In Ljubljana, the citizens’ awareness on using sustainable transport modes has increased through a participative planning system. Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia, is currently counting around 280,000 citizens inside the city and just as much in periurban regions. With the modernisation of the country and the construction of a very dense network of highways for its dimensions, road traffic has increased a lot forcing the city to react.
Thus, a system for promoting and encouraging the active implication and participation of the citizens in the planning and implementation of a mobility plan was set up. Initiated by CIVITAS MOBILIS, the concept relies on the participation of citizens with the purpose of creating a social responsibility feeling to promote the choice of more sustainable means of transport. The project was promoted by Eltis.
Before the implementation of this project, Ljubljana was lacking a coordinated approach that would have involved several organisations promoting sustainable transport and especially, cycling. The citizens’ motivation to use the bicycle, as well as other sustainable modes of transport, has to be stimulated.
At the beginning, the system was mainly focused on promoting sustainable mobility in Ljubljana, stimulating the use of bicycles. The cycling infrastructure was improved to the right standard and covered parking lots for bicycles were installed due to the implication of local cycling associations. Public transport has also been evaluated and key players have been identified.
Focusing on the idea of participative development, the representatives of the council of each city sector, those in the local governing structures and the public have worked together. The schemes resulting from this collaboration were implemented through the supply of the public transport fleet with biodiesel and compressed natural gas. At the same time, a model for the participation of the public in the decision making has been elaborated and evaluated.
Participative planning and the promotion of sustainable mobility in Ljubljana have resulted in an improved information of the ci-tizens about sustainable transport and their increasing implication. Moreover, the city has implemented measures to increase the use of both bicycles and of non-polluting vehicle fleet and to build new parking lots for bicycles in cycling priority areas. Public consulting is still undergone to monitor the progress of project implementation and to measure the reaction of the public.
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