Cooperative urban & regional development in Slovenia

Day 1 - Welcome to Celovec

The very first item on the agenda for our learning journey was a meeting with Manuel Jug, chair of the Zveza slovenskih organizacij na Koroškem which is one of two umbrella organisations representing Carinthian Slovenes within Carinthia. Both of these institutions are organised above party lines and stand in constant exchange. Just recently, the two organisations joined forces for a petition to the EU (European Parliament 2024). Mr Jug not only pointed out the good diplomatic relations between Carinthian Slovenes and the Slovenian government, but even more, from his point of view, the umbrella organisations of Carinthian Slovenes in Austria are more important as a link between Slovenia and Austria than the Carinthian government. Nevertheless, there are still sensitive topics like the Slovenian denial of German-speaking ethnic groups within Slovenia as well as the Slovenian plans to foster nuclear energy which are quite unpopular with the Carinthian government (Kleine Zeitung 2023). When asked about the most pressing issues for Carinthian Slovenes at the moment, the lack of education, especially preschool education, in the Slovenian language as well as the subject of bilingual jurisdiction were mentioned.

~ Magdalena Keresztes

Website Zveza slovenskih organizacij na Koroškem:

 https://zso.slo.at/sl/home 

References:

European Parliament. (2024, May 26). Petition No 1109/2023 by Roman Roblek (Austrian), on behalf of Slowenisches Info-Center, Enotna Lista, Narodni svet koroških Slovencev, Zveza slovenskih organizacij and Skupnost koroških Slovencev in Slovenk associations, on safeguarding minority rights in Austria.  https://www.europarl.europa.eu/petitions/en/petition/content/1109%252F2023/html/Petition-No-1109%252F2023-by-Roman-Roblek-%2528Austrian%2529%252C-on-behalf-of-Slowenisches-Info-Center%252C-Enotna-Lista%252C-Narodni-svet-koro%25C5%25A1kih-Slovencev%252C-Zveza-slovenskih-organizacij-and-Skupnost-koro%25C5%25A1kih-Slovencev-in-Slovenk-associations%252C-on-safeguarding-minority-rights-in-Austria . (accessed on 26.05.2024)

Kleine Zeitung. (2023). Neuer Atomreaktor in Krško Geplant: Protest Aus Kärnten.  https://www.kleinezeitung.at/kaernten/6324632/Slowenien_Neuer-Atomreaktor-in-Krsko-geplant_Protest-aus-Kaernten . (accessed on 26.05.2024)

Further reading:

Wutti, D. (2017). Erinnerung, Großgruppenidentität und politische Partizipation. LĚTOPIS. Zeitschrift für sorbische Sprache, Geschichte und Kultur. Časopis za rěč, stawizny a kulturu Łužiskich Serbow, 2, 238–250.

Day 1- Language and Identity

Visiting a bilingual publishing house in Celovec/Klagenfurt

The visit to the Drava publishing house was an outstanding part of our journey as we got insights into the work of the head of the publishing house, Erika Hornbogner. Additionally, we had a very personal conversation with the recently retired head of the publishing house Lojze Wieser about his work, Carinthian Slovenian identity and his personal perception of formative historical events. The unique thing about the Drava publishing house is that they specialise in translating Slovenian literature into German. This also led to Mr Wieser facing criticism from one of the roof organisations representing Carinthian Slovenes. From Mr Wieser's point of view, publishing translated literature contributes to the foundation of a peaceful cohabitation of foreigners and locals as „Language is the backbone of humanity […]“ (Wieser 2010, 270). Therefore, translations open up the possibility of experiencing other people’s art and consequently their feelings. Finally, Mr Wieser spoke to us about the difficult time in the 90s when extreme right-wing terrorist Franz Fuchs sent one of his letter bombs to the publishing house. Mr Wieser was understandably still deeply offended by the reluctance and scepticism he was met with from the authorities during this period (Uhrmann, 2024).

~Magdalena Keresztes

Website Drava:

 https://www.drava.at/ 

References:

Uhrmann, E. (2024). Kärnten zeigt uns einen Ausweg. ‘Die Presse’ Verlags-Gesellschaft m.b.H. & Co KG, 23.

Wieser, L. (2010). There’s no way back... In W. Wintersteiner, G. Gombos, & D. Gronold (Eds.), Border Dis|solutions. Multilingualism, Transculurality and Education. Wieser.

Further reading:

Coester, M., Daun, A., Hartleb, F., Kopke, C., & Leuschner, V. (2023). Ich bin ein österreichischer Patriot und bekenne mich als österreichischer Terrorist“ – Franz Fuchs, ein vergessener Vorläufer des modernen Rechtsterrorismus? In Rechter Terrorismus: International - Digital - Analog (pp. 377–409). Germany: Springer Vieweg. in Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH. doi: 10.1007/978-3-658-40396-6_15

Day 2 - “One and One is Eleven”

Insights into the Lakeside business park in Celovec/Klagenfurt

In the idyllic ambience, surrounded by the natural beauty of the Wörthersee, we had the opportunity to meet David Pitschmann and Jürgen Kopeinig from Lakeside Park Klagenfurt on April 3, 2024. We discussed the economic cooperation between Austria, Italy and Slovenia. At the same time, the focus was on how entrepreneurs in the region can be supported. The Lakeside Park is not an ordinary workplace: with 1600 employees, it is a center for structured regional development that drives research and education forward. Here, not only do companies thrive, but new ones are also founded, especially small and medium-sized enterprises and startups (Lehner 2017, 55). Inspiration comes from international best practices and different cooperations with the technical faculty of the nearby Alpen-Adria-university Klagenfurt. In addition, there are educational opportunities in STEM subjects for students from all over Carinthia.

~Samuel Schelling

Website Lakeside Park:

 https://www.lakeside-scitec.com/en/ 

References:

Lehner, Claudia Janine. 2017. Die Umsetzung der Entrepreneurship Education an Handelsakademien. Masterarbeit: Karl-Franzens-Universität, Graz.

Day 2 - Working across borders

The office of Interreg Slovenia-Austria in Celovec/Klagenfurt

In the afternoon, a meeting with Thomas Schicho and other representatives in the "EU and Cooperation" department at the KWF (Carinthian Economic Development Fund) was scheduled. These people are committed to ensuring a diplomatic exchange and successful cooperation in the implementation of various Interreg-border projects (Interreg 2023). The received information expanded our horizon at the institutional level, and we also became familiar with the theoretical aspects of EU cooperation. Due to Brexit, it is now more difficult to finance various projects. As such, members must find new ways to raise the necessary funds. Despite these changes, it was emphasized that states can decide on their priorities themselves and explore alternative sources of funding to address challenges, like rural exodus and demographic changes.

~Samuel Schelling

Website Interreg SL-AT:

 http://www.si-at.eu/2127/ 

References:

Interreg. 2023. Grenzüberschreitende Zusammenarbeit in der Förderperiode 2021-2027.  https://www.interreg.net/de/2021-2027/programm.asp . (accessed on 21.05.2024).

Day 2 - Broken promises

Discussing ethnic minorities' rights and reality in Celovec/Klagenfurt

Finally, the political dimension in this culturally and linguistically mixed region was addressed. The lawyer Rudolf Vouk fought for decades against, among others, the former governor Jörg Haider regarding the signpost (Ortstafel) conflict. In the form of an impressive lecture, Mr. Vouk told us how aggressively and politically charged this conflict was. The situation is now less politically loaded and can no longer be compared to the incidents of past years, such as when, in 1972, Slovenian place signs were torn down in various Carinthian municipalities (Deutschlandfunkkultur 2021). In the meantime, Mr. Vouk is worried that the situation might be even too depoliticized, for which EU interventions might be a good source of intervention in order to maintain the Slovenian heritage in Carinthia.

~Samuel Schelling

References:

Deutschlandfunkkultur. 2021. Das Misstrauen bleibt.  https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/kaernten-und-seine-slowenische-minderheit-das-misstrauen-100.html.  (accessed on 05.05.2024).

Day 3 - Off to Slovenia

After leaving Austria, our Bus took us over Wurzenpass to Slovenia, where we then crossed the winding Vršič Pass to our first destination of the day, Soča Valley. Soča Valley is part of the Julian Alps and is known for its magnificent nature and diverse outdoor opportunities. Triglav, the highest mountain in Slovenia, is considered an important national symbol and towers over the valley.

~Miriam Lindsberger

Day 3 - A short rest at lake Bled

The second stop of the day was Bled, a small town known for its lake, its island with the church and its delicious cream cake. Vila Bled, now a hotel, is enthroned on a hill above the lake and served as Tito's summer residence until 1980. The subtle luxury of 1950s socialism is evident and gives the place a touch of (critical) history.

~Miriam Lindsberger

Day 3 - Bohinj - Overcoming Overtourism?

“The Bohinj Valley is struggling with overtourism - at Tourism Bohinj, we are actively committed to work for sustainable and gentle tourism!”

Today´s agenda took us to the Bohinj Valley, where we spoke to the director of Tourism Bohinj, Klemen Langus. Bohinj is located in the Julian Alps and the Triglav National Park; it is characterised by biodiversity and beautiful nature. The area attracts up to 1.8 million tourists annually, which puts a strain on the ecosystem and its inhabitants. Signs of overtourism are already visible which represents a critical burden for the region (Kagermeier 2021, 205 / Milano et al. 2019, 1857). Tourism Bohinj is actively working to find the right balance between agriculture, farming and tourism, and aims to find community-based solutions to enable sustainable tourism in the region. A current project concerns a mobility concept that offers soft mobility options and enables tourists to use public transport during their time in the Bohinj Valley. This public transport network was organised by Tourism Bohinj in cooperation with local communities to connect several train stations in the area as well as link hiking trails and bike routes to the network (Tourism Bohinj 2022).

~Miriam Lindsberger

Website Tourism Bohinj:

 https://www.bohinj.si/en/ 

References:

Kagermeier, A. (2021). Overtourism. UVK Verlag.

Milano, C., & Novelli, N. & Cheer, J. M. (2019) Overtourism and degrowth: a social movements perspective. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 27(12), 1857-1875. doi: 10.1080/09669582.2019.1650054

Tourism Bohinj. (2022). A green oasis for responsible tourism.  https://www.bohinj.si/en/  (accessed on 14.05.2024)

Day 4 - Clash of perspectives in Ljubljana

To kick things off in Ljubljana, we were given an insight into the city and its concept at the city hall - in 2016, it was recognized as a European Green Capital due to its air and water quality, extensive green surfaces, and sustainable public transport. (City of Ljubljana 2021) Ljubljana is known for its car-free city center, which required the creation of parking spaces in the outskirts and therefore promotes the expansion and use of sustainable mobility with bus extensions and its on-demand "Kavalir". Moreover, ¾ of Ljubljana are covered by green space. The city's "Path of Remembrance and Comradeship" is a green ring encircling the city. The city has a long tradition of urban gardening, farming and beekeeping on rooftops and is constantly working to make the city more attractive. However, there are underlying problems, especially in the housing market. Although there is social housing, the city is predominantly characterized by property ownership and a general lack of apartments since housing privatization. Prices are mostly unaffordable considering average salaries, which is reflected by the 140,000 cars that commute into the region every day. In addition, the city center's impassability contributes to traffic simply being shifted to the area around the city, which leads to a lot of traffic jams surrounding the city, especially during rush hours.

~Lisa Vasicek

Website City of Ljubljana:

 https://www.ljubljana.si/en/municipality/ 

References:

City of Ljubljana. (2021). Welcome to Ljubljana the capital of Slovenia. From  https://www.ljubljana.si/en/news/ljubljana-is-the-best-green-capital-in-europe/ . (accessed on 14.04.2024).

Further reading:

Maior, J.-C. (2019). Ljubljana – Green eu Capital in 2016. Training - what is changed, in the period 2005-2015. (Regional development). BULLETIN of the L N Gumilyov Eurasian National University Chemistry Geography Ecology Series 126 (1).

Momirski, L., & Berčič, T. (2022). Southern inner ring road in Ljubljana: 2021 data set from traffic sensors installed as part of the citizen science project WeCount. Data in Brief Volume 41.

Sendi, R. (1995). Housing reform and housing conflict: the privatization and denationalization of public housing in the Republic of Slovenia in practice. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Volume 19 (3).

Day 4 - KRATER

An NGO in Ljubljana with a vision almost invisible from the outside

To gain a different perspective, we visited an NGO at KRATER, which is located on a former construction site on state-owned land that was badly publicized in the media for years. Due to this public controversy, the NGO struggles on a yearly basis to establish itself and to get its yearly lease renewed.

The area includes site-specific production stations and provides a place to create artistic objects from various biological matters through papermaking workshops, wood workshop & myco-design labs located on site. (Hanzer 2021) KRATER offers the possibility to reimagine wastelands as spontaneous gardens of human-plant companionships and pursues the goal of winning over urban communities for their practices to produce environmentally conscious materials, practices, and alliances. (Hanzer 2021) For outsiders, the area fenced in by the city is inconspicuous and does not facilitate participation attempts. Cooperation with the city is not easy with the NGO located there, as it still does not recognize the area as a used area. Consequently, obstacles are being placed in the way of the NGO's goals, for example by refusing access to the city's biodiversity report.

~Lisa Vasicek

Website Krater:

 https://krater.si/si 

References:

Hanzer, E. (2021). KRATER. From  https://krater.si/en . (accessed on 14.04.2024).

Further reading:

Contact and press International Centre of Graphic Arts - MGLC. (2023). 35th Ljubljana Biennale of Graphic Arts / 15. 9. 2023 - 14. 1. 2024. From  https://35.bienale.si/en/ . (accessed on 14.04.2024).

Prostorož. (2021). Krater, Ljubljana. From  https://www.prostoroz.org/projekti/krater . (accessed on 14.04.2024).

Public Space. (2021). Krater. From  https://www.publicspace.org/works/-/project/m162-krater . (accessed on 14.04.2024).

Day 4 - Prostorož

A design approach to urban planning in Ljubljana

In the context of spatial planning, the NGO Prostorož has been working on various projects since 2004 and provides an opportunity for architects, urbanists, and sociologists to come together to contribute to a multi-dimensional approach to the environmental and social challenges of contemporary urban space. (Prostorož 2021) On the day of the excursion, we were given an insight into the NGO's project around the large hospital area in Ljubljana. Prostorož aims to involve residents in urban planning in order to create opportunities for new uses of public space with temporary installations. Also, they want to enable an architectural change to old constructions, which have interfered with everyday hospital life for far too long.

To assess the situation, small projects were implemented, such as a survey on heat islands in the city - with 500 responses, they concluded that the hottest point was at the crossroad in front of the university clinical center. (Prostorož 2021) With this in mind, Prostorož is continuously working on installing covers, seating, and trees to increase the comfort of these urban spaces. The NGO is also tackling accessibility to the main entrance to the clinical center, bringing the long steps down to one level in the coming years to allow wheelchair or "Kavalir" direct access.

~Lisa Vasicek

Website Prostorož:

 https://www.prostoroz.org/ 

References:

Prostorož. (2021). Krater, Ljubljana. From  https://www.prostoroz.org/projekti/krater . (accessed on 14.04.2024).

Further reading:

Pichler-Milanovič, N., & Mojca, F. (2015). Green Infrastructure and Urban Revitalisation in Central Europe: Meeting Environmental and Spatial Challenges in the Inner City of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Urbani Izziv 26, 50–64.

Poljak Istenič, S. (2019). Participatory urbanism: creative interventions for sustainable development. Acta Geographica Slovenica 59(1), 127–140.

Day 5 - A visit to the Department of Geography in Ljubljana

On our second day in the capital of Slovenia, we were welcomed by Dr Simon Kušar from the Department of Geography at the University of Ljubljana. During his presentation, he presented the role, development, and policies of Slovenia's border regions. Not only did we learn how regional development has taken place since 2000 (e.g. EU accession, financial and economic crisis, globalisation) but we were able to gain insights into the country’s high proportion of heterogeneous border regions due to its neighboring countries Austria, Italy, Croatia, and Hungary. Considering a "20 km border belt", 82% of the national territory belongs to border regions, including four out of five municipalities and almost two-thirds of the population (S. Kušar, personal communication, April 6, 2024). These regions vary in their level of development - in the north-east (border to Hungary), there are more areas with weak socio-economic structure, while in the north-west (border to Italy and Austria) there are mainly areas with weak spatial structure (S. Kušar, personal communication, April 6, 2024).

~Henry Heller

Website Department of Geography University of Ljubljana:

 https://www.ff.uni-lj.si/en/oddelek/oddelek-za-geografijo 

Further reading:

Bufon, M. (2002). Slovenia–a European contact and border area. Annales, 11(2), 445-472

Hirnök, K. M., & Gradišnik, I. S. (2021). The Slovenian-Hungarian Border: A Historical Outline. Acta Ethnographica Hungarica, 65(2), 333-354.

Nadalutti, E. (2012). Is cross-border governance emerging over the border between Italy and Slovenia?. Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 20(2), 181-197.

Day 5 - The new Rog in Ljubljana

A place with controversial history

In the afternoon, we met Jure Gombac, a migration expert from the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, at the site of the old Rog factory (a bike factory), where the new Rog, officially opened in March 2024, now stands. For a long time, Rog was an autonomous zone for creatives and artists as well as a skate park accessible to everyone. This space was particularly important for asylum seekers, who found distraction and social connection there. Many of them came to Slovenia via the so-called Balkan route, which added to the constant migrant population in the city. After a long back and forth including several protests, the site was cleared in 2021, marking the starting point of Rog's redevelopment (Kanellopoulou et al. 2021). Subsequently, there were many protests against the new Rog as well as an anti-gentrification movement. Today, Center Rog is a hub where creatives work together in production labs and studios to innovate and create (Center Rog, n. d.) and, according to Mr Gombac, the site is now among the most contested and hated buildings in Ljubljana.

After visiting the new Rog, Jure Gombac took us for a walk through the neighbouring area. First, we followed Trubarjeva cesta in a westerly direction, known for its retail shops such as restaurants and hairdressers owned and run by residents with migrant biography. The unique aspect here is that many of the stores are run by migrants who came to Ljubljana years ago via the Balkan route. Mr Gombac then showed us Tabor Park and a refugee shelter nearby. He pointed out several times that, in the relatively small area here between the main railway station and the Rog, there are many points of contact for refugees. With the rededication and conversion of the old Rog, a central one of these has been lost.

~Henry Heller

References:

Center Rog. (n. d.). What is happening in Center Rog.  https://center-rog.si/en .(accessed on 14.04.2024).

Kanellopoulou, E., Ntounis, N., & Cerar, A. (2021). The Value of Autonomous Rog:      Culture, Citizenship, Participation.

Further reading:

Kanellopoulou, J., & Ntounis, N. (2024). A chronotopic evaluation of Autonomous Rog: the spatiotemporalities of a “quasi-public” urban squat. Social & Legal Studies, 33(1), 61-81.

Siegrist, N. (2023). A Tale of Two Squats: Gentrification and Urban Movements in Contemporary Ljubljana.

Day 6 - Ruski Car in Ljubljana

“And what exactly are you doing here now?“ asked the bus driver when we left the bus

This day of the excursion was special on several levels. First, it’s half-time – five days passed, five more to go. Second, it’s a Sunday – we did not go to any official meetings. Third, we students conducted some field work on our own.

Located in the north of Ljubljana, Ruski Car is a settlement built in the 1970s on former agricultural land (architectuul 2024). The high-rise buildings connect with the nearby city of Ljubljana and the silhouettes follow the one of the Alps in the background (architectuul 2024). On arrival on this Sunday morning, the bus driver wondered what we would be doing in this area now; he could not quite understand our excitement. We tried to explain that we were (and still are) interested in the living conditions and housing situations in such buildings as Ruski Car. Once again, we experienced first-hand that being geographers means looking at space and place(s) differently. Those different ways of looking were also represented in the field work we conducted: After an initial input, each student got an individual topic/perspective. For example, “social infrastructure”, “colours and forms”, “5-minutes local services”, “through children’s eyes”, “noise”. Afterwards, we discussed our insights in the plenum and exchanged our observations by bringing them together and establishing connections to form a greater picture. This greater picture includes going beyond the ‘usual’, opening up the debate and breaking with a territory-bound and Western-centric viewpoint in order to “rethink[…] the post-socialist city” (Kinossian 2022).

~Helene Palk

References:

Architectuul. 2024. BS7.  https://architectuul.com/architecture/bs-7 .(accessed on 09.05.2024).

Kinossian, Nadir. 2022. “Rethinking the post-socialist city”. Urban Geography43(8), 1240-1251.

Day 6 - Our next stop: Kranj

Afterwards, we went on to our next stop: Kranj. There, after having finding our hotel rooms, we met for a mid-term reflection in a café, where we discussed some organisational matters. Then, we started to reflect on potential future topics we should consider more in the upcoming days of the learning journey. Despite some different viewpoints on certain appointments and contents of meetings, we once again emphasised how paramount it is to open up one’s own perspectives and jointly agreed on the fact that “all perspectives are legitimate”.

~Helene Palk

Further reading:

Hirt, Sonia; Ferenčuhová, Slavomíra; Tuvikene, Tauri. 2016. “Conceptual forum: the “post-socialist” city”. Eurasian Geography and Economics 57(4-5), 497-520.

Sendi, Richard; Kerbler, Boštjan. 2021. “The Evolution of Multifamily Housing: Post-Second World War Large Housing Estates versus Post-Socialist Multifamily Housing Types in Slovenia”. Sustainability 13(10363), 1-19.

Day 7 - A visit to the Municipality of Kranj

Insights into Urban Development

Our second day in Kranj began with a visit to the City Hall, where we met with representatives from the Department for Green Transition, Development and Smart Communities. They offered a comprehensive overview of Kranj's sustainable urban development strategy, highlighting key areas such as sustainable mobility, smart city initiatives, and the introduction of the CeKR City Card - a multifunctional city card designed to improve mobility and access to city services in Kranj (CeKR 2024). During the session, we had the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the various urban development measures. Later, Mayor Matjaž Rakovec joined the meeting, giving us the opportunity to ask him directly about the city's future plans and policies. Following the meeting, we were taken on a City Bike tour to see the practical implementation of their sustainable mobility initiatives ourselves. The tour included visits to many sites around Kranj, including some of Kranj's landmarks, a district development project in Planina, and the newly built Center for Sustainable Mobility.

~Miriam Wolf

Website City of Kranj:

 https://www.kranj.si/en .

 https://www.kranj.si/en .References:

CeKR. CeKR card.  https://cekr.eu/en/cekr-card/ . (accessed on 02.05.2024).

Further reading:

City of Kranj. (o. J.). City of Kranj.  https://www.kranj.si/en . (accessed 17.05.2024).

Cotic, B. (2019). Industrial Symbiosis in Brownfields in Kranj, Slovenia. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 471, 112073.  https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/471/11/112073 .

Day 7 - Exploring Art and Culture at the Horticultural Garden of Kranj

After a short lunch break, our next meeting took us to a garden, where a collective of artists participating in the BIEN LIFE program is based. In this program, artists from all over Europe focus on creating textile art that combines human and natural elements while revitalizing the garden for the local community. (Bien 2023) Later, we visited Layer House, located in the historic center of Kranj. As a cultural center, Layer House accommodates galleries, artists' studios and a café, and serves as a focal point for cultural and social activities in the capital of the Gorenjska region (Layer 2022). During our visit, we were given a tour of the artists' studios and exhibition spaces in Layer House. We learned about the history, ambitions and vision of the institution and its role in promoting art, music, and interdisciplinary cooperation in the cultural landscape of Kranj.

~Miriam Wolf

Website Layer house:

 https://layer.si/en/ 

References:

Bien 2023. BIEN LIFE. Bien.  https://layer.si/bien/en/kr/bien-life/  . (accessed on 15.05.2024)

Layer. (2022, April 28). Visit Info—Layerjeva hiša.  https://layer.si/en/visit-info/ . (accessed on 15.05.2024)

Day 8 - A visit at the Regional Development Agency of Gorenjska

“You do not always get the money for the projects you want to do.”

At the Regional Development Agency of Gorenjska, Barbara Spehar and her colleagues introduced us to Gorenjska region. The region consists of 18 municipalities; 70% of its surface is covered by mountainous areas and 65% by forest. In addition, 44% of the area is a Natura 2000 site.

The agency works at local, regional, and national levels and cooperates with municipalities, companies, and regional chambers. The aim of the work is to guarantee high quality of life for all generations and to develop a clean Alpine region. In order to realize various projects in the areas of sustainability, tourism, or regional development, the agency, like many other actors in the field, is dependent on project funding provided by various bodies such as the state, municipalities, or European funding. Also, cross-border cooperation with Austria and Italy plays an important role (Spehar, personal communication, April 9, 2024).

~Lilia Jantzen

Website Regional Development Agency of Gorenjska:

 https://www.bsc-kranj.si/en/home/ 

References:

Spehar, B. (2024). Regional Development Agency of Gorenjska.

Further reading:

Ambroz, M (2008). Attitudes of local residents towards the development of tourism in Slovenia: The case of the Primorska, Dolenjska, Gorenjska and Ljubljana regions. Anthropological Notebooks 14 (1): 63-79.

BSC (2023). Poslovno podporni center Kranj.  https://www.bsc-kranj.si/en/home/ . (accessed 23.05.2024).

Spyra, M., Kleemann, J., Calo, N., Schürmann, A. u. C. Fürst (2020): Protection of peri-urban open spaces at the level of regional policy-making: Examples from six European regions. Land Use Policy, 107, 105480.

Day 8 - Travelling through the Trieste Karst

On the way from Kranj to the next stop of the excursion in Trieste, Italy, there was no way around stopping at one of the famous Osmizen. Osmizen are venues where farmers can sell local wine and typical regional products directly on their property. The tradition of the Osmiza originated in Slovenia in 1789, when farmers were allowed to sell their own products for eight consecutive days. The restaurants are recognised by a leafy branch (Balzano et al. 2023).

Another stop was made at the Foiba di Basovizza memorial. This is a former mining shaft on the Kars plateau in Trieste. In 1945, executions of Italian civilians and soldiers by the Yugoslav occupying forces took place at this site. In 1992, Italy declared the Foiba di Basovizza a national monument, but the site and its history are the subject of ongoing debate. (Pirjevec 2012, 150).

~Lilia Jantzen

References:

Balzano, M. u. KTO Research Center (2023). Cultivating Connections Beyond the Borders: A Cultural and Historical Exploration of Osmiza/Osmica.  https://iris.imtlucca.it/bitstream/20.500.11771/22938/1/Abstract-Osmiza.pdf 

Pirjevec, J. (2012). Die Triest-Frage. In: Ostermann, P., Müller, C., & Rehberg, K. S. (Eds.). (2012). Der Grenzraum als Erinnerungsort: über den Wandel zu einer postnationalen Erinnerungskultur in Europa. transcript Verlag. 135-152.

Further reading:

Kleine Zeitung (2019). Osmiza – eine sympathische kulinarische Besonderheit.  https://www.kleinezeitung.at/service/triest_barcolana/5693328/Osmiza-eine-sympathische-kulinarische-Besonderheit 

Day 9 - Port of Koper

Green harbor or greenwashing?

The 9th day of our excursion started with a guided tour by bus at the port of Koper which is the main harbor of Slovenia located in the gulf of Trieste. The port of Koper is part of the North Adriatic Ports Association (NAPA) which is an association of Ravenna, Venice, Triest, and Koper to strengthen its efficiency and quality (Ažman Momirski 2021). Koper´s port connects the Central and East European hinterland with destinies from all over the world and enables trade with diverse goods such as food, wood, live animals, oil, metal products, bulk, and cars (Zupančič 2016). Austria, for instance, exports timber and imports various minerals, ores, and coal. They are a major trading partner of Koper (Zupančič 2016).

~Lea Reitinger

Website Port of Koper:

 https://www.luka-kp.si/en/ 

References:

Ažman Momirski, L. (2021). The Resilience of the Port Cities of Trieste, Rijeka, and Koper. Journal of Urban History, 47(2), 293-316.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0096144220926600 .

Zupančič, J. (2016). Strategic importance of the seaport of Koper, Slovenia. Prace Komisji Geografii Komunikacji PTG, 19(3), 18-26.  https://doi.org/10.4467/2543859XPKG.16.014.6312 

Further reading: 

EURES. (2023, May 24). Labour market information: Slovenia.  https://eures.europa.eu/living-and-working/labour-market-information/labour-market-information-slovenia_en 

Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. (2024, April 4). Employment by activities, statistical regions, Slovenia, annually.  https://pxweb.stat.si/SiStatData/pxweb/en/Data/-/0309258S.px/table/tableViewLayout2/ 

Day 9 - Let's go to the Department of Geography at the University of Koper!

After strolling around the old town of Koper during the lunch break, we visited the Department of Geography at the University of Koper. Professor Miha Koderman gave us a broad overview of the historical development of Koper, which was an island without a connection to the continent until the 20th century (Ažman Momirski 2021). Before filling in the land between the island and the continent with soil, there used to be salt pans here. Nowadays, tourism and trade are the most important factors of the economy in the area (Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia 2024; EURES 2023). According to Koderman, the port attracts many workers from Slovenia and other Baltic countries. After a detailed presentation about Koper´s development, Mr. Koderman guided us around the city and showed its current projects, development, and challenges, such as finding appropriate accommodations for the high number of working migrants.

~Lea Reitinger

Website Department of Geography University of Koper:

 https://fhs.upr.si/en/departments/department-of-geography/ 

References:

Ažman Momirski, L. (2021). The Resilience of the Port Cities of Trieste, Rijeka, and Koper. Journal of Urban History, 47(2), 293-316.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0096144220926600 

EURES. (2023, May 24). Labour market information: Slovenia.  https://eures.europa.eu/living-and-working/labour-market-information/labour-market-information-slovenia_en 

Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. (2024, April 4). Employment by activities, statistical regions, Slovenia, annually.  https://pxweb.stat.si/SiStatData/pxweb/en/Data/-/0309258S.px/table/tableViewLayout2/ 

Zupančič, J. (2016). Strategic importance of the seaport of Koper, Slovenia. Prace Komisji Geografii Komunikacji PTG, 19(3), 18-26.  https://doi.org/10.4467/2543859XPKG.16.014.6312 

Day 10 - Interreg Italia-Slovenija

At 9 a.m., we visited the "Italy-Slovenia" department of INTERREG directly at their office in Trieste, which is located in the immediate vicinity of our accommodation. There, we were warmly welcomed by Ms. Laura Comelli and her colleagues. We sat down at a long table on-site and were given a comprehensive insight into the system of EU-funded, cross-border regional development between the two countries. Particular attention was paid to cooperation, especially in the development of cycle paths along the Italian-Slovenian border. Interreg supports both general and specific projects of importance to the EU and the regions concerned, which are carried out either close to the border or on both sides of the border. A trainee who belongs to the Slovenian minority in Italy also had the opportunity to share his perspective. The Interreg Italy-Slovenia program is relevant because, for example, it significantly promotes cooperation in the field of seismic activities in this earthquake-prone region - Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Karst region (Pesaresi et al. 2014, 58). There are also projects funded by this institution that deal with the coastal areas of the Italian-Slovenian border region and their vulnerability to climate change (Barausse et al. 2022, 1).

~Tobias Rotter

Website Interreg SL-AT:

 https://www.ita-slo.eu/en 

References:

Barausse, A., Meulenberg, C., Occhipinti, I., Abordi, M., Endrizzi, L., Guadagnin, G., … Manzardo, A. (2022). A Methodological Proposal for the Climate Change Risk Assessment of Coastal Habitats Based on the Evaluation of Ecosystem Services: Lessons Learnt from the INTERREG Project ECO-SMART. Sustainability, 14(13), 7567. doi: 10.3390/su14137567.

Pesaresi, D., Lenhardt, W., Rauch, M., Zivcic, M., Steiner, R., Fabris, P., & Bertoni, M. (2014). The Interreg IV Italia-Austria "SeismoSAT" project; connecting seismic data centers via satellite. Advances in Geosciences, 36(36), 57–60. doi: 10.5194/adgeo-36-57-2014.

Further reading:

Chilla, T., & Lambracht, M. (2023). Institutional mapping of cross-border cooperation. INTERREG programme analyses with KEEP data. European Planning Studies, 31(4), 700–718. doi: 10.1080/09654313.2022.2058321

Day 10 - Rozzol Melara in Trieste

A mesmerising example of brutalism

After a short lunch break, where we could also organize food for the last day, we gathered at the bus stop for line 22 in front of the main train station ("Trieste Centrale") at 1 p.m. and traveled directly to our destination, the Rozzol Melara housing estate. The estate is located on a hill and is built in the brutalist style, which was made famous by architects such as Le Corbusier. Unlike at Ruski Car in Ljubljana, we did not carry out individual field research on site, but explored the entire area together as a group. We noticed various features, including the “façade-less” architecture, the echoing, (almost) deserted corridors decorated with artistic graffiti and the interestingly designed inner courtyard of the complex - we saw very few inhabitants but a library, a kindergarten etc. From a bird's eye view, the complex resembles a square divided by a diagonal line. The “quarter” is also seen as an attempt to “accommodate a small town in a single building” (Presse 2023). Another interesting fact is that the architectural style of brutalism was also common in the former state of Yugoslavia; such a sight close to the border of Slovenia might actually be a relict of that past (Kulic 2019).

Finally, we all made our way back on our own and finally stopped off at Caffé San Marco in the heart of Trieste at 6 p.m., where we held our final discussion of the excursion together with the professors.

~Tobias Rotter

References:

Kulic, V. (2019). Yugoslavia: Brutalism and sophistication. Arq (London, England), 23(4), 381–383. doi: 10.1017/S1359135519000289.

Presse (Hrsg.) (2023). Triest: Ist diese Brutalität noch zu retten?.  https://www.diepresse.com/14398676/triest-ist-diese-brutalitaet-noch-zu-retten . (accessed 14.05.2024).

Further reading:

Altun, D. (2016). Brutalism Now: Rethinking Brutalism in Contemporary World Architecture. Arts (Basel), 5(2), 3. doi: 10.3390/arts5020003

Miklavcic, A. (2008). Slogans and graffiti: Postmemory among youth in the Italo-Slovenian borderland. American Ethnologist, 35(3), 440–453. doi: 10.1111/j.1548-1425.2008.00045.x.

Day 11 - Reflection of the learning journey & Rilke Path (Trieste)

On the final day of our trip, we boarded a regional bus bound for Duino. There, we went on a hike on Rilke Path, a picturesque trail winding through the limestone plateau near Trieste. The trail ends in Sistiana, where we it was the perfect place and time to reflect on the experiences and insights gained in the previous days. It was a journey that underscored the importance of considering different perspectives, recognizing how things can appear vastly different upon closer examination, and emphasizing the role of effective communication - especially in (cooperative) urban and regional development. Reading about cooperation in theory as well as hearing experts talk about regional and urban development certainly is crucial for understanding such complicated practices.

However, this trip has shown that another dimension must not be underestimated: the dimension of experiencing these practices first-hand, discussing the issues with a variety of affected stakeholders oneself, and seeing the effects of what one has read about play out in real life. This is where field trips shine, as these learnings can not be replicated in the same quality from inside university buildings. After the reflection, we visited the last stop on our Learning Journey, Miramare Castle. This is where our 11-day excursion ended, after travelling almost 400 kilometers across three countries and visiting five towns.

~Matthias Neumeister and Carmen Lutzer

Further reading:

Ferk, J. (2021). Der Rilke-Weg : ein Wanderführer von Grado über Görz und Triest bis Muggia und Udine mit Service-Teil (2. Auflage.). Kleine Zeitung Edition.