I am a critical geographer focused on both, rural and urban studies, with a point of departure in political geography. In my research I examine anthropological approaches to spatial distribution of social groups and attachment to place. My first research was on spatial segregation in Belfast. In my doctoral dissertation I focused on small-scale forest owners and their emotional attachment to forest properties. In my current research I use mainly qualitative (or mixed-mode) approach to examine:
(1) 'sense of place' in the field of forest & landscape management and urban dynamics
(2) rural-urban differences in lifestyle, perception and subjective wellbeing among disadvantaged groups
Education
B.Sc. in Geography, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2013
undergraduate student exchange programme Erasmus, University College Dublin, Ireland, 2012
Ph.D. student of Humanities and Social Sciences (field: Geography) at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Ph.D. training, Oregon State University, College of Forestry, OR, USA, 11/2014 - 12/2014
Other activities
Certified ATLAS.ti professional trainer, since 2018
Certified Tourist Guide, since 2013
Member of Ljubljana Geographical Society's Executive Committee and Excursion's commisioner, since 2014
Member of the Executive Board of the Youth Section of United Nations Association Slovenia, 2013-2015
Head of Experts Commision on Science of United Nations Youth Associations Network, 2014-2015
Media Officer at Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (TRANSIT project), USA, 2013
Selected presentations and lectures
Die Bewirtschaftungvon Waldflächen im slowenischen Raum von 19. bis zur Mitte des 20. Jahrhunderts – das Beispiel von Kleinwaldbesitzern, Bad Radkersburg, Austria, July 4, 2018
Analysis of Forest Land-Use Change based on historical cadastral communities. (co-author Matej Gabrovec) 8th ESEH Conference, Versailles, July 3, 2015
Forest and its functions. Oral presentation and workshop (Endogenous Rural Development). Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, May 14, 2014
Management objectives and motivations of small-scale forest owners in Slovenia. PECSRL Annual Conference, Gothenburg University, September 8, 2014
Small Forest Landowners in Slovenia: Who are the Uninterested Owners? New Wave International Student Conference, Charles University Prague, May 21, 2015
Kumer, P., 2020: Self-governance and social inclusion in a post-socialist city: Contradictions between city-designated and naturally-occurring arts districtsTeorija in praksa, 57, 1, pp. 389-406.
Kumer, P., Urbanc, M., 2020: Focus Groups as a Tool for Conducting Participatory Research: A Case Study of Small-Scale Forest Management in Slovenia. In: Participatory Research and Planning in Practice, Springer, pp. 207-220.
Kumer, P., Pezdevšek Malovrh, Š., 2018: Factors Hindering Forest Management Among Engaged and Detached Private Forest Owners: Slovenian Stakeholders’ Perceptions. Small-scale Forestry, pp. 1-21.
Gabrovec, M., Kumer, P., 2019: Land-use changes in Slovenia from the Franciscean Cadaster until today. Acta Geographica Slovenica, 59, 1, pp. 63-81.
Kumer, P., Štrumbelj, E., 2017: Clustering-based typology and analysis of private small-scale forest owners in Slovenia. Forest Policy and Economics, 80, pp. 116-124.
Pezdevšek Malovrh, Š., Kumer, P., Glavonjić, P., Nonić, D., Nedeljković, J., Kisin, B., Avdibegović, M., 2017: Different Organizational Models of Private Forest Owners as a Possibility to Increase Wood Mobilization in Slovenia and Serbia. Croatian Journal of Forest Engineering, 38, 1, pp. 127-140.
Bole, D., Kumer, P., Gašperič, P., Kladnik, D., Kozina, J., Tiran, J., 2018: Industrial town semiotics: case study town of Velenje, Slovenia. Technical Report
Kumer, P., Potočnik Slavič, I., 2016: Heterogeneous small-scale forest ownership: complexity of management and conflicts of interest. Belgeo, 4, pp. 1-21.
Kumer, P., Krevs, M., 2015: Understanding the implications of spatial segregation in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Geografski vestnik, 87, 2, pp. 59-73.
Zorn, M., Kumer, P., Ferk, M., 2015: From Forest to Forest or where is the bare rocky Karst? Kronika 63, pp. 561-574.
Kumer, P., 2014: Management objectives and motivations of small-scale forest owners in Slovenia. In: PECSRL 2014. Unraveling the logics of landscape. Gothenburg University, pp. 63.
Kumer, P., 2013: Socialno-geografske posledice prostorske segregacije v Belfastu (Socio-geographic effects of the spatial segregation in Belfast). Diploma thesis. Filozofska fakulteta. Ljubljana.
Kumer, P., Černič, B., 2011: Na pragu novih demografskih sprememb (On the Threshold of New Demographic Changes). Geografski obzornik, 58, 3, pp. 4-12.
Kumer, P., Milost, J., 2010: Ciper – večni talec tujih interesov (Cyprus – Eternal Hostage of Foreign Interests). Geografski obzornik, 57, 3-4, pp. 24-31.
Alič, N., Kumer, P., Mrak, T., Obu, J., Plantan, M., 2012: Možna raba reke Krke (Possible use of river Krka). In: Občina Žužemberk: s tokovi Krke do morja spoznanj in idej, Ljubljana, Društvo mladih geografov Slovenije, pp. 135-143.
Kumer, P., 2009: Razsoljevanje morske vode (Sea water desalination). Geomix, 16, 1, pp. 38-39.
Drafting of the platform for tourism and recreational use of forests (target research project • October 1, 2016 - September 30, 2018)
Upgrade of the methodology for designation of nationally important landscape identity areas (target research project • April 1, 2018 - March 31, 2020)
AgriGo4Cities - Urban agriculture for changing cities: governance models for better institutional capacities and social inclusion (INTERREG • January 1, 2017 - June 30, 2019)
MEDFEST (INTERREG • November 1, 2016 - October 31, 2019)
Cultural landscapes caught between public good, private interests and politics (fundamental research project • October 1, 2014 - September 30, 2017)
Inter-cultural Dimension for European Active Citizenship (international project • September 1, 2014 - August 31, 2016)
Terraced landscapes (applied research project • July 1, 2011 - December 31, 2015)
Geography of Slovenia - national research programme (research programme • January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2020)