This article studies the strength, forms, and areas of intermunicipal cooperation, and their advantages, disadvantages, and spatial characteristics based on the example of the Ljubljana urban region. Surveys, interviews, data analysis of joint administration and joint companies, and analysis of joint development projects show that cooperation in joint municipal administration is limited to parking authorities and the intermunicipal inspectorate, joint companies dealing with communal infrastructure and traffic, and joint projects mainly focusing on economic infrastructure, tourism, mobility, spatial and development planning, and applying for EU projects. The areas of former municipalities, the municipalities in Ljubljana Marsh Nature Park, and the municipalities that are part of the Development Partnership of the Center of Slovenia connect more often than other areas. The advantages of cooperation include better opportunities for EU funding, economizing, and joint representation of municipal interests, whereas disadvantages include problems with coordinating funding and a lengthy coordination period, which is additionally hindered by unsuitable legislation and a lack of financial incentives, human resources, time, and ideas.
COBISS.SI-ID: 42054189
Over the recent decades, the concept of functional urban areas (FUAs) has been relatively independently established in many countries around the world. The paper first addresses the FUA concepts and their application. Thereafter, a FUA analysis is conducted using an adapted version of the methodology used by OECD and Eurostat on the case of Slovenia. Results showed that the existing network of urban centres is solid enough so that FUAs are formed around them, which will in time grow into more solidly delineated functional regions (FRs).
COBISS.SI-ID: 8272993