The new Spatial Plan for Podgorica, covering Zeta and Tuzi, proposes converting 3,600 hectares (36 million square meters) of agricultural land into construction zones. The plan acknowledges that construction on agricultural land has increased since the previous 2012 plan and that there is a high demand for land subdivision and rezoning.
The plan emphasizes that permanent conversion of arable land is only permitted through urban or spatial planning, and Montenegro’s Spatial Plan for the Podgorica subzone does not explicitly prohibit such changes. Landowners must pay compensation when agricultural land is temporarily or permanently repurposed.
Data from Monstat show that food and beverage imports for the first six months of 2025 amounted to €450 million, highlighting the need to balance urban development with food security. The plan suggests legislative and regulatory measures to protect agricultural land, including incentives for converting non-arable land to arable, reclaiming neglected farmland, discouraging fragmentation of land through inheritance, and promoting land consolidation.
Agricultural land in the former Zeta agricultural center has decreased from 6,957 hectares in 2012 to 5,878 hectares, a 16% reduction, while the area in Golubovci shrank by 31%. Urban expansion has largely occurred along major roads, merging settlements into irregular urban agglomerations, partly due to the lack of adopted planning documents.
The plan directs urban growth to existing settlements like Golubovci and Beglake-Golubovci while limiting expansion in other areas. Measures include protecting fertile agricultural complexes, organizing irrigation and drainage, and preventing further gravel extraction.
High-quality farmland in the Skadar Lake National Park area is subject to strict protection. Development here must prioritize intensive agriculture (fruits and vegetables), tourism potential, and the protection of groundwater, ecosystems, and natural resources. Mineral extraction is limited to areas outside the national park and intensive farming zones, with remediation and reclamation required in degraded areas.
