Quality of urban life is a useful concept for studying the quality of residential environment and its effect on quality of life. The article is based on the data analysis of the survey research ...Quality of Life in Ljubljana (2010). Using structural equation modelling and hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis, the effect of residential quality on quality of life was determined and compared to the effects of selected domains of life. The results depend heavily on the operationalization of quality of life and on the selected independent variables in the model. Structural equation modelling confirmed the hypothesis about the effect of residential quality on quality of life, wherein satisfaction with the dwelling has a significantly greater effect on it than satisfaction with the neighbourhood and with living in the city. The hierarchical regression analysis results show that the quality of life for Ljubljana residents is most affected by their own estimation of social-economic factors, especially economic well-being, family life, and social life.
The socioeconomic performance of industrial small and medium-sized towns (SMSTs) in comparison to that of non-industrial SMSTs, is subject to evaluation in this paper, to see if the presence of ...industry has adverse effects on socioeconomic factors. We studied 32 variables accounting for dimensions of socioeconomic performance in Slovenian SMSTs and conducted various statistical tests. We found only minor differences between the two groups, pertaining mainly to some elements of economic structure and demography, and some mixed relations of industrial employment and socioeconomic performance. The results demonstrate that industrial SMSTs should not be labelled automatically as ‘disadvantaged’. We discuss why our results differ from general research expectations in the literature: in the local context, we outline the “egalitarian syndrome” and policies of polycentric spatial development; in the global context, we discuss the “failed tertiarisation effect” and the differences between post-socialist and “Western” countries. We conclude by proposing that research should be re-oriented towards the more place-sensitive issues of industrial towns across Europe.
COVID-19 impact on daily mobility in Slovenia Brezina, Tadej; Tiran, Jernej; Ogrin, Matej ...
Acta geographica Slovenica : Geografski zbornik,
01/2021, Volume:
61, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
The Slovenian subsample (n=415) of an international online survey about changes in daily mobility during the COVID-19 outbreak in the spring of 2020 was analysed from a geographical perspective. The ...dataset was split into three spatial classes (urban, transitional and rural) according to the respondents’ place of residence. People’s behaviour before and during the COVID-19 lockdown was compared and analysed in terms of commuting frequency, changes in mode choice for commuting and style of grocery shopping. The results show that commuting was reduced drastically during the lockdown while the car remained the main transport mode both for commuting and shopping, especially in rural areas. The study provides an unprecedented insight in travel behaviour changes due to the pandemic and congruously argues for improved transport policies to meet climate change and public health challenges.
Walkable access is recognised as one of the most important factors for deciding to walk instead of using other modes of transport. Distance has been less accurately taken into consideration in ...previous walking accessibility measures, however, as they are often based on an isotropic approach or on a fixed distance threshold. The objective of this paper is to present a method of modelling continuous walking accessibility to different amenities in a city, with an integrated network-based and distance-decay approach, applied to a case study of the city of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The approach is based on a web survey to obtain data on acceptable walking distances to different types of amenities. Several distance decay functions were analysed for each type of amenity from the cumulative frequency of responses. The best fitting functions were used to model the walking accessibility surfaces for individual amenities in the network, representing five domains (retail, services, recreation, education and transportation) and an overall walking accessibility index. Despite certain limitations and a further need to assess the validity of the methods, our distance-decay network-based approach is more accurate than the isotropic or even network-based modelling of walking distances in continuous or threshold approaches, as it enables the researcher to take into account the differences in propensities to walk to different amenities. The results can be used by city authorities and planners for implementing actions to improve walking accessibility in the most problematic areas.
Prispevek analizira dostopnost javnega potniškega prometa ( JPP) v Sloveniji glede na oddaljenost postajališč od prebivališč in pogostnost voženj. S povezovanjem podatkov iz Centralnega registra ...prebivalcev in podatkov o ponudbi JPP smo z geografskim informacijskim sistemom izračunali delež prebivalstva, ki živi v 500- in 1000-metrski oddaljenosti od postajališč z zadevnim številom dnevnih voženj. Avtorji so analizirali prostorske razlike v dostopnosti do postajališč JPP, na podlagi podatkov o gostoti prebivalstva so prepoznali glavne vrzeli v ponudbi JPP in analizirali razmeščanje novejše poselitve v navezavi na današnje omrežje JPP.
This article examines the contemporary industrial semiotic landscape in the town of Velenje, Slovenia, to determine the (positive or negative) collective imaginaries and discourses about industry in ...the local community. To this end, the semiotic landscape is mapped for signs and symbols of past and present industry, 33 randomly selected short interviews are conducted to understand the residents’ attitudes towards industrial symbols and industrial development in general, and a content analysis of official strategic documents is conducted to determine how industry is represented by officials and whether there are efforts to reimage the town. We found that the industrial past and present are well represented by industrial symbols and are a matter of pride and collective identity for the residents. However, the industrial tradition is hardly represented in official documents: Influenced by the prevailing post-industrial discourses, local authorities have begun to construct new territorial identities in order to increase the town’s attractiveness and economic growth. Currently, both ideas seem to coexist in Velenje. We argue that industrial symbols can become a reference point to create an alternative perception of a modern consumer society based on past industrial values, such as collective well-being, solidarity, and equality.
This article analyses the accessibility of public transport in Slovenia in terms of the proximity of stops and trip frequency. By combining the Central Population Register with data on the provision ...of public transport services, geographic information systems were used to calculate the share of the population living within a 500 and 1,000 m radius from stops with a basic number of daily trips. The spatial differences in accessibility were analysed, and the population density data were utilized to identify the main gaps in provision. Moreover, the location of newer settlements was analysed in terms of their integration into the existing public transport network. It was determined that public transport accessibility in the country is relatively adequate within a 1,000 m radius; however, within a 500 m radius, it is adequate only in most urban areas. There are extensive areas without adequate accessibility, which is a consequence of low population density particularly in the countryside, whereas larger gaps in provision appear in suburban areas that have grown outside public transport corridors. The 2004–2020 study period revealed a trend of lower demographic growth than the Slovenian average in areas with the best public transport accessibility, whereas the areas of the greatest population growth and most intense residential construction have been only partly located in the vicinity of the public transport network. This confirms the hypothesis that current strategic spatial planning documents are not followed consistently, and that transport and spatial planning are insufficiently integrated.
This paper uses findings from sustainability studies to present the development of environmental urban geography in Slovenia in recent decades. Modern European cities, of which Ljubljana is no ...exception, depart significantly from sustainable development concepts. Compared to other similar cities, Ljubljana has an effective green space system, which its residents also perceive as offering a better-quality living environment. The major, poorly addressed problems are primarily inherited issues, such as gravel pits, illegal dumping sites, and unregulated gardens in suburbanized water protection areas on which residents depend. These, however, show a large gap between claimed and actual environmental awareness.
Cultivated terraces distinctively mark the landscape and are a result of human adaptation to steep areas. Terraces were studied with regard to their morphometric qualities, ownership structure, and ...land use at eight pilot sites in various landscape types in Slovenia. Twenty-six detailed interviews were carried out with local residents and experts. In current agricultural practice, terraces mostly represent obstacles, and for owners they create a loss rather than profit; however, they represented an advantage in the past, when they were cultivated manually. Land use is intensifying on economically profitable terraces. Among those examined, the Jeruzalem terraces stand out because these are the youngest ones (created in socialist Yugoslavia around 1965). Because of their aesthetic value, they are the best known among the public. Profitability in particular will be an important driving force for the future maintenance of terraces.
Landscape interpretation is one of the best-suited and established forms of informing and raising the awareness of visitors and local residents. The literature contains only rare examples of useful ...methodology that could help managers with the initial steps of interpretation. A methodological basis for landscape interpretation is presented, using the case of the Ljubljana Marsh. The form consisting of eight thematic categories is a useful tool for identifying suitable topics and selecting the right interpretation tools. Using this form, managers will reach their final interpretation goal more easily: to make people recognize the landscape and protect it against inappropriate changes.
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