This article examines the demographically threatened region of the local community of Jurklošter in the southeastern part of the Alpine Sava Hills (Posavsko hribovje), part of the municipality of ...Laško. It draws attention to the natural and social conditions in the region after the Second World War, which led to the steady depopulation of the area. The paper presents the characteristics of the geographical location, settlement, settlements, population and land use, and economic development. It emphasizes the significance of the exceptional natural and cultural heritage as bases for strengthening the role of tourism and recreation, which along with some complementary activities could help reverse negative population trends and provide new sources of income. It deals primarily with natural and cultural motives as important components of the tourism potential of the region.
We determined changes in the settled areas of rural settlements by means of aerial photos and orthophotos, statistical data, and data obtained through field research. The expert sample comprised 14 ...rural settlements with 500 to 1100 inhabitants from a variety of Slovene natural and statistical regions which in the past ten-year period have shown positive growth in the number of inhabitants, jobs, and houses. We identified how the following categories changed in settled areas in the period from 1991 to 2005: residential areas, areas with central functions (supply, service, and business), traffic areas and green and other open spaces. Most apparent were differences among the types of settlements. We related land use to the relief and type of settlement, to the geographical location of the settlement, to changes in its structure, and to trends in the number of jobs and extent of commuting.
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