Urbanisation History of Slovenia in the Context of Eastern and South-Eastern European Countries

Abstract

Compared to industrially well-developed western European countries, which after the Second World War experienced intense growth of urban population, Slovenian urban system marked a distinctive form of polycentric development supported by specific political decisions. The diminishment of agricultural activities i.e. deagrarisation, was not followed by intense migration to urban areas and could be better described as moderate growth of urban population. After the change of political system in 1991 and introduction of freemarket conditions, the socio-economic restrictions that directed urban development suddenly disappeared. The processes of urbanisation intensified and supported the fast economic development of Slovenia. The fast upgrade of the highway network triggered intensive automobilisation processes that fuelled urban sprawl and influenced various groups of people and economic activities to move from the previous locations in the city centres. Consequences of these processes are seen in the start of gentrification process, expansion of suburban consumption spaces and change in the role of city centres. Keywords: urban sprawl, automobilisation, revitalisation, spatial values,