In Memoriam: Jelena Nikolić

The CIVITAS Initiative is saddened to share the loss of a valuable member of the CIVITAS Community - Jelena Nikolić.

Jelena was an active contributor to the CIVINET Slovenia-Croatia-South East Europe, as well as a member of its Governing Board. She worked as an Adviser for Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Urban Mobility for the town of Kruševac, Serbia.

Throughout her 10+ years of involvement in the CIVITAS Community, Jelena helped to bring a series of positive changes to fruition in Kruševac. In the words of her friend and close colleague Jelena Brković, "she was a genius, a visionary and a creative person, always three steps ahead of everyone".

Jelena was also engaged as a regional expert for sustainable urban mobility in the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SKGO) and GIZ. She also worked as an expert on smart cities and sustainable mobility at the Regional Environmental Center for CEE (REC).

Jelena and her team in the Kruševac administration are credited with the addition of Kruševac as the first Serbian city to join the CIVINET Slovenia-Croatia-South East Europe, in 2015. It was also the first town in Serbia to adopt a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP). The town of Krusevac was the winner of a European Mobility Week award in 2019, when the city centre was dedicated to pedestrian traffic only. Other sustainable mobility facets of the city changed as well, including the installation of new bicycle paths, promenades, public squares, city parks and benches.

It is thanks to Jelena's dedication to and advocacy for sustainable urban mobility, that many new members joined the CIVINET Slo-Cro-SEE and were inspired to make mobility changes after visiting workshops she hosted on behalf of the CIVINET. Jelena's impact on the CIVITAS Community will not be forgotten.
 

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