Valjevo Walker: WITHOUT A CONCEPT

by Ljiljana Ljiljak, Valjevo Walker, Dec 2007

Translated by Predrag Milicevic

All interventions along Valjevo's most important and main street, Karadjordjeva street, have confirmed for a long time that hastily done work, whenever and whoever thought it might be needed, ruins the naturaly formed whole and degrades each value it offers.

It is good that Archpriest Mateja Nenadovic’s monument and development of piazzetta between Ilkic’s court buildings have permanently expelled parking from the narrow sidewalk. Unfortunately, the replication of what was achieved on the other side, from Valjevo Library up to the Central Restaurant, the so-called ’’Green Stream’’ has failed, despite good intentions. There is too much stone in a small space, so neither the greenery nor passers-by can breathe. It has taken a long time before architecht Branko Ristic and his colleagues have shown that the sidewalk need not be asphalted, that it can even be colored, that there is place for pedestrians and lines of trees, even for benches and small gardens. All of this on the left side of Karadjordjeva Street, opposite the Town Square, which still hasn’t been completely paved.

Nor were there thoughtful intentions when at the expense of the precious park full of tall trees with lush green tops, the only public green surface all along the street, the piece of land was taken away to widen the sidewalk. Now the depressing mass of asphalt stands gaping even when the cars are parked on it, without a clue why it was done and why it should have been done. Now even if there is a reason, the way it is done looks as though it emerged from some times gone by when the asphalt really mattered and made us feel to be a step forward.

The town has long needed a team for seemingly unimportant things, like sidewalks, lawns, curbs, litter bins, benches...To care about the look of the whole which is given its overall verification through its parts.