Belgrade has its famous “let’s meet by the horse” landmark, while Novi Pazar is known for “let’s meet by the mushroom.” But in the city on the banks of the Raška River, that popular phrase could soon be replaced with “let’s meet at the smart bench.”
This interesting installation, which has attracted significant attention from both residents and visitors of Novi Pazar in recent days, is the result of a victory by the local government team whose Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) was declared the best within the “Green Kick” project.
The victory brought them a grant worth 6,000 euros, and the head of the Novi Pazar team, Malića Plojović, said that they decided to invest the money in the purchase of a “smart bench.”
“We chose this innovative type of award, a solar-powered smart bench, because we wanted it to be something innovative, publicly accessible, visible, something that would not disrupt the ambience of this space and that would serve the citizens. Of course, we also chose it because of its energy efficiency”, she said.
The bench, installed on the plateau next to the Raška River near the famous Novi Pazar Fortress walls, is powered by clean solar energy. Citizens can already use it to charge mobile phones, laptops, and electric bicycles, while free wireless internet (Wi-Fi) will soon also be available.
According to Plojović, however, the smart bench is actually the less important reward for Novi Pazar. The main achievement is the completed draft of the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan, a highly important strategic document.
“According to some estimates, preparing such a document costs around one million dinars, and every local government is required to have one, as the focus is now being placed on energy efficiency and the circular economy”, Plojović emphasized.
The “Green Kick” project is implemented by the Center for Development and Support (CRP) from Bosnia and Herzegovina, in partnership with Smart Kolektiv from Serbia and the Foundation for the Development of Northern Montenegro – FORS Montenegro.
The project is being carried out within the framework of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI), with the support of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN).
In addition to Novi Pazar, five other local governments participated in the project (Smederevska Palanka, Vrnjačka Banja, Kragujevac, Petrovac na Mlavi, and Šid). Through intensive training sessions and working meetings, they worked on developing measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.