Page 29 - Pelc, Stanko, and Miha Koderman, eds., 2016. Regional development, sustainability, and marginalization. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 29
munes. Similarly, the development of new municipalities in the 2016 conference of igu commission 27
1990s caused the second round of the dispersion of power to a
municipal level; because of the absence of the regional authorities
and growing competences of the municipalities, this resulted in en-
hanced development, especially at the local level. The main bene-
fit of the newly established territorial units could be observed in
some less developed areas that have gained new competences and
thus decision-making power that was mainly used for the swift de-
velopment of local infrastructure. However, the dispersion of deci-
sion-making competences on the one hand and centralization forc-
es at the national level on the other have widened the gap between
the centre and the periphery. We can conclude that both reforms
have transferred decision-making powers to a lower territorial lev-
el and thus support their balanced development, whereas the di-
vide between Ljubljana as the national centre and other areas have
widened.
Key words: Local self-government, polycentric settlement system,
regional development, services of general interest, Slovenia
Regional disparities and the path to sustainability:
the case of Slovenia
Katja Vintar Mally
Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana,
Aškerčeva 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
In recent decades, sustainable development has proven difficult to
implement in individual Slovenian regions. The assessment of eco-
nomic, social, and environmental characteristics of the develop-
ment of twelve Slovenian regions – based on the evaluation of thir-
ty-two sustainable development indicators – has thus confirmed
the existence of large and persistent regional disparities. The lat-
ter are the largest in the economic area and the smallest in the en-
vironmental area. The most favourable social and economic trends
prevail in the western regions, while the eastern ones experience
higher unemployment, have less favourable educational and demo-
graphic structure, are more exposed to poverty and social exclu-
sion, etc. Since independence (1991), the Slovenian use of natural
resources and the resulting environmental pressures have been in-
creasing (as for example demonstrated by growing ecological foot-
1990s caused the second round of the dispersion of power to a
municipal level; because of the absence of the regional authorities
and growing competences of the municipalities, this resulted in en-
hanced development, especially at the local level. The main bene-
fit of the newly established territorial units could be observed in
some less developed areas that have gained new competences and
thus decision-making power that was mainly used for the swift de-
velopment of local infrastructure. However, the dispersion of deci-
sion-making competences on the one hand and centralization forc-
es at the national level on the other have widened the gap between
the centre and the periphery. We can conclude that both reforms
have transferred decision-making powers to a lower territorial lev-
el and thus support their balanced development, whereas the di-
vide between Ljubljana as the national centre and other areas have
widened.
Key words: Local self-government, polycentric settlement system,
regional development, services of general interest, Slovenia
Regional disparities and the path to sustainability:
the case of Slovenia
Katja Vintar Mally
Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana,
Aškerčeva 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
In recent decades, sustainable development has proven difficult to
implement in individual Slovenian regions. The assessment of eco-
nomic, social, and environmental characteristics of the develop-
ment of twelve Slovenian regions – based on the evaluation of thir-
ty-two sustainable development indicators – has thus confirmed
the existence of large and persistent regional disparities. The lat-
ter are the largest in the economic area and the smallest in the en-
vironmental area. The most favourable social and economic trends
prevail in the western regions, while the eastern ones experience
higher unemployment, have less favourable educational and demo-
graphic structure, are more exposed to poverty and social exclu-
sion, etc. Since independence (1991), the Slovenian use of natural
resources and the resulting environmental pressures have been in-
creasing (as for example demonstrated by growing ecological foot-
