The structural differences and nature of the social, economic and environmental challenges of small and medium-sized cities of the Republic of Belarus demand to address the Green Urban Development in a locally tailored manner. The importance of climate adaptation and mitigation at the global level finds its contextualization in the new practice of the strategic sustainable development planning that was introduced by the Green Cities Project.
The paper describes the research in progress regarding basic trends for territorial urban development in the future. It analyzes three spatial strategies for the cities of Navahrudak, Polatsk and Navapolatsk which were elaborated by the Green City Project as a structural part of the Green Urban Development Plan – a local strategy that integrated energy consumption and CO2 emissions reduction with spatial development. The main objects of the study are the spatial elements of the “sustainable urban development” paradigm: “land use”, “density”, “transport and mobility”, “public and green spaces”, “spatial model”. The article argues that globally accepted spatial models of sustainable cities appear to match with the Belarusian context with necessary adjustments under the influence of some external and internal factors. Finally, the paper offers key directions for advancing green urban development in Belarus.