Katarina Polajnar Horvat’s main research fields are human geography and environmental psychology, with an emphasis on the relationships between the environment and human behaviour. She is particularly interested in how people experience the environment and how environmental attitudes and behavioural patterns are formed, which are important for environmental protection and a high-quality living environment. In her research, she therefore connects environmental analyses with an understanding of attitudes, values, and behaviours that shape environmental behaviour, and explores how spatial planning, social interventions, and public participation can contribute to behavioural change. A significant part of her work is devoted to participatory approaches to management and planning, examining collaboration among different stakeholders, conflicts of interest, and the conditions for more effective joint decision-making. In addition, she addresses issues of waste management and the impacts of spatial and nature-based solutions on human well-being, generally placing results in an applied framework for policies and local practice.

In her research, she uses interdisciplinary approaches that combine methods from human geography and environmental psychology. In addition to analysing primary and secondary sources and spatial data, she applies survey- and interview-based research, observation, stakeholder workshops, and other participatory methods to understand environmental attitudes and behaviours. Her work often involves comparative studies across different types of areas (e.g., protected areas, urban environments) and collaboration within national and European research groups, where results are directed toward applied solutions for spatial management, environmental protection, and improving the quality of the living environment.

Among Katarina Polajnar Horvat’s more important achievements are the scientific monographs Environmentally Friendly Behaviour (ZRC Publishing, 2015) and The Invisible Life of Waste (ZRC Publishing, 2022), as well as publications in international scientific journals addressing themes of environmental behaviour, participatory governance, and the management of wetlands and protected areas (e.g., articles in Environment & Behavior, Sustainability, Marine & Freshwater Research, Sensors, and the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health).

Through participation in national and European projects, including TUNE UP (Interreg Mediterranean, 2019–2022), TranStat (Interreg Alpine Space, 2022–2025), and WIN (2024–2026), she co-creates research networks with domestic and international partners and transfers research findings into spatial governance practice, especially through participatory processes and social interventions. She leads the international project TRANSDINARICA2 under the Interreg Danube programme (2025–2028), with ZRC SAZU as the lead partner and herself as the project leader. She also leads the basic research project BLUE – Restoration of urban blue spaces with nature-based solutions and social interventions to improve human and environmental well-being, funded by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency. She has also contributed to other basic research projects, including The Invisible Life of Waste and Isolated people and communities in Slovenia and Croatia.

Her further research goals include an in-depth examination of the drivers of environmental behaviour and ways to change it, the development and evaluation of participatory approaches to the management of protected areas, and research into the effects of nature-based solutions and social interventions in urban blue and green spaces on human well-being and environmental outcomes in cities.
 

• Smrekar, A., Tiran, J., Polajnar Horvat, K. Unveiling the cultural ecosystem services of urban green spaces : a case study of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Acta geographica Slovenica. [Tiskana izd.]. 2024, vol. 64, no. 3, str. 135-153, graf. prikazi. ISSN 1581-6613.
• Polajnar Horvat, K. Revitalizing Robidišče : renavigating the challenges and opportunities of marginalized rural communities. Traditiones : zbornik Inštituta za slovensko narodopisje. [Tiskana izd.]. 2024, letn. 53, št. 2, str. 121-143, ilustr. ISSN 0352-0447.
• Smrekar, A., Gašperič, P., Tičar, J., Polajnar Horvat, K. 2023. Active involvement of stakeholders in the management of protected areas: the case of the Sečovlje salina Nature Park. Geografski vestnik 95/1.
• Polajnar Horvat, K., Ribeiro, D. 2023. Urban public spaces as restorative environments : the case of Ljubljana. International journal of environmental research and public health 20/3.
• Breg Valjavec, M., Dunato Pejnović, N., Draženović, M., Čonč, Š., Polajnar Horvat, K. 2022. The transboundary approach to landscape geointerpretation : challenges in interpretive planning and geoconservation. Geoheritage. 14-4.
• Ernoul, L., Polajnar Horvat, K., Smrekar, A., et al. 2022. Use of voluntary environmental contracts for wetland governance in the European Mediterranean region. Marine & freshwater research. 73/9-10.
• Guna, J., Polajnar Horvat, K., Podjed, D. 2022. People-centred development of a smart waste bin. Sensors 1/3.
• Polajnar Horvat, K., Gašperič, P., Leban, K., Tičar, J., Smrekar, A. 2022. Participatory approach to wetland governance : the case of the memorandum of understanding of the Sečovlje Salina Nature Park. Sustainability 14/16.
• Polajnar Horvat, K., Smrekar, A. 2021. The wetland contract as a tool for successful wetland governance : a case study of Ljubljansko barje Nature Park, Slovenia. Sustainability 13/1.
• Polajnar Horvat, K., Šrimpf Vendramin, K. 2021. Issues surrounding behavior towards discarded textiles and garments in Ljubljana. Sustainability 13. 2021.
• Molinario, E., Polajnar Horvat, K., Smrekar, A., et al. 2020: Motivations to act for the protection of nature biodiversity and the environment : a matter of "significance". Environment & behavior.
   

Selected presentations and lectures

- Reinvigorating Robidišče: Overcoming the Challenges of Marginalized Rural Communities. Predavanje na konferenci IGU Egypt 2025, Thematic conference: Geo-Spatial Technology, Global Changes and Sustainability, Kairo, Egipt, 12–15. 4. 2025
- Enhancing Human Well-Being Through Cultural Ecosystem Services: Insights from Urban Public Spaces in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Poster na konferenci International conference on environmental psychology, Vilna, Litva, 15.–18.6. 2025
- Water Walk with Me, Predavanje in delavnica v okviru konference Why the world need anthropologists: Creativity at work, Bolonja, Italija, 3.–5.10. 2025
- History of the development of environmental awareness in Slovenia. Predstavitev na mednarodnem kongresu Slovenskih geografov in entografov, Beograd, Srbija, 24. 10. 2024 (soavtor A. Smrekar). 
- Implementing participatory governance in wetland management : the Sečovlje Salina Nature Park, Slovenia. Predstavitev na mednarodnem kongresu Slovenskih geografov in entografov, Beograd, Srbija, 24. 10. 2024 (soavtor A. Smrekar). 
- Urban public spaces as a spaces of resiliance: the case of Ljubljana. Predavanje na konferenci združenja EURA The european city: A practice of resilience in the face of an uncertain future, Reykjavik, Islandija, 24. 6. 2023
- Stranski dogodek 2: Spoznavanje potenciala obnove ekosistemov v Sredozemlju za obvladovanje podnebnih sprememb in izgube biotske raznovrstnosti. Organizator Plan Bleu v sodelovanju z ZRC SAZU. Predavanje na Konferenci pogodbenic Okvirne konvencije Združenih narodov o spremembi podnebja  COP 23 – Zeleni prehod v Sredozemlju: od odločitev k dejanjem, Portorož, Slovenija, 6. 12. 2023
- Development of smart waste bin: people centered intervention for behavioral change. Predstavitev na konferenci International Geographical Union, Paris, Francija, 20. 07. 2022(soavtorja D. Podjed, J. Guna).
- Slovenian experiences in testing the Environmental Contract at local and regional level. Case study: Slovenian Coast. Predstavitev na zaključni konferenci projekta TUNE UP, Solun, Grčija, 9. 6. 2022 (Soavtor A. Smrekar).
- Capacity Building Seminar Regional MoU Implementation. Case study: Slovenian Coast. Predstavitev na zaključni konferenci projekta TUNE UP, Solun, Grčija, 9. 6. 2021(soavtor A. Smrekar).

• Transformation with Trans Dinarica - Phase 2 (April 1, 2025 - April 1, 2028)
• Geography of Slovenia - national research programme (research programme • January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2027)
• BLUE - Restoring urban blue spaces through nature-based solutions and social interventions to improve human well being and environment (fundamental research project • January 1, 2025 - January 1, 2028)
• Improving the position of Women in the labour markets of peripheral INdustrial regions (applied research project • January 1, 2024 - June 30, 2026)
• TranStat - Transitions to Sustainable Ski Tourism in the Alps of Tomorrow (applied project • November 1, 2022 - October 31, 2025)
• WETNET - Coordinated management and networking of Mediterranean wetlands (INTERREG • November 1, 2016 - April 30, 2019)
• The Invisible Life of Waste: Development of an Ethnography-based Solution for Waste Management in Households (applied project • November 1, 2018 - October 31, 2021)

• Assistant Professor at the University of Novo Mesto
• Assistant Professor at the ZRC SAZU Postgraduate School

• 2025, Katarina Polajnar Horvat, Danube Strategy Flagship, EU Strategy for the Danube Region: Priority Area 9 "People and Skills"
• 2015, 10.000 doctor of Science at the University of Ljubljana, University of Ljubljana

• Member of the Editorial Board of the Geografija Slovenije book series
• Member of the Editorial Board of the Georitem book series
• Member of the Editorial Board of the Regionalni razvoj book series
• Co-editor of the Regionalni razvoj book series