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Abstract:The study presented in this paper deals with the definition and role of small towns in the spatial development of the Republic of Serbia. An analysis of the profiles of small towns was performed and they were compared based on their spatial and population characteristics. The aim of this study is to determine the role of small towns in the development of settlement networks and the balanced population development of a country as a whole by identifying their specific features and establishing a ranking of their importance in local and regional contexts.Key words: urban settlement, small town, role, SerbiaAbstrakt: Istraživanje u ovom radu odnosi se na problematiku malih gradova, njihovog definisanja i uloge u prostornom razvoju Republike Srbije. Izvršena je analiza I komparacija profila malih gradova kroz njihove prostorne i demografske karakteristike. Cilj rada je da odredi ulogu malih gradova u razvoju mreže naselja, kao i uravnoteženom populacionom razvoju zemlje, kroz sagledavanje njihovih specifičnosti i gradaciju značaja u lokalnim I regionalnim okvirima.

Long-term marginalization of villages has caused negative demographic trends in rural areas of Serbia, primarily through forceful de-population, unfavorable demographic structures and other structural problems. The term ?extinction? is the most often related to the recent appearance of demographic shrinkage and economic decline of villages. According to the last population census (2011), 13 settlements without permanent inhabitants have been recorded. The fact that about 1/3 of all settlements in rural Serbia is sparsely inhabited (less than 20 inh/km2) indicates that scales of demographic decline impacts are yet to be seen. The Spatial Plan of the Republic of Serbia (2010) advocates polycentric and balanced regional development. Creation of adequate instruments to mitigate demographic decline in rural areas requires clear definition of regional territorial units. Are they going to be NUTS 3 level, or functional urban areas, as spatially and functionally integrated areas which represent more suitable choice for addressing the issue of demographic and economic decline, or should concrete answers be looked for at the level of identified rural regions [Spatial Plan of the Republic of Serbia, 2010; National Program for Rural Development, 2011]? This paper will research these issues in the District of Zajecar with a good practice in Germany. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 47007]

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The paper analyzes the problem of refugees, twenty years after their settling to Serbia. According to population Census 2011, the share of refugees in total population is 1.04%.The most significant contribution of the refugee contigent are reflecting in quantitative terms (increasing of population). The paper represents the scope and territorial distribution of refugees, some of the demographic components were analyzed, including influence of refugee migrations on demographic increase of Serbian population. Changes were analyzed on the municipality levels in Serbia, according to available data for time period 1996-2011. Contribution of refugees to migrations are undoubted. Analyze confirmed that refugee contigent is no different then domicil population in demographics and other characteristics