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Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Nis , Niš , Serbia
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Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Nis , Niš , Serbia
Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Nis , Niš , Serbia
Public open spaces (POS) within multifamily housing estates from the socialist period represent an important but often vulnerable part of the residential environment in Slovenian cities. Although post-Second World War large housing estates were planned as comprehensive neighbourhood units with generous open and green areas, the post-socialist transformation introduced new ownership relations, market-oriented housing production and changed responsibilities for maintenance and renewal. This paper examines the planning and governance challenges that have shaped the transformation of POS in Slovenian multifamily housing estates after 1991. The research is based on a qualitative document-based analysis of scientific literature, housing-policy and spatial-planning documents, and selected examples of socialist and post-socialist residential development in Slovenia. The analysis shows that the main challenges are not only spatial, but also institutional and managerial: unclear public-private responsibilities, fragmented ownership, insufficient maintenance mechanisms, parking pressure, infill development and the absence of a comprehensive national strategy for the renewal of large housing estates. At the same time, the inherited spatial capacity of socialist housing estates and the potential of stronger participatory approaches point to important opportunities for context-sensitive regeneration. The paper argues that POS should be treated as essential neighbourhood infrastructure and protected through integrated planning, governance and participatory frameworks.
This research was supported by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia under Agreement No. 451-03-34/2026-03/200095, dated 5 February 2026, and by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, Grant No. 7572, Reclaiming Public Open Spaces in Residential Areas: Shifting Planning Paradigms and Design Perspectives for a Resilient Urban Future (RePOS).
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