Inspiring urbanity : improving the public environment in Grosuplje, Slovenia

Abstract: The central theme of this thesis is urban design, which combines architecture, landscape architecture and cityplanning in order to make urban areas functional and attractive.The first part consists of a literature study, starting with different theories of space and place, untangling themeaning of sense of place for urbanism; continuing with a short research about cities, towns and urbanism ingeneral, outlining the main problems of the cities today. The thesis then approaches the more specific topic ofurban design, investigates its main problems and different measures for solving them. This is also one of the mainobjectives of this project, together with the discussion about what kind of a design would attract more people touse public environments and thus contribute to more lively urban spaces.These statements and guesses continue throughout the paper, moving on to the practical part that focuses on thecentral area of a small town of Grosuplje, Slovenia. The case study first focuses on the context of Grosuplje withthe wishes and demands of its inhabitants, which are explored through a short survey and a sociological studymade for the preparation of spatial documents in the municipality. The practical part ends with a conceptual proposalfor the revival of the town centre, trying to draw together the preferences of its inhabitants and the maincognitions of the literature study.The final part of this thesis presents a short overview of the previous parts and shortly discusses the main cognitionsand tries to draw a few conclusions concerning the approaches to improving of urban environments.This master project aims to contribute to a discussion about how to approach the design of urban areas andwhether it can contribute to livelier in-between areas and public places, and thus improve the quality of life in thecity. No final answer or solution can be given here, the goal of this work is only to unfold how some of the qualitiesand cognitions of place-making could connect people and places, the natural and the built fabric, as well as thefunctional and the aesthetic. Transferring those cognitions to an existing situation in Grosuplje is only one way oftrying out whether the lessons were successful or not.