Environmental protection and the quality of living environment

We explore how people experience their living environments in both in urban and rural areas, and the effects this has on health and well-being. Our research interests include environmental awareness and behaviour, perceptions of space, the interpretation of landscapes, and questions of their attractiveness and beauty. An important focus of our research is protected areas, particularly in terms of management, as well as degraded areas, where we explore the potential for restoring and enhancing the living environment. We also investigate the connections between the quality of living environment, social conditions, and opportunities for a quality of life.

Projects

• 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 - December 31, 2027)
• MultiPart: A Novel Approach for Improving Health and Well-being in Anthropogenically Perturbed Environments Based on Multi-Participatory Research (fundamental research project • January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2027)
• Transformation with Trans Dinarica - Phase 2 (April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2028)
• TranStat - Transitions to Sustainable Ski Tourism in the Alps of Tomorrow (applied project • November 1, 2022 - October 31, 2025)
• TUNE UP - Promoting multilevel governance for tuning up biodiversity protection in marine areas (INTERREG • November 1, 2019 - June 30, 2022)
• WETNET - Coordinated management and networking of Mediterranean wetlands (INTERREG • November 1, 2016 - April 30, 2019)

Publications

• Smrekar, A., Polajnar Horvat K., Zorn, M. 2026: Mountain environment protection and protected mountain areas in Slovenia. Discourses on mountains of Montenegro and Slovenia.
• Goluža, M., Gabrovec, M., Smrekar, A., Tiran, J. 2025: Izzivi in ukrepi zavarovanih območij na področju mobilnosti v Sloveniji. Geografski obzornik 72-3/4.
• Smrekar, A., Tiran, J., Polajnar Horvat, D. 2024: Unveiling the cultural ecosystem services of urban green spaces : a case study of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Acta geographica Slovenica 64-3.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Guna, J., Polajnar Horvat, K., Podjed, D. 2022. People-centred development of a smart waste bin. Sensors 1/3.
• 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.
• Smrekar, A., Polajnar Horvat, K., Ribeiro, D. 2020: Slovenia's protected areas. The geography of Slovenia : small but diverse.