TOWN Small and medium sized towns in their functional territorial context Applied Research 2013/1/23 Case Study Report | Slovenia Version 05/09/2013 ESPON 2013 1 This report presents the interim results of an Applied Research Project conducted within the framework of the ESPON 2013 Programme, partly financed by the European Regional Development Fund. The partnership behind the ESPON Programme consists of the EU Commission and the Member States of the EU27, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Each partner is represented in the ESPON Monitoring Committee. This report does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the members of the Monitoring Committee. Information on the ESPON Programme and projects can be found on www.espon.eu The web site provides the possibility to download and examine the most recent documents produced by finalised and ongoing ESPON projects. This basic report exists only in an electronic version. © ESPON & University of Leuven, 2013. Printing, reproduction or quotation is authorised provided the source is acknowledged and a copy is forwarded to the ESPON Coordination Unit in Luxembourg. List of authors Nataša Pichler-Milanović, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, Ljubljana, Slovenia Samo Drobne, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, Ljubljana, Slovenia Miha Konjar, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, Ljubljana, Slovenia © Institute UL-FGG d.o.o, Jamova 2, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia ESPON 2013 i Table of contents 1 NATIONAL CONTEXT 1 1.1 National definitions of SMSTs 1 1.2 Literature overview of studies of national/regional settlement systems and SMSTs 4 1.2.1 Research on central places in Slovenia 4 1.2.2 Polycentric urban development concepts in spatial development strategies of Slovenia 6 1.2.3 Functional urban areas in Slovenia 10 1.3 Territorial organisation of local government system 15 2 TERRITORIAL IDENTIFICATION OF SMSTS IN SLOVENIA 22 2.1 Verification of the morphological/geomatic identification of SMSTs and administrative identification of SMSTs 22 2.2 Functional analysis of settlement systems: identification of SMSTs, their related urban regions and territorial arrangements 28 2.2.1 Methodology 28 2.2.2 Outputs of the 1st stage of functional analyses (January – February 2013) 35 2.3 Identification of SMSTs territorial arrangements - autonomous, networked, agglomerated in large city regions 38 2.3.1 Methodology 38 2.3.2 Specificities of the functional analysis in Slovenia 53 3 TERRITORIAL PERFORMANCE OF SMSTS 54 3.1 Socio-economic characteristics, position and performance of SMSTs 54 3.2 Socio-economic characteristics of SMSTs and their position in national/sub-national settlement system 71 3.3 Performance of SMSTs: Conclusions 75 4 POLICY DIMENSION OF SMSTS 77 4.1 Introduction: Selection of case study towns in Slovenia 77 ESPON 2013 ii 4.2 Description of TOWN Case Study SMSTs: Postojna, Radovljica, Domžale 87 4.2.1 Postojna 87 4.2.2 Radovljica 94 4.2.3 Domžale 100 5 POLICY ORIENTATION IN CASE STUDY SMSTS IN SLOVENIA 107 5.1 Regional development policies 108 5.2 Spatial planning and land use policies 109 5.3 Postojna 110 5.4 Radovljica 114 5.5 Domžale 123 6 CONCLUSIONS OF THE CASE STUDY SMSTS IN SLOVENIA 135 7 POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SMSTS AT THE EUROPEAN, NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVEL 143 7.1 SWOT analysis of spatial policies in Slovenia 144 7.2 Policy recommendations to the European level 146 7.3 Policy recommendations to the national level 147 7.4 Policy recommendations to SMSTs level 148 REFERENCES 151 ESPON 2013 iii Figures Figure 1.1. Population density (2007) in Slovenia (inhabitants per km2; Source: Statistical Office of Republic of Slovenia (SORS); The Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia). Figure 1.2. Urban settlements in Slovenia (Source: SORS, 2003). Figure 1.3. Concept of polycentric urban system in 1980s in Slovenia: regional and local urban centres (58) with city conurbations (Source: Long Term Development Plan of Republic of Slovenia 1986-2000. Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning of RS). Figure 1.4. Concept of polycentric urban system: »regional centres« (8+3+1) with 12 »planning regions« in 1980s in Slovenia (Source: Long Term Development Plan of Republic of Slovenia 1986-2000. Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning of RS). Figure 1.5. Polycentric urban network in Slovenia (Source: Spatial Development Strategy of Slovenia (SPRS, 2004), Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning of RS). Figure 1.6. Polycentric regional urban network and their wider (functional) urban areas in Slovenia (SPRS, 2004; Source: Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning of RS). Figure 1.7. Medium size and small towns (Prosen et al, 2008) in comparison with the definition of urban centres (SPRS, 2004) and local labour systems (RePUS, 2007; Source: Prosen et al. 2008; Zavodnik Lamovšek et al. 2008). Figures 1.8 (a) -1.9 (b). Funtional urban areas in Slovenia (Source: Pichler-Milanović et al. 2011; ESPON 1.1.1, 2004; INTERREG III B CADSES PlaNet CenSE, 2006). Figure 1.10. Functional regions defined by urban »centres of (inter)national importance« (SPRS, 2004) in Slovenia (Source: Drobne et al. 2010). Figure 1.11. Local functional urban areas with urban network in Slovenia (RePUS, 2007): distribution of urban settlements (SORS, 2003), towns (2010) and centres of (inter)national importance (SPRS, 2004): statistical, administrative, political and policy classification of “towns” and their local labour market areas (Source: Pichler- Milanović et al. 2008). Figure 1.12. Potential functional (urban) regions in Slovenia (2011; Source: Pogačnik et al., 2010; Zavodnik Lamovšek, 2011). Figure 1.13. Administrative and territorial division of Slovenia (2012; Source: Zavodnik Lamovšek, Pichler- Milanović, 2010; own updates, June 2013). Figure 1.14. Administrative districts (NUTS 4 / LAU1) with municipalities (NUTS 5 / LAU 2) (Source: The Surveying and Mapping Authority of Republic of Slovenia). Figure 1.15. The proposal for administrative NUTS 3 regions (provinces) in Slovenia (June 2008; Source: Kušar and Pichler-Milanović, 2010). Figure 2.1. Overlapping of the polygons. Figure 2.2. Displacement of polygons. Figure 2.3. Correlation of RA2 Polygons (version 3_12_2012) with the SORS (2003) definition of urban settlements (104 + 52) in Slovenia (for municipal coding see Appendix 1). Figure 2.4. Example of the visualization of errors. Figure 2.5. Verification sheet of SMTS polygons in Slovenia. Figure 2.6. Corrected RA2 Polygons (final version 20_5_2013) with the SORS (2003) definition of urban settlements (104 + 52) and micro-regions (MR) 2011 (50) in Slovenia (for municipal coding see Appendix 1). Figure 2.6. Assignment of LAU 2 to “urban centers”. Figure 2.7a. Corrections of “proto micro-regions” due to the criteria of minimal population size and territorial integrity for year 2001 (for municipal coding see Appendix 1). ESPON 2013 iv Figure 2.7b. Corrections of “proto micro-regions” due to the criteria of minimal population size and territorial integrity for 2011 data recalculated on the 2001 geography (for municipal coding see Appendix 1). Figure 2.8a. “Micro-regions” and their associated “micro-regional centers” for year 2001 (for municipal coding see Appendix 1). Figure 2.8b. “Micro-regions” and their associated “micro-regional centers” for 2011 data recalculated on the 2001 geography (for municipal coding see Appendix 1). Figure 2.9a. Distinction between defined centers by methodological steps: “job”, “urban”, “micro-regional” centers for year 2001 (for municipal coding see Appendix 1). Figure 2.9b. Distinction between defined centers by methodological steps: “job”, “urban”, “micro-regional” centers for 2011 data recalculated on the 2001 geography (for municipal coding see Appendix 1). Figure 2.10a. Micro-regions (MR) and their micro-regional centers (MRC) for year 2001. Figure 2.10b. Micro-regions (MR) and their micro-regional centers (MRC) for 2011 data recalculated on the 2001 geography. Figure 2.11a. Significant commuting flows between micro regional centres (MRC) in Slovenia in 2001: Step 1 (for MRC coding see Appendix 1). Figure 2.11b. Significant commuting flows between micro regional centres (MRC) in Slovenia in 2011 recalculated on 2001 geography: Step 1 (for MRC coding see Appendix 1). Figure 2.12a. Significant flows between micro regional centres (MRC) in Slovenia in 2001: Step 2 (for MRC coding see Appendix 1). Figure 2.12b. Significant flows between micro regional centres (MRC) in Slovenia in 2011 recalculated on 2001 geography: Step 2 (for MRC coding see Appendix 1). Figure 2.13a. Hierarchical levels of micro regional urban centres (MRC) in Slovenia in 2001 (for MRC coding see Appendix 1). Figure 2.13b. Hierarchical levels of micro regional urban centres (MRC) in Slovenia in 2011 recalculated on 2001 geography (for MRC coding see Appendix 1). Figure 2.14a. Significant Flows between micro-regional centres in 2001. Figure 2.14b. Significant Flows between micro-regional centres in 2011 recalculated on 2001 geography. Figure 2.15a. Types of “micro regional centres” MRC according to territorial arrangements (autonomous, networked, agglomerated) in Slovenia in year 2001. Figure 2.15b. Types of “micro urban centres” according to territorial arrangements (autonomous, networked, agglomerated) in Slovenia in year 2011 recalculated on 2001 geography. Figure 2.16. Examples of commuting flows between MRC in Gorenjska (NUTS 3) region in Slovenia. Figure 3.1. Population by aging cohorts in SMSTs (MRC) in years 2001 and 2011. Figure 3.2. Population (2001-2011) and dwellings (2002-2011) growth rates of Domžale in Osrednjeslovenska region (note: Domžale - case study town (red colour), Ljubljana - centre of NUTS 3 region (light blue), Kamnik - town in the town connurbation (purple), municipalities with extrem value(s) in NUTS 3 region (grey)). Figure 3.3. Population (2001-2011) and dwellings (2002-2011) growth rates of Radovljica in Gorenjska NUTS 3 region (Radovljica – case study town (red colour), Kranj – centre of NUTS 3 region (light blue), Jesenice and Bled - towns in connurbation (purple), municipalities with extrem value(s) in NUTS 3 region (grey)).