The project includes the City of Zagreb, and parts of Zagreb and Krapina-Zagorje Counties, i.e. 11 cities and 19 municialities – the largest urban area in Croatia.
A draft of the Zagreb Urban Agglomeration Development Strategy for the period up to 2020 – a fundamental strategic document defining the goals and priorities of development for this urban area, was presented on Friday at the ZgForum premises, ahead of the public debate scheduled for August 14.
Zagreb Urban Agglomeration comprises three counties – the City of Zagreb, and parts of Zagreb and Krapina-Zagorje Counties, i.e. 30 units of local self-governments, including 11 cities and 19 municipalities – the largest urban area in Croatia. It covers an area of 2,826 square kilometres with 1,086,528 inhabitants, which is slightly more than a quarter of the total population of Croatia.
The draft proposal was completed in June and it resulted in nine strategic projects being selected – the Integrated Traffic System for the City of Zagreb, and Zagreb and Krapina-Zagorje Counties, the Sava Programme, City of Zagreb – Zagreb International Airport – Velika Gorica Tramway System, Greenway – State Bicycle Route no. 2, the Regional Competence Center for Tourism and Hospitality, Vocational Entrepreneurship Centre – OPSC, Borongaj University Campus, Newlight – Public Lighting System Reconstruction and Upgrading, and Sljeme Cableway.
The City of Zagreb, the City Office for Strategic Planning and Development, as the holder and coordinator of the Strategy’s activities, started drafting the proposal in March last year, together with numerous stakeholders at the local and county levels. The creation of the proposal was a condition for applying for a tender by the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds to select areas for the implementation of the Integrated Territorial Investment Mechanism (ITI).
A public debate on the draft Strategy and Strategic Study is planned for August this year, followed by the completion of the strategic assessment process and finalising the strategy to be submitted to the Zagreb City Assembly.
The head of the City Office for Strategic Planning and Development Ms Sanja Cvjetko Jerković said that public debate will be opened on August 14, a public presentation will take place on August 29, and a public consultation will go on until mid-September.
“We have a document that assesses this space as a unique entity that goes beyond administrative boundaries and individual interests and enables us to identify development goals and priorities based on which a project for a better and better life of all urban agglomeration citizens can be designed,” Deputy Mayor Olivera Majić said.
She added that the issues of using public resources, housing, economics, ecology, utilities and transport infrastructure were related topics which required a common platform where they could be solved.
“The collaboration between them already exists and by drafting a single document prepared by the consensus of all actors in the agglomeration, we expect it to be even better and more efficient,” she concluded.
Ms Majić invited citizens and interested stakeholders to engage in the public debate, discuss proposals and add commentaries in order to make this document an even better foundation for joint projects.
