Šmartinska Partnership

With the independence of Slovenia in 1991 after years of Yugoslavian socialist rule, Ljubljana – for the first time in its history – became the capital of an independent nation state. In 2004, Slovenia joined the EU. With the adoption of the Euro in 2007 and the EU presidency in 2008, the city is looking to match its new status with a change in the city’s urban image.

Yet, Ljubljana is still a city in transition. Only very recently, under the leadership of an energetic mayor and vice-mayor, the city started to really change and develop.

This essay written for a conference of Slovene spatial planners examines the current state of Ljubljana’s urban development and proposes strategies for the future. It describes the Šmartinska Partnership masterplan as an example for an integrated planning approach.

Schaefer, Markus: „Šmartinska Partnership Ljubljana“. in: Urbana Prenova, Drustvo urbanistov in prostorskih planerjev Slovenije, Ljubljana 2009, p. 103-106