On Wednesday, 12 November 2025, the Zagreb Energy Centre (ZEC) hosted the workshop
“Transformation of Urban Space and Transport Policies”.
Organised by
ODRAZ (a partner in the ActGREEN project), the workshop brought together 45 representatives of cities, associations, academia, public utility companies and the private sector.
The introductory presentation was delivered by Aljaž Plevnik from the Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, who introduced participants to contemporary approaches to transforming urban spaces and transport policies focused on people.
This was followed by concrete examples from Croatian cities:
- The City of Zagreb, through a presentation by Andre Pavuna (Head of the City Office for Local Self‑Government, Transport, Civil Protection and Safety), showed how city streets are gradually being transformed into spaces that improve quality of life — from strengthening public transport to the strategic expansion of the Bajs public bicycle system, with stations located in residential areas. Examples from Vlaška Street and Draškovićeva Street illustrated “pull” measures that encourage citizens to change their habits, while highlighting challenges such as resistance to parking zones and the need for residents of the city centre to have parking available near their homes.
- The City of Pula, through a presentation by Mateja Petronijević, showcased current projects: urban and rain gardens, greening of parking lots and public spaces, installation of public water fountains and a range of other solutions aimed at sustainable development and climate‑change adaptation.
During group work, participants discussed concrete steps for a just transport transition, reducing car dependency and ways to involve citizens in change processes.
The afternoon programme was dedicated to a field visit showcasing examples of sustainable mobility in Zagreb:
- green walking tour of the city and a visit to courtyards within the ActGREEN project
- a bicycle tour “Bajsom po Zagrebu”
- a ZET bus ride and a visit to Končar and ZET as part of the topic “The rail industry as a stakeholder in climate resilience”.
At the start of the field programme, Martina Milković‑Ivanušević (City of Zagreb) presented the pilot project
Green Courtyards, whose experiences and activities are also applied in the
ActGREEN project funded under the Horizon Europe programme. After the presentation, members of the ActGREEN project team — Nebojša Ivančević (City of Zagreb), Natalia Halbauer (City of Zagreb) and Marina Vojković (ODRAZ) — visited with participants the greened courtyards at Beršćenskog 8 and Novotnijeva 9.
