MEET THE LJUBLJANA TEAM (Centre for Spatial Sociology — University of Ljubljana)

The main activity of Centre for Spatial Sociology (CSS) is connecting different interdisciplinary knowledge from the area of social functioning in space. The CSS — UEL team aims to connect theoretical knowledge with a study of cases to diagnose complex postmodern spatial processes. The CSS (UEL) team will especially focus on researching the “New role of University” as an independent broker, curator and catalyst of urban innovation.

Urban Education Live — University of Ljubljana team members presentation:

MATJAŽ URŠIČ

Matjaž Uršič is a researcher at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences. He is a member of the Centre for Spatial Sociology. His research interests focus on the processes of socio-cultural transformation of cities and contemporary urban phenomena in the circumstances of globalisation. Important research interests also include society development, cultural geography, analysis of (sub)cultures, urban migration and spatial systems with particular reference to transformations due to processes of urban regeneration, revitalisation and renovation. As an assistant professor he teaches at the Faculty of Architecture, Faculty of Design and Faculty of Social Sciences. Working experience include research and lecturing on various international institutes and universities (Tokyo Metropolitan University, University of Seoul, Kwangwoon University). He is recipient of research grants from the Japan Foundation (2009) and the Korea Foundation (2012). As a researcher he took part in various research-developmental projects with city municipalities and art institutions that deal with revitalisation schemes and the changing role of city centres: e.g. “Civitas Elan (City — Vitality — Sustainability)” — part of the “7th EU Framework programme: “Mobilising citizens for vital cities”, Project: “SOSTENUTO — Thinking Culture as a Factor of Economic and Social Innovation” — European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), MED — Europe in the Mediterranean; Project: “Second Chance” — programme CENTRAL EUROPE, ERDF; etc. He also participates in the editorial boards of scientific journals and is the author of a number of publications from the field of urban sociology.

PRIMOŽ MEDVED

Primož Medved is a researcher at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences. He finished his PhD in Environmental Protection at University of Ljubljana (specialization in sustainable urbanism and urban sociology), with the dissertation “The structural model of autonomous sustainable neighbourhoods”. Before his PhD, he obtained the Master degree in Environmental Economics at Ecole Supérieure des Science Commerciales d’Angers (ESSCA) in Angers (France). He gained several research / work experiences (all focusing on sustainable urbanism) at different research institution in the EU: e.g. IIIEE — Lund University (Lund, Sweden), University of Bologna (Bologna, Italy), Second University of Napoli (Napoli, Italy), ABUD (Budapest, Hungary), Florida (Valencia, Spain), etc. He also worked as a consultant for Climate KIC (European Institute of Innovation and Technology — EIT) within the program “Pioneer into Practice”, where he was engaged in the research module “EU Cities: Sustainable reconstruction analysis” in Bologna (Italy) and Budapest (Hungary). His trans-disciplinary research mainly focuses on sustainable neighbourhood modelling and he published several scientific articles on the topic of: sustainable urbanism; social sustainability, local identity and social cohesion in eco cities; socio-economic balance in relation to sustainable urban development; on identifying urban elements, which are enforcing the local community manifestation; urban social hubs, etc.

HOČEVAR MARJAN

Assoc. prof. Marjan Hočevar, holds a full-time position at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Spatial Sociology and Faculty of Architecture. He is the head of Centre for Spatial Sociology at the FDV (from October 2017). His research and teaching activities are linked to spatio-sociological issues. His main research domain is territoriality, especially the processes of transformation of cities and contemporary urban phenomena in the circumstances of globalization. He comparatively explores socio-spatial values of inhabitants of Slovenia and Europe. He is active in the developmental projects of several Slovenian cities in the shaping of spatial plans for these cities, revitalization of old towns centres. His published references are focused on thematising of spatial networks, new urbanism, sociology of architecture, trends of dehierarchization of European territorial systems and on changing roles of city centres as influenced by individualization of life styles. He lectures at the FDV with the course on Spatial Sociology, and is also in charge of the Seminary on New Urbanism and Sociology of Architecture.

SIMONA ZAVRATNIK

Assistant professor of sociology and researcher at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Research Centre for Spatial Sociology. Her research areas include social minorities and marginalized groups, migration and asylum, human rights, modern slavery and human trafficking and, lately, social movements and uprisings. She is the author of numerous scientific and professional articles in social science journals and anthologies, editor of the anthology “Women and Trafficking” (2004) and co-editor of the anthology “Migration — globalization — the EU” (2003). She was a visiting researcher (DAAD fellowship) at the Universität Frankfurt, Institut für Sozialforschung (2013). Her current research and activist engagement is dedicated to the migration and advocacy activities connected to the rights of the people on the move. She is member of the editorial board of the Journal for the Critique of Science since 2014 and she also co-edited thematic issue of “Lets’ throw them out!” Reflections on the uprising movement in Slovenia” and “Green politics”. In addition to her research work she is engaged in project management for European projects.

DRAGO KOS

Drago Kos is an associate professor of urban and environmental sociology at the University of Ljubljana. He was involved in over 40 research projects on community studies, spatial planning, developmental and environmental questions. From 1989 to 1992, he was the vice president and from 1995 to 1998 the president of Slovene Sociological Association. At XII World Congress of Sociology in Madrid (1990) he was elected Yugoslav representative in The Board of the Research Committee 21 — Urban and Regional Development. From 2001 to 2003, he was the vice-dean for research activities at the Faculty of Social Sciences (University of Ljubljana). From 1998 to 2017, he was the head of the research Centre for Spatial Sociology and Social Ecology at the Faculty of Social Sciences (University of Ljubljana).