Sustainable parking policies for municipalities of Škofja Loka and Medvode

There is a challenge to create accessible and competitive transport conditions and to reduce the negative impacts of motor traffic on the environment and on residents in Medvode and Škofja Loka.  

Cities face increased daily mobility by private cars within and between municipalities. Cars are parked most of the time, taking up valuable space that could be used more efficiently and equitably for other purposes. The traditional strive for more parking spaces on public and private land attracts even more cars, which creates traffic congestion and emissions and has a negative impact on quality of life.

Cities are burdening their municipal budgets with costs of providing and managing parking spaces, while at the same time there is a lack of resources and space for quality public space and infrastructure, for pedestrian and cycling areas and for the public transport.

 The answers to these challenges will be sought in the project “Sustainable parking policies”, in which the municipalities of Škofja Loka and Medvode have been selected as pilot areas. The parking policies created will be used as a model for comparable municipalities across Slovenia.

Modern approaches of urban stationary traffic management are different from those of the past. Before introducing otherwise effective measures, it is necessary to rethink their implementation. With this project, the contractors, together with the client, the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy, aim to raise awareness of the importance and potential of managing stationary traffic. The project aims to develop national guidelines for parking policy at city and municipal level and associated parking norms.

 The project is divided into three strands:

1. Preparation of national guidelines for parking policy at city and municipal level
2. Preparation of a national strategic framework for parking policy
3. Preparation of a basis for digitising the implementation of parking policy

IPoP is a partner in Strand 1, which consists of the preparation of national guidelines for parking policies at city and municipal level, including parking norms in spatial planning, model ordinances and conditions for municipal spatial plans, and on-going verification through pilot projects in two Slovenian cities. The guidelines will provide a professional basis and assistance to municipalities preparing plans for the implementation of parking policies as foreseen in the Slovenian draft of Integrated Transport Planning Act.

In March and April 2023, we will carry out field and other analyses, a public debate on the experience of key stakeholders and on public perception of the parking situation. In May and June 2023, we will collaborate with residents to develop a vision and objectives and a set of actions. The parking policy proposal will be presented to the public in early summer, probably at the end of June 2023.

Duration: 04/2022 – 03/2024