Urbani izziv Volume 35, No. 2, December 2024
: 96-112
(Articles)
UDK: 625.712.47
doi: 10.5379/urbani-izziv-en-2024-35-02-02
Author
Jana Kozamernik
Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
jana.kozamernik@uirs.si
Ina Šuklje Erjavec
Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
ina.suklje@uirs.si
Simon Koblar
Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
simon.koblar@uirs.si
Rok Brišnik
Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
rok.brisnik@uirs.si
Vita Žlender
Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
vita.zlender@uirs.si
Title
Developing a concept to define green spaces
suitable for spatially concentrated forms of physical
activity
Abstract
Green spaces play an important role in promoting physical
activity and public health, and so it is vital they be
equally accessible to all residents. Nonetheless, Slovenia
has insufficient high-quality spatial data to assess the provision
of urban green spaces for physical activity. This
article develops the concept of green space provision in
Slovenian towns and other settlements. It defines the concept
of provision and presents a new method for identifying
green spaces suitable for concentrated forms of
physical activity. The method is based on a combination
of spatial data on the occurrence and function of green
spaces, allowing a sufficiently reliable identification of
green spaces suitable for concentrated forms of physical
activity that can also form the basis for assessing the provision
of such spaces to develop relevant indicators. The
discussion section highlights the lack of comprehensive
and high-quality spatial data to make such assessments
in Slovenia, and the need for cross-sector collaboration
to improve the management and planning of urban areas.
The article concludes by emphasizing the need for
a harmonized expert approach to collecting these data
and establishing long-term stakeholder collaboration to
improve the accessibility and quality of green spaces to
promote physical activity in Slovenia.
Key Words
green spaces, physical activity, indicator, GIS, spatial aspects, spatial data