Capacity of Local Development Planning in Slovenia: Strengths and Weaknesses of Local Sustainable Development Strategies

In: Lex localis: revija za lokalno samoupravo ; journal of local self-government ; Zeitschrift für lokale Selbstverwaltung, Band 12, Heft 3, S. 547-574

Abstract

Despite being coined by international forums and promoted chiefly by international/supranational organisations and clubs, sustainable development is a concept that in essence rests on and is largely determined by the local level. The local level's primacy in terms of introducing the principles of sustainability is openly stipulated by Agenda 21, thus providing the impetus for local sustainable development strategies - Local Agenda 21. As prime standardised artifacts, local sustainable development strategies represent an excellent insight into the capacity of an individual community to achieve a sustainable future and deal with potential challenges. In this article, the authors have analysed four such visions of a sustainable future for two city and two minor Slovenian municipalities, in order to examine their capacity to develop into sustainable communities. The analysis showed that, the transition period in Slovenia has left a significant impact on development planning and its consequences have yet to be fully resolved. Adapted from the source document.