05. 02. 2024News

IPoP inventory 2023

In the year when gentrification became a buzzword in the Slovenian media, we noticed that the general public is increasingly concerned with many topics our organisation is dealing with. With climate change increasingly affecting people’s daily lives this is to be expected. In 2023, our projects and activities aimed to bring about a just social and environmental transformation through four main fields of action: sustainable mobility, governance support, community empowerment, and resilient city.

Sustainable mobility

Active mobility

Sustainable mobility remains a primary focus of our work. Last year, we concentrated on promoting sustainable and active modes of travel for commuting to work or school, as these travel habits are considered the most persistent and difficult to change. As part of the LIFE IP CARE4CLIMATE project, we conducted two campaigns to encourage active mobility for short distances. The Less than 2 Campaign aimed to promote active walking to school with three short videos. The National Bike to work campaign promoted the use of bicycles for commuting during spring and autumn. The Municipality of Medvode was selected from several applicants to implement the School Street through this project.

The Active Travel to School and Healthy City programme has continued to promote active mobility and creation of healthy living environments. We supported schools and municipalities in implementing the Walking Bus and Bicycle Train programmes. At least 3,700 children from 66 schools in 34 municipalities participated in the activities in autumn alone. A survey was conducted among nearly 10,000 children from 38 schools across Slovenia, with the assistance of their teachers, to determine their mode of travel to school on a given day and their preferred mode of travel. The results showed that 71% of respondents would prefer to actively travel to school, but unfortunately, less than half of them are able to do so.

Together with representatives from selected municipalities of Ribnica, Domžale and Slovenj Gradec and their selected spatial planners, we have successfully completed the first cycle of training for planning a walkable and health-friendly environment. The participants have gained a detailed understanding of the process of creating a local walkability plan. They also got to know the planning tools and methods through practical examples, which included the participation of various local actors.

Mobility planning and management

In 2023, we played a significant activist role in the preliminary procedure for reconstruction of public utilities and roads on the site of the future Ljubljana Passenger Centre. We have fortified our position as leading experts in parking management and mobility plan preparation. Additionally, we participated in the development of the national guidelines for preparation of parking policies and delivered training courses on this topic. Parking policies have been adopted for the municipalities of Nova Gorica and Zreče, and similar plans have been developed for the municipality of Medvode and Škofja Loka.

Preparation of the Parking Policy for Škofja Loka. Photo: Katja Butina, RRA LUR

Sustainable commuting to work has also been encouraged through projects under the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. In the TRATA 2.1 project, we prepared mobility plans for three companies in the Trata industrial zone in Škofja Loka (Knauf Insulation, SIBO G, LTH Castings) and supported the implementation of measures to promote sustainable commuting habits among employees. To enhance sustainable access to the tourist destination, we have created a Mobility Plan for the Predjama tourist destination in Postojna. As part of the SmartMOVE project, we provided mobility management training for institutions, developed tools for managing sustainable employee mobility, and produced mobility plans for University Medical Center Ljubljana, IKEA Ljubljana, and BTC City Ljubljana.

Last year, we became part of the three-year project Pop Up Urban Spaces with the Municipality of Kamnik as the lead partner. Our role is to assist international partners in designing and implementing tactical urbanism pilot projects. The aim of these projects is to promote active mobility modes and create safer and more pleasant public spaces for pedestrians and cyclists in cities. Presented here are some good practices for tactical interventions. As members of the Slovenian Coalition for Sustainable Transport Policy, we held a press conference in response to the planned road reconstruction in the Ljubljana Passenger Centre area. Together with coalition members, we organized a meeting for Public Passenger Transport Advocates to discuss the future of Slovene public transport, with the goal to increase the efficiency of public transport and necessary steps to achieve them.

Press conference of Coalition for Sustainable Transport Policy. Photo: Jan Šimnovec

Governance support

In 2023, Slovenian municipalities have once again demonstrated their eagerness to network and share experiences at national and international levels. The increasing number of invitations from municipalities to participate with them in projects is a testament to the value of our work and content. In autumn, IPoP received the pleasant news that we had become an Urban Contact Point (UCP) of the European Urban Initiative (EUI). Although the initiative is aimed at slightly larger cities, the Contact Point will focus on promotion of opportunities aimed at smaller towns and municipalities. As part of the National URBACT Point we are supporting eight Slovenian municipalities participating in ten Action Planning Networks addressing issues such as mobility, social inclusion, gender equality, and biodiversity. This is considered the most successful call for Slovenian cities to date.

Greening our cities! event in Krško. Photo: Urška Didovič

In November, we hosted the international conference on Urban Tourism in Kranj. The conference featured successful foreign and domestic practices of sustainable tourism in small and medium-sized cities. In the spring, we visited Krško, where we learned about inspiring examples of urban greening at a national event for exchanging good practices. In November, we supported the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning in organising the Spatial Impact Assessment conference.

International conference on Urban Tourism in Kranj. Photo: Tit Košir

Strengthening communities

With communities at the heart of our work, we aim to support cities and local communities in achieving sustainable development, facilitate collaborations and shape policies that aim to improve people’s lives. Last year, we led the participatory process and communication for the renovation of the old town centre in Škofja Loka. Furthermore, lectures and workshops on the revitalisation of old town centres were held for various municipalities. The focus was on finding solutions and tools that prioritize the quality of everyday life for inhabitants, local economic development, and effective management of parking, traffic, and public space activities.

Jane’s walk Melje: yesterday, today, tomorrow. Photo: Pavlina Japelj

Last spring, urban walks were celebrated again as part of the global Jane’s Walk festival, which has been coordinated in Slovenia by IPoP for the last thirteen years. As part of this festival, we had the opportunity of organising walks in both Maribor and Ljubljana, with the aim of highlighting the importance of walking and curiosity.

Resilient city

Last year, Slovenia experienced major floods, which again reminded us of the importance of addressing effects of climate change through mitigation and adaptation measures. Mreža za prostor (a network of NGOs working in the field of sustainable spatial planning) has continued to advocate for sustainable spatial planning in the past year, especially in the light of the increasingly evident effects of climate change. To this end, we organised the first edition of the Climate Planning Programme. The programme comprised a series of training courses for spatial planners with the aim of strengthening their capacities on how to implement spatial solutions adapted to climate change.

Climate Planning Programme. Photo: Žiga Kranjc

We have also worked to improve the professional management of trees and green spaces in the urban environment through advocacy. As part of our initiatives, we are striving towards the systemic protection of trees in urban areas. A literature review study on the economic benefits of green spaces was also conducted. In October, a conference on climate policy was organised in collaboration with the Plan B network for Slovenia with the aim of bridging the gap between theory and practice. As coordinators of the network Mreža za prostor, we continued to support a wide range of Climate Actions by our members.

Responding and participating in advisory bodies

We often comment for the media on current developments and spatial challenges related to urban development, public transport, and transportation in the central region, as well as the management of trees and green spaces. Among them was the cutting down of trees on Rožnik Hill and the removal of the old tree in front of the Slovenian national drama theatre of Ljubljana. The opening of the new creative hub, Center Rog, and other major investments in the capital city have raised the question: Who is the city intended for? Explaining the processes of gentrification in Ljubljana has therefore been a frequent theme of our public response over the last year.

Besides, we are involved in several government advisory bodies. Maja Simoneti is a member of the Climate Council and she participated in consultations on the draft Climate Change Act. Nela Halilović is a member of the Council for Sustainable Development and Environmental Protection. Both are members of the Council of the Minister of Spatial Planning and Environment for Cooperation with NGOs.

What comes next?

In 2024, ongoing projects will continue to be our focus. As experts in designing and preparing tactical urbanism interventions together with several Slovenian cities. We will also strengthen capacities of the cities on urban greening by organising an international conference on the topic in November. At the national level, we are preparing Integrated Transport Strategies for several Slovenian municipalities. The year appears to be shaping up to be both busy and interesting.