As part of the Ljubljana smart city project, last year saw the initiative ‘Ljubljana is you!’, through which we gathered proposals and suggestions on how we could improve the quality of life in Ljubljana.

Wednesday 6 March 2013 was the day of the award ceremony to those who had taken part in the Ljubljana is you! initiative. From 375 proposals received, the jury gave third prize (an energy efficient Siemens vacuum cleaner) to Mateja Pertot for her suggestion for an express bike repair workshop, second prize (an energy efficient built-in Siemens cooker) to Andreja Kranjc for proposing 'edible settlements' and first prize (an energy efficient Siemens washing machine) to Alenka Selčan for her suggestion for solar panels on the roofs of bus stops that would enable people waiting for buses to recharge their mobile devices.

From the shortlist, the jury ranked 14 proposals which were in accord with the initiative mission to provide a new and unburdened viewpoint on the city's infrastructural challenge problems and solutions. They took into account the relevance of the proposals (their relation to current problems), the possibility for them to be implemented from technical and formal aspects, the detail of the description, accordance with the vision of the City of Ljubljana and their innovativity.

Many proposals in the context of the Ljubljana is you! initiative related to projects that are already being carried out or are approved medium-term programmes (such as proposals to expand the BicikeLJ network, extend bus routes and cycle lanes) while others were closely related to decisions handled at State level (such as prosecutions for illegal fly-tipping of waste, or the use of the orbital motorway as a city bus route) or impinged on individual or commercial freedom (proposals to dedicate empty commercial premises in the city centre for the operations of NGOs or civic society organisations). Despite the fact that these were not rewarded, all these proposals are useful feedback on the City's adopted policies.

As the Ljubljana smart city project proceeds, the proposals will be evaluated by other City of Ljubljana departments and professional services and analysed for their technical, formal and economic feasibility, while simultaneously the suggestions will be of assistance in the preparation of priorities, content structure, goals and measures in the environmental protection programme for the period 2014 – 2020.
At least one (stickers to promote cycling) will be implemented as the Ljubljana smart city project proceeds.

Due to the tremendous response to the Ljubljana is you! initiative we have decided that in the future we will continue to gather proposals and to reward them – from the proposals contributed, there will be a monthly prize draw for five practical awards.

Ljubljana, smart city

The Ljubljana smart city project is a common initiative between Siemens and the City of Ljubljana, and was set up with the intention of encouraging direct communication with the residents, visitors to the city and those that work or study in Ljubljana on content in the field of environmental protection and the countryside, sustainable energy use, renewable energy sources and sustainable development in general. The guiding light in the setting-up of the project was to showcase the good practices and measures being carried out by the City as well as all the efforts that are devoted to co-creating a beautiful, green, friendly Ljubljana, with investment from other organisations and individuals.

You can find out more about the project on its website.