Transformative Transport Planning Research Group UIRS at the OHS Festival

Our first participation in the Open House Slovenia festival exceeded expectations. As part of the festival programme, we lead on Friday, April 17 2026, the STPN UIRS urban walk entitled Transport and Public Space – Missed Opportunities, which attracted numerous professionals from the field as well as members of the interested public.

The walk started from Eipprova Street, continued via French Revolution Square and Vegova Street, and finished at Congress Square. Along the route, we discussed the role of transport in shaping public space in Ljubljana, overlooked spatial potentials, and possibilities for more inclusive, high-quality, and sustainable urban environments. The walk was led by Dr Mojca Balant, with the support of Sarah Klarić.

We would like to thank all participants for their engagement and inspiring discussions, as well as the Open House Slovenia festival team for the excellent organisation and support.

Photo: Jure Gubanc

Be Ready – knowledge transfer to future spatial planners for designing climate-resilient solutions

On Thursday, 9 April 2026, the Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia delivered a lecture at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Ljubljana as part of the Master's course Strategic Spatial Planning (Urbanism programme), presenting the acupuncture approach of the Be Ready project (INTERREG Danube Region Programme) as a solution for mitigating urban heat islands through targeted small-scale spatial interventions.

Special emphasis was placed on:

- green solutions (green areas and vegetation),

- blue solutions (water elements), and

- white solutions (innovative use of materials).

In addition to mitigating overheating at specific urban micro-locations, these small-scale acupuncture interventions also contribute to raising awareness among local decision-makers and residents about the importance of climate adaptation, reducing climate impacts, and identifying effective climate-resilient solutions at both the micro-urban and city-wide levels.

Be Ready highlighted at the event “Cities and Settlements of the Future”

At the presentation of the project Adapting Settlements to Climate Change in Center Rog (Ljubljana), the Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia (UIRS) presented to around 200 participants how the international Be Ready project can complement national recommendations for the development of climate‑resilient settlements.

Be Ready introduces blue, green and white acupuncture solutions – small, quickly implementable and effective interventions that cool micro‑urban areas and improve microclimatic conditions. Examples from Slovenia and abroad clearly show that even minor spatial interventions can significantly enhance quality of life and increase awareness among decision‑makers and the public about the need for climate adaptation and climate‑mitigation measures.

In the project Adapting Settlements to Climate Change, UIRS works alongside the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Architecture, the Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, the Association of Municipalities of Slovenia, and external experts in climatology, sociology and horticulture. Together, they form an interdisciplinary approach supporting the future development of Slovenian settlements.

Invitation to an expert seminar

Tuesday, 10 March 2026, from 11:00 to 12:30

The Transformative Transport Planning Research Group (TTPRG) of the Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia invites you to an expert seminar:

How to Achieve Better Regional Railway Connections Quickly and Without Major Investments

For decades, Slovenia has planned the development of passenger rail transport primarily through costly infrastructure projects. Meanwhile, existing railway infrastructure remains underutilised. International experience shows that it is possible to significantly improve the performance of passenger rail services through organisational and governance changes, without waiting for new lines and multi-million-euro investments. Such measures can deliver tangible results within a single political term.

At the expert seminar, speakers will present examples of good practice from abroad:

• Stefan Walter (Provincial Government of Styria, Austria)
• Karl-Heinz Posch (Institute for Traffic Education, IVP)
• Prof. Dr Tom Rye (Transformative Transport Planning Research Group, UIRS)
• Dr Aljaž Plevnik (Transformative Transport Planning Research Group, UIRS)

The expert seminar will be held in English, both in person at the premises of the Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia in Ljubljana (Trnovski pristan 2, classroom on the 2nd floor) and online, on

Tuesday, 10 March 2026, from 11:00 to 12:30.

 

REGISTRATION:

Participation is free of charge. Prior registration via the registration form is required by 5 March 2026. The number of in-person participants is limited.

 

Credit points:
• ZAPS – 1 credit point, Section B (Theory and Reference Practice)
• IZS – pending approval.

You are kindly invited!

 

PROGRAM

11.00 – 11.30	Presentation of good practices from the Graz region Stefan Walter, Provincial Government of Styria, Austria
11.30 – 11.40	Well connected: Gleisdorf's 100 public transport links per day to Graz Karl-Heinz Posch, Institute for Traffic Education, IVP, Austria
11.40 – 11.50	Rail and bus improvements on existing infrastructure in South Sweden Prof. dr. Tom Rye, Transformative Transport Planning Research Group, UIRS
11.50 – 12.00	Japan’s Toyama – From One Mayoral Term to a Regional Railway dr. Aljaž Plevnik, Transformative Transport Planning Research Group, UIRS
12.00 – 12.30	Discussion

 

Stefan Walter is responsible for the strategic development of public transport in the province of Styria, Austria. He studied civil engineering in Graz and Prague and completed his PhD at Graz University of Technology on long-term railway infrastructure development through the expansion of the integrated timetable. His main areas of expertise are transport planning, timetable design, infrastructure development, and transport strategies. He also lectures on urban and local transport at Graz University of Technology.

 

Karl-Heinz Posch is a traffic planner from Graz, former director of Austrian Mobility Research and former coordinator of the European Platform on Mobility Management. Currently he is an activist for sustainable transport within MoVe-iT-Graz, researcher in the framework of URBIS (the urban innovation studio) and chairman of the Grüne Akademie Steiermark.

 

Prof. Dr. Tom Rye is an internationally recognised expert in sustainable transport policy and mobility management. He has extensive experience in research, teaching and advisory work, supporting governments and public authorities in the development and implementation of sustainable transport strategies. His work focuses on transport governance, parking policy, travel demand management and behaviour change.

 

Dr. Aljaž Plevnik is a transport planning expert with more than 30 years of experience in the field. He leads a professional group specializing in sustainable mobility and integrated transport planning, with a strong emphasis on cooperation and evidence-based policy development. He is actively involved in national and international initiatives promoting sustainable transport policy.

 

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Additional information:

E: stpn@uirs.si         W: https://www.uirs.si/stpn

The expert seminar is organised by the Transformative Transport Planning Research Group of the Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia. It is intended for professionals working in transport and spatial planning, media representatives, and the interested public.

This activity is co-financed through the integrated project LIFE IP CARE4CLIMATE (LIFE17 IPC/SI/000007), funded by the European LIFE Programme, the Climate Change Fund, and the project partners.

Webinar on parking management

January 27, 2:00–3:30 PM, Online (Microsoft Teams)

We are pleased to invite you to a free webinar on parking management with prof. dr. Tom Rye and Andraž Hudoklin, members of the Transformative Transport Planning Research Group at the Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia. 

In the webinar, titled “Parking Management Between Politics and the Public Interest,” we will discuss: 
– Why parking management is not a political suicide 
– How to build public acceptance for changes in parking policies 
– What parking policy changes have been implemented in Slovenia 

When? January 27, 2:00–3:30 PM 
Where? Online (Microsoft Teams) 

REGISTER by January 26. 2026

Attendance is free of charge, the webinar will take place in English.   

This webinar is organised in collaboration between the Transformative Transport Planning Research Group of the Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia and CIVINET Slovenia–Croatia, within the NXTLVL Parking project. 

The winter issue of the scientific edition of the journal Urbani izziv / Urban challenge has been published!

During the upcoming holiday season and cozy winter evenings, we invite you to read the new issue of Urbani izziv / Urban Challenge (Volume 36, No. 2), which features a great variety of pertinent research topics.

The articles address social sustainability in the North Kazakhstan Region, the suitable placement of bus station in the Turkish city of Uşak, the impact of the 2023 earthquake on open public spaces in the Turkish city of Malatya, and the role of modernist architecture in the development of Ljubljana and Sarajevo. The issue also examines the impact of the urban environment on the mental well-being of residents and highlights the importance of public health in urban planning.

You are invited to check the online version of the issue or order a physical copy using the order form.

 

Season’s greetings and best wishes for the New Year 2026!

Recommendations for climate-resilient settlement planning and the Be Ready Project

In November, the second part of expert workshops took place in the pilot municipalities of Logatec, Izola and Gornja Radgona as part of the project “Adapting settlements to climate change”, co-financed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning. The recommendations are being prepared by the Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia together with the Faculty of Architecture (University of Ljubljana), the Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering (University of Ljubljana), and external experts, while the Association of Municipalities of Slovenia (SOS) is responsible for disseminating project activities and involving stakeholders in the process.

The project addresses increasingly frequent challenges of climate extremes – from floods, heatwaves and droughts to spatial pressures – and develops tools for thoughtful spatial management in a changing climate.

The expert team presented key recommendations for spatial planning on the strategic and implementation level, which participants evaluated through practical work and discussion, with particular emphasis on the inclusion of vulnerable population groups. The recommendations also featured examples of green, blue and white “acupuncture” solutions, as addressed by the international Be Ready project (INTERREG Danube Programme), as one of the approaches to climate-resilient spatial planning.

The recommendations were presented to the wider professional public and relevant ministries on 9 December 2025, and will be finalised in February 2026 for use by municipalities across Slovenia.

The experiences of the pilot settlements will be a valuable resource for a more resilient and sustainable development of Slovenian settlements.

Slovenia at a Crossroads in Transport System Planning

Thursday, 20 November 2025, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Recording of the event, which was organized by the Transformative Transport Planning Research Group at the Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia.

At a lecture on 20 November 2025 at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, Susan Handy drew attention to many pitfalls in transport planning. A round table with Slovenian guests confirmed the diversity of views on transport and the necessity of discussion.

The internationally recognized American transport planning expert Prof. Dr. Susan Handy, in her lecture “Shifting Gears: Towards a More Equitable and Sustainable Transport System,” pointed out, among other things, the negative aspects of persisting with a transport system that focuses primarily on the car. She presented the phenomenon of induced traffic, which has been proven by numerous studies and which paradoxically leads to new congestion appearing within a few years after road expansions. In addition to stressing the importance of planning modern public transport, she emphasized the need to transform transport system planning so that it is based on accessibility to services and focuses on people rather than on cars.

At the round table “ Paradigm Shift in Transport Planning,” the guests Assoc. Prof. Dr. Robert Rijavec (Institute of Traffic and Transport Engineering, University of Ljubljana), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marjan Lep (Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Architecture, University of Maribor), Dr. Aljaž Plevnik (Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia), and Prof. Dr. Susan Handy (UC Davis, California) discussed both road congestion and the importance of ensuring accessibility through various modes of transport. Dr. Aljaž Plevnik said that the current expansion of the road system in Slovenia, which is taking place without broad social consensus, will, according to foreign experience, certainly bring even more congestion. It is therefore necessary to move toward planning a transport system that provides high-quality alternatives for reaching destinations. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marjan Lep also warned about the phenomenon of so-called evaporated traffic, which has been measured in Maribor and which causes part of car traffic to disappear when road capacity is reduced (road closures or lane removals), because people change their mode of travel, timing, or the need to travel at all. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Peter Rijavec highlighted Slovenia’s heavy dependence on cars: data show that more than 1.5 million people in the country have a driving licence, while we lag behind in developing alternative transport solutions, including public transport.

The guests agreed that Slovenia could follow many good practices from European countries and provide public transport fit for the 21^st century, since one-sided investments in the road network have many negative effects and fail to include at least a quarter of the population. They emphasized cooperation among different disciplines and the exchange of diverse perspectives on the transport system as a key advantage in planning a high-quality transport system for the future.

The event was moderated by Nataša Briški.

Photo: Urban Cerjak

Peer Review Visit in Zenica: Greening for Climate Resilience

On September 29–30, 2025

On September 29–30, 2025, Zenica hosted a peer review visit under the Be Ready project, evaluating the completed pilot “Greening the Neighbourhood, Londža 2.” The visit brought together local and international stakeholders enabling the Urban planning institute of the Republic of Slovenia to assess the pilot’s impact.

The pilot project turned a heat-stressed urban spot into a green, welcoming space. While the long-term environmental benefits will become evident over time, the space is already being actively utilized by residents, with a notable emphasis on serving vulnerable groups.

Key points:

• Inclusive Design: Citizens, experts, and schoolchildren co-created the space.
• Low Maintenance: Managed by Alba d.o.o. without extra costs.
• Scalable Model: Suitable for other dense urban areas.
• Active Promotion: Shared via media and local events.

The peer review confirmed the pilot’s success and Zenica’s growing role in climate-resilient urban development.