Airport City in New Belgrade stands as a symbol of modern business aspirations in Serbia. Sleek buildings, international companies and high office rental prices define this complex. But beneath the facade of corporate prestige lies a logistical puzzle that frustrates employees, frustrates planners and highlights a larger issue facing urban development in Belgrade: the commute.

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Employees commuting to Airport City daily face a paradox. While companies pay enormous sums to secure office space and often additional funds for employee parking, the basic infrastructure surrounding the complex remains deeply inadequate.

“There’s no logic in how people are supposed to arrive,” writes one Reddit user in a year-old discussion that still resonates with many. “No proper pedestrian paths, no bicycle infrastructure, not even enough safe or secured parking.”

Improvisation Over Planning

The situation has created a patchwork of commuting hacks. Employees, unable to find reliable parking within the complex, often resort to parking at nearby shopping centers like “Roda” or in nearby streets, obstructing residential areas and increasing frustration among locals.

Construction works that are still ongoing additionally influence. Dusty trucks, noise, narrowed roads and blocked paths turn an already chaotic morning routine into a small daily process. Sidewalks are torn up. Bike lanes are destroyed. Electric scooter riders are forced to share lanes with aggressive traffic, putting their lives at risk.

A System That Fails Its Users

Airport City’s gated parking system adds another layer of complexity. “If your name isn’t on the list that day, or the system fails, you’re stuck,” explains another comment. “The queue can stretch far, wasting time and creating frustration.”

This bureaucratic rigidity doesn’t sit well with employees. Many refuse to come to work unless they have a guaranteed parking spot. Can we blame them?

Who Bears the Responsibility?

This leads to a broader urban planning dilemma: Should facilities like Airport City be held accountable for not providing green, accessible and inclusive infrastructure? Or does the burden fall on companies and their employees to “get creative”?

The truth is, neither should carry the full weight. Airport City and similar developments benefit immensely from public infrastructure but often fail to reinvest into sustainable access. Bicycle paths, pedestrian zones, reliable transit links and publicly accessible parking should not be afterthoughts. They must be foundational elements of modern urban hubs.

A Call for a Smarter Future

As Belgrade continues to grow and attract global business, it cannot afford to let infrastructure lag behind ambition. Airport City is a prime example of how prestige and progress can be undermined by poor planning. If the city is serious about becoming a regional economic leader, then developments like this must be held to a higher standard.

Prioritizing people over cars, sustainability over improvisation and smart planning over short-term profits must be a long-term goal.