Hosting a Study Visit for Green Transition

Why?

Because Maribor was the first Slovenian city and the Podravje region the first Slovenian region to prepare Green Transition strategy documents, and this year Tuzla will become the first city in Bosnia and Herzegovina to have such a strategy document, which will be further developed for the whole canton.

A delegation from Tuzla on a study visit to Maribor; photo by Borut Jurišić ©RRA Podravje – Maribor

How?

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action is funding the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) programme, in the framework of which the RRA Podravje – Maribor, the City of Tuzla and BIT Centar Tuzla are implementing the SAGT (Strategic Approach to Green Transition) project. Within the project, RRA Podravje – Maribor is strengthening the capacity of the City of Tuzla and their technology park BIT Centar to prepare for the green transition and to start implementing measures that will help Tuzla. In this process the examples and experience gathered in Maribor are very beneficial for them. Thus, on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 April, the delegation from Tuzla learned practical examples of how to improve air quality, approach traffic management and, above all, involve stakeholders in the process of adopting strategic documents.

Presentation of the e-vehicle Maister; photo by Borut Jurišić ©RRA Podravje – Maribor

“There are many similarities between Maribor and Tuzla! We are happy to learn from your examples, as it makes us much more efficient,” said Esmir Spahić, Head of the Development Planning and Development Management Department of the City of Tuzla.

The two cities are comparable in terms of size, population, impact and importance in the domestic environment… they are also both university centres with an industrial tradition, located in a natural green environment of forests and sharing almost a century of history in different common countries (Austria-Hungary, Kingdom of SHS and SFR Yugoslavia).

“I see that Maribor is changing a lot, because I used to come here when I was a child and I learnt how to ski on mount Pohorje. Since then, the city has undergone a major transformation and it has been very enlightening to learn about the processes behind these changes,” said Vedrana Ajanović, Senior Advisor at the BIT Centar Technology Park in Tuzla.

What?

For the delegation we presented initiatives to improve air quality, to create city zones without motorised traffic, incentives for more efficient energy use, electrification of urban passenger transport,… and the most fun part – a practical demonstration of how the Mbajk system works, which has been record-breakingly well received in Maribor.

“Living in Maribor and being part of these changes myself, I don’t notice them very often. It is only on occasions like this that I realise what Maribor really has to offer and what others can learn from us. Above all, I would like to thank all those who contributed to the study visit with their expertise, knowledge, experience and willingness to cooperate and share their knowledge and experience,” said Borut Jurišić, SAGT Project Manager at RRA Podravje – Maribor.

However, as there are some differences between the two cities, we presented an even broader dimension and first presented the situation in the Šaleška valley (as Tuzla also has a thermal power plant and a mine that are in the transformation phase), then we presented the strategic aspect of the initiatives to change the air quality, the creation of pedestrian zones (Cafova, Koroška, Lent) and the public bicycle rental system Mbajk. We also presented the beginnings of air quality measurement and measures to improve air quality, as well as funding opportunities through Ekosklad.

Guests also had a hands-on experience of the Mbajk system, learned about the operation of the Maister e-vehicle, tried out the Line 6 electric bus and saw the bus electric charging station.

Testing the Mbajk system; photo by Borut Jurišić ©RRA Podravje – Maribor

What’s next?

The SAGT project will end in November this year and until then RRA Podravje – Maribor will continue to support the partners from Tuzla in the adoption of a Green Transition Strategy, which will later be upgraded from the city strategy to the Tuzla Canton Strategy, as it happened here when the city strategy was upgraded to a regional strategy for Podravje.

“RRA Podravje – Maribor has gained invaluable experience in its more than 30 years of history, which it has enhanced with its own knowledge and practical examples and shared with other stakeholders. It is our knowledge and experience in the field of bioeconomy and green transition that we are most proud of,” said Nataša Ritonija, Director of RRA Podravje – Maribor, who is also the head of the Bioeconomy Working Group of the Assembly of European Regions (AER).

“We are looking forward to the announced meeting of the two mayors in the hope of more cooperation,” said Esmir Spahić, Head of the Development Planning and Development Management Department of the City of Tuzla, as he left.