In the tender for Cities to Cities recognitions as many as four of Ljubljana's projects were recognised as good practices for sustainable urban development.

The Institute for Spatial Policies – IPoP publishes the Cities to Cities tender with which it looks for good practices that address complex challenges using comprehensive and integrated approaches. During the latest tender, 29 applications came in, and out of those a jury selected 15 good practices that best meet the criteria and follow the principles of the URBACT programme on integrated sustainable urban development.

The recognitions were awarded to: 

Joint green – environmentally friendly public procurement of office paper and hygienic paper products in the Ljubljana Public Holding

With the green public procurement of office paper and hygienic paper the circular economy-oriented Ljubljana Public Holding is closing the local material flow loop and is promoting the green economy and sustainable development. The switch to one of the most sustainable hygienic papers (paper towels and toilet paper) on the market brings environmental and financial savings. The Ljubljana Public Holding and public companies started the good practice in 2016 and were joined in 2019 by the whole city administration, all 17 district communities and some kindergartens, primary schools and public institutes.

Electric vehicles Kavalir in the Public Company Ljubljanski potniški promet

In the pedestrian zone in the city centre, free-of-charge rides with electric vehicles Kavalir are available throughout the year. Their primary purpose is to ease the mobility of the elderly and people with mobility impairments in the area closed to traffic.

The first Kavalir drove through the city centre in 2009, and now there are already six. Passengers can stop them as they are driving, and the drivers are also available on-call.

Transformation of an old city bus into a mobile youth centre – Ljuba and Drago, the Public Institute Young Dragons and the Public Company Ljubljanski potniški promet

The project of transforming a decommissioned city bus into a mobile youth centre was entirely based on the concept of participatory practices with the youth taking part in it from the start and under professional mentorship co-deciding and contributing with ideas and work in all project phases.

The campaign »We will cut the grass when the bees are fed«

Last year on 20 May, the World Bee Day, we launched an awareness-raising campaign on the significance of late grass cutting for bees, which we titled We will cut the grass when the bees are fed. By cutting grass later and less often (only twice a year) on select green surfaces in the city we stressed the significance of preserving the grassland plant diversity providing food for pollinators from honey bees to numerous other wild pollinators.