Urban Sensory Garden and Park, Sarajevo

The City of Sarajevo turned a decaying, underused plot into a garden and park combining sensory plantings with native species. Centred on supporting children and young people with developmental disabilities, it is described as a pioneering initiative in Bosnia and Herzegovina and was delivered with the Sarajevo Regional Development Agency (SERDA), the Municipality of Novo Sarajevo and a local vocational school. It was labelled a URBACT Good Practice in October 2024.

Designed primarily for children and young people with developmental disabilities, while remaining usable across generations by older residents, youth and neighbours. A local vocational school took part in planning and building it, and the content was decided through a participatory process gathering residents' proposals (UNDP's 'Re-imagine my street').

A public project led by the city and the Sarajevo Regional Development Agency, financed with EU Horizon 2020 funding and combined with UNDP's participatory public-space programme.

Reported outcomes are improved community well-being, better biodiversity, reduced water consumption and stronger social bonds. An underused, decaying area became a hub for people of all ages and abilities and a symbol of local pride. It is valued as a transferable precedent for designing urban green and growing space around children with disabilities.

City-owned unused land, developed by the city and opened as public space.

This entry is compiled from the public sources, official sites and research below.

• OfficialUrban sensory garden — URBACT Good Practice（2024-10-29） ↗urbact.eu