The book explores how more integrated approaches can enhance existing planning practices and lead to more effective spatial and regional development. In the first part, the authors present methodologies for monitoring and evaluating regional policy, the results of development measures in the Koroška region, systems thinking and key principles for comprehensive regional development, the role of the Slovenian Regional Development Fund, and the identification of problem areas in Slovenia. The second part focuses on the preparation of the first generation of regional spatial plans, the importance of landscape concepts in spatial planning, green infrastructure networks at the regional level, and functional urban areas as a tool for monitoring the implementation of the Spatial Development Strategy of Slovenia. The book concludes with contributions on the Bohinj railway and macro-waste along rivers after the 2023 floods. The authors emphasize that sectoral approaches are insufficient to address today’s complex development challenges. Decision-makers must therefore strengthen cross-sectoral cooperation and support integrated planning approaches. The simultaneous preparation of different documents at the regional level offers an excellent opportunity to do so.

The book (' Demographic analysis and projections for rural and urban areas in Slovenia') examines demographic development in the statistical regions of Slovenia. First, we formed the demographic settlement types of the municipalities. These types later helped us in the internal division of the regions into demographically homogeneous areas, which formed the basic unit for calculating demographic projections. Based on the 2018 data, we made demographic projections for the years 2023, 2028, 2033, and 2038 for the demographic settlement types of the municipalities, for the statistical regions by demographically homogeneous areas, for the whole country, and for the disadvantaged border areas. Demographic analyses show the continuation of population density in the Central Slovenia statistical region and along the greater part of the highway intersection, as well as a decrease in the number of inhabitants in individual towns and extensive border areas. Thus, in spatial and structural terms, predictions made decades ago, when the authors began to point out the demographic threat to Slovenia and the expected spatial consequences of demographic changes, are coming true. We have compared the obtained results with various studies, and in the end, we have also presented a proposal for measures to improve the demographic picture and guidelines for the preparation of professional bases in the field of demography for the preparation of regional spatial plans.

Evaluation of undeveloped building land for residential construction from the perspective of public transport accessibilityThe paper evaluates undeveloped building land for residential construction from the perspective of public transport accessibility.By overlaying data from the land registry and generalized land use, we identified undeveloped building land suitable for residential construction and overlaid them with public transit accessibility data.The results of the analysis were presented at the national, regional, and municipal levels.We found that, considering projected demographic trends, the supply of undeveloped building land for residential construction exceeds the needs.In most municipalities, the proportion of undeveloped building land for residential construction in areas without public transport access exceeds the current proportion of residents without access to public transport.On the other hand, in all regions except Posavje, there is an adequate supply of undeveloped building land for residential construction in areas with suitable accessibility.

The European Union's Green Deal aims to make Europe climate neutral by 2050, boost the economy with green technology, create sustainable industry and mobility, and reduce pollution. Alongside environmental and economic goals, it also emphasises social justice and inclusion for all. The Green Transition is particularly important at regional level, as it is strongly linked to regional resources and its success depends on the potential and capacity of regions to transform themselves into green, sustainable and socially just environments with thriving economies. This monograph ('Green Transition at the Regional Level') is a contribution to this. The authors address the spatial aspects of the energy transition and the issue of local energy concepts, assessing the role of revitalising functionally degraded areas for the green transition and undeveloped building land in the light of sustainable mobility. In the area of mobility, the focus is on mobility poverty and the role of cycling for the green transition, two chapters deal with agricultural adaptation and area branding as an approach to rural development, and the last chapter presents the experience of strategic development and innovation partnerships, using the circular economy as an example.

The book Preteklost in prihodnost ('The past and the future') is the sixteenth volume in the GIS v Sloveniji (GIS in Slovenia) book series and commemorates its 30th anniversary. The goal of the volume is to present the wide variety of research findings on geographical information systems in Slovenia in recent years. Powerful geoinformatic tools and precise data facilitate research on processes and phenomena, and their modelling. The volume presents project outputs and research results in areas such as geology, geomorphology, hydrology, pedology, agriculture, natural disasters, environmental protection, geography, surveying, archaeology, transport, telecommunication infrastructure, tourism, cultural heritage, education, cartography, geographical names, remote sensing, and others. Readers discover new features regarding the applicability of geographical information systems and learn about interesting research findings in many areas.

V prispevku smo preučili, kakšna delitev na pokrajine bi bila z vidika Notranjske najbolj primerna. Analizirali smo centralnost naselij, dnevno mobilnost delovne sile in sektorske členitve, s spletnim anketiranjem pa smo preverili, kje anketiranci koristijo storitve regionalnega pomena ter kaj menijo o predlaganih regionalizacijah. Rezultati nakazujejo na dve skupini občin – občine vzhodno od nekdanje rapalske meje, ki gravitirajo proti Ljubljani, ter občine zahodno od nekdanje rapalske meje, ki gravitirajo proti Postojni in Kopru. Medtem ko anketiranci iz slednjih prednost dajejo povezovanju z obalno-kraškimi občinami, nasprotujejo pa povezovanju z osrednjeslovenskimi občinami, anketiranci iz občin vzhodno od nekdanje rapalske meje v ospredje postavljajo povezovanje notranjskih občin in oblikovanje samostojne Notranjske pokrajine. Izhajajoč iz strokovnih meril in deljenega mnenja anketirancev oblikovanje Notranjske kot samostojne pokrajine ni smiselno. // Inner Carniola in the regionalization of Slovenia This article investigates which regionalization would be the most suitable with regard to the region of Inner Carniola. It analyzes the area’s central settlements, workforce commuting, and sectoral divisions, as well as information from an online survey determining where respondents use services of regional importance and what their attitudes are about proposed regionalizations. The results indicate two groups of municipalities: municipalities east of the former Rapallo border that are oriented toward Ljubljana, and municipalities west of the former Rapallo border that are oriented toward Postojna and Koper. Respondents from the latter give priority to connections with the coastal municipalities, but they are opposed to strengthening connections with municipalities in central Slovenia, whereas respondents from the municipalities east of the former Rapallo border prioritize connections with other municipalities in Inner Carniola and the creation of Inner Carniola as a separate region. Based on professional criteria and the divided opinion of the respondents, the designation of Inner Carniola as a separate region does not make sense.

Because of their proximity to the border and their peripheral character compared to the rest of a country’s territory, border areas are often poorly developed (title: 'Promoting the development of disadvantaged border areas in Slovenia'). Therefore, regional policy pays special attention to them. In Slovenia, this has been the case since 1975, with ninety municipalities currently designated as disadvantaged border areas. To facilitate their comprehensive development, the Slovenian government set up a program to promote their development that will connect and harmonize the efforts of all ministries in developing these areas. Designing this program relied on past experience in promoting poorly developed areas and, to make the program as comprehensive as possible, the following aspects were addressed: quality of living, economic development, access to services of general and economic interest, demographic changes, sustainable development and mobility, cross-border cooperation, and an overall developmental or systemic framework to promote the development of individual areas. The basic aim was to establish how to comprehensively promote border area development. To adapt the system for promoting border area development to the needs of individual municipalities as much as possible, a typology of these areas was first produced, which made it possible to compare them against one another and, most importantly, against other Slovenian municipalities. Second, questionnaires were produced for representatives of the municipalities and representatives of the border areas’ residents. Based on the respondents’ feedback, thematic categories were defined in detail and examined through an indicator analysis. Finally, a selection was made, along with detailed descriptions, of measures that either together or individually could help improve the situation in disadvantaged border areas.

V prispevku smo preučili, kako problematiko mladih dojemajo mladi. Izvedli smo anketo, ki smo jo nadgradili s ciljno usmerjenimi intervjuji. Mladi kot najbolj perečo opredeljujejo stanovanjsko problematiko, sledijo druženje, medosebni odnosi in vključevanje v družbo, problematika delovnih mest pa pri ocenjevanju kakovosti življenja v občini bivanja ni v ospredju, ji pa večji poudarek namenjajo pri predlogih rešitev. Podrobnejša analiza pokaže na razlike med posameznimi skupinami mladih: (1) med živečimi na podeželju in v mestu, (2) med dijaki in študenti ter delovno aktivnimi ter (3) med tistimi z rešenim stanovanjskim problemom in tistimi, ki stanovanjskega problema še nimajo rešenega. V primerjavi s predhodnimi študijami presenečajo zlasti problem medsebojnega druženja, sobivanja s starejšimi in vključevanja v družbo. // Main problems of Slovenian youth: A study focusing on life quality, housing, and jobs This study investigates how youth problems are perceived by young people themselves. We conducted a survey supplemented by targeted interviews. Young people mention housing as the most pressing problem for them, followed by socialization, interpersonal relationships, and integration into society. In contrast, jobs do not feature prominently in their evaluation of the quality of life in their municipality of residence; instead, they place more emphasis on finding a solution. A more detailed analysis shows differences between different groups of young people: (1) between those living in the countryside and those living in the city, (2) between students and those that are employed, and (3) between those that have found their own place to live and those still looking for a place. Compared to previous studies, the problems of socializing, intergenerational cooperation, and integrating into society are particularly surprising.

Atlas on Quality of Life in Slovenia as a tool for supporting decision-makers in regional and local development The paper presents a quality of life model as a more comprehensive alternative to the current assessment of regional development, based in particular on the economic aspects of development.In addition to the model, the results for Slovenia were presented and compared with the results of related studies.The process of creation of the Atlas on Quality of Life in Slovenia was evaluated.Based on the analysis, we can confirm the long-standing division into Western Slovenia with a higher territorial quality of life and Eastern Slovenia with a lower territorial quality of life.We point out the complexity of the concept of quality of life and its importance for the analysis of development trends and the direction of further development.

The celebration of the 50th anniversary of regional policy in Slovenia and the 30th anniversary of the country's independence is an opportunity to assess the efforts made so far in promoting regional development as well as to look to the future. In the book, we look at the path taken, describe the system of promoting regional development in the past, and point to the success of regional policy in eliminating interregional disparities. We present the role of regional development agencies and regional spatial planning in regional development and the quality of life in border problem areas from the perspective of the people living there. In the final part, we focus on future development. We point out the role of digitalisation and demographic change and try to shed light on future developments also from a philosophical perspective. Demographic, climate, economic and social changes require new approaches, fresh ideas and, above all, a systematic identification of development guidelines, ideas, development opportunities and factors that, taken together, can lead to a more balanced development of the country in all areas. Harmonious development is everyone's responsibility, but we can only achieve it together.

According to the economic indicators, Velenje has a successful, export-oriented economy with high added value per employee. But like all industrial cities in Europe, Velenje is very vulnerable. This book ('Velenje, an industrial city in transformation') seeks to shed light on the aspects of Velenje's transformation in the past, present and future. The purpose of the book is to provide an overview of Velenje's developmental factors. Emphasis is placed on social, cultural, spatial, environmental, economic and other aspects of the city, as well as a critical evaluation of future development resources and their actions. The second emphasis is on the originality and specificity of certain activities and phenomena that contribute to greater creativity and resilience of Velenje. We present 16 diverse contributions to the book that critically evaluate the current and future developmental resources of Velenje and its surroundings. Articles are written by locals and experts working on the BRIGHT FUTURE project dealing with small industrial towns across Europe. Two main messages emerge from all the contributions: the importance of using our own (endogenous) development resources and a participatory way of making decisions in the future.

According to the economic indicators, Velenje has a successful, export-oriented economy with high added value per employee. But like all industrial cities in Europe, Velenje is very vulnerable. This book ('Velenje, an industrial city in transformation') seeks to shed light on the aspects of Velenje's transformation in the past, present and future. The purpose of the book is to provide an overview of Velenje's developmental factors. Emphasis is placed on social, cultural, spatial, environmental, economic and other aspects of the city, as well as a critical evaluation of future development resources and their actions. The second emphasis is on the originality and specificity of certain activities and phenomena that contribute to greater creativity and resilience of Velenje. We present 16 diverse contributions to the book that critically evaluate the current and future developmental resources of Velenje and its surroundings. Articles are written by locals and experts working on the BRIGHT FUTURE project dealing with small industrial towns across Europe. Two main messages emerge from all the contributions: the importance of using our own (endogenous) development resources and a participatory way of making decisions in the future.

This open access book provides in-depth insights into participatory research and planning by presenting practical examples of its use. In particular, it describes theoretical and methodological aspects of participatory research and planning, as well as the implementation of participatory processes in fields such as transport planning, cultural heritage management, environmental planning and post-earthquake recovery. Further, it compares participatory planning experiences from different territorial levels – from the macro-regional, e.g. Southeastern Europe, Mediterranean or European metropolitan regions, to national, regional and local levels. The book will help researchers, planners, public administration officials, decision-makers and the general public to understand the advantages, disadvantages and constraints of participatory planning and research. Using various examples, it will guide readers through the theory of participatory planning and research, its methods, and different perspectives on how to use it in practice.

This chapter describes the current status of Slovenia’s regional development, focusing on both regional and municipal development. The data show large regional differences, with less-developed regions in Eastern Slovenia and more developed ones in Western Slovenia. The chapter also presents the history of Slovenian regional policy, which has gone through three stages since 1971: a period of promoting the development of less-developed areas until 1990, a period of promoting the development of demographically threatened areas until 1999, and a period of endogenous regional policy after 1999. Despite the regional differences identified and its relatively early introduction, regional policy has had limited success due to limited funds, which is manifested in the fact that the status of less-developed areas is largely held by one and the same areas. An important factor rendering regional policy less effective is also the absence of administrative regions, with individual municipalities tailoring the regional policy to their own needs. On the one hand, this has reduced the value of regional policy, but on the other it has also contributed to better infrastructure in individual municipalities.

Na področju demografskega razvoja deli Slovenija usodo razvitejših evropskih držav: prebivalstvo je doseglo svoj zenit in se hitro stara, njegovo obnavljanje je odvisno od migracij, projekcije napovedujejo hitro zaostrovanje razmer s perečimi posledicami na številnih področjih. Demografske analize kažejo na nadaljevanje zgoščanja prebivalcev v osrednjeslovenski statistični regiji in ob večjem delu avtocestnega križa ter na upad števila prebivalcev v posameznih mestih in obsežnih obmejnih območjih. S tem se v prostorskem in strukturnem smislu uresničujejo napovedi izpred desetletij, ko so avtorji začeli opozarjati na demografsko ogroženost Slovenije in pričakovane prostorske posledice demografskih sprememb. Žal opozorila stroke niso naletela na plodna tla in posledice vse bolj trkajo na vrata. V monografiji ponovno obravnavamo problematiko razvoja obmejnih območij, problem staranja prebivalstva v mestih in na podeželju, vplive demografskih sprememb na gospodarstvo in zaposlovanje, problematiko oskrbe in zagotavljanja storitev splošnega pomena, več poglavij pa naslavlja posamezna območja Slovenije in njihove razvojne izzive, vezanje na demografske spremembe.