracted by the project to refurbish and further maintain chosen buildings and public spaces.

In the period from 2011-2018, we achieved the following:

• Reconstructed the main city square – King’s Nikola square - 2011;
• Retrofitted the Music Academy building with energy efficiency measures - 2011/2012;
• Reconstruction of roof of the ex-Russian Embassy building – 2012; Developed main design for retrofitting of the ex-Russian Embassy and started reconstruction works – 2014; Reconstruction of the former Russian Embassy building - 2015/2017; Main design of the interior of the ex-Russian Embassy for the needs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – 2018.
• Development of conservation project of the old hospital “Danilo I” – 2012 and, its reconstruction - 2013/2014;
• Developed main technical design for 2 park areas in the central zone of Cetinje (Njegos park and 13th July park) – 2013;
• Geodetic survey of the Cable Car Route (Kotor-Lovcen-Cetinje) – 2013;
• Developed main technical design of 3 streets at the entrance to Cetinje - 2012/2013 and their reconstruction - 2013/2015;
• Conservation works and lighting of Historical Monument in Ljubotinj – 2015;
• Main design for reconstruction of Student Square with underground garage – 2015;
• Energy audit of the ex-Kosuta building – 2016; Emergency rehabilitation and adaptation of the ex Kosuta building – 2016; Main design for reconstruction of ex Kosuta building, with interior – 2017;
• Reconstruction of the old Mlin Ivan Crnojevic - 2017/2018

In addition, a number of other activities within the project were implemented, such as: student competitions for urban development design; ten unemployed people from Cetinje were trained for energy-efficient reconstruction; two ideas of “green” design for urban development of Cetinje were realized – the design for reconstruction of an old green market in the historic core of Cetinje, and the design for urban improvement and assessment of the Vrtjeljka hill, etc.