Project OUTSIDE 2025

Locaion: numerous locations in the City of Ljubljana
Project duration: March – October 2025
OUTSIDE is a project of the City of Ljubljana coordinated by Prostorož, IPoP – Institute for Spatial Policies and Pazi!park

In 2025, the OUTSIDE (ZUNAJ) project once again encouraged the residents of Ljubljana to actively improve the open spaces in their immediate surroundings.

OUTSIDE is based on a simple yet powerful idea: the people who use a space every day know it best and should therefore have the opportunity to improve it themselves. The project supports small-scale local initiatives proposed and implemented by residents, providing mentoring support and covering material costs for implementation.

In 2025, we received 65 applications and supported 20 local initiatives across different parts of the city. The projects were diverse in content, ranging from greening initiatives and renovation of urban furniture to community events, playground improvements, and small traffic-related interventions.

OUTSIDE demonstrates that small, targeted actions can act as catalysts for long-term change. Physical improvements to space are important, but the social impact is equally significant: increased cooperation among neighbours, intergenerational connections, greater care for shared spaces, and a stronger sense of belonging within neighbourhoods.

OUTSIDE is not only a spatial improvement project, but also a process of community empowerment. The 2025 edition once again showed that residents possess the knowledge, motivation, and energy, they simply need support to turn their ideas into reality.

At Pazi!park, we mentored five initiatives that clearly demonstrate how even modest interventions can generate lasting neighbourhood impact:

Green Corner Brdnikova

Residents cleared an overgrown and sunny part of a plot and planted berry shrubs (raspberries and blueberries). Children and parents built birdhouses and installed them in nearby trees. Following residents’ initiative, the City of Ljubljana pruned a hazardous tree, improving the safety of the space. The action connected families from surrounding apartment blocks and created a new place for learning about plants and intergenerational gathering.

Student Community Garden in Rožna Dolina

A previously neglected area was transformed into a vibrant community garden with new planting beds, raised beds, pathways, and a social gathering area. Students planted vegetables, herbs, strawberries, and even mushroom mycelium, and later installed a greenhouse in autumn. They organized picnics, a mushroom-growing workshop, a clay workshop, and an open-air cinema event. The garden has become a lively meeting place, and the group is already planning further activities.

Community Lawn Revitalisation

Instead of removing worn-out benches, residents chose to comprehensively revitalise the shared lawn area in front of their apartment buildings. They renovated benches, protected the grass from illegal parking, planted shrubs around the recycling area and trees, and painted over offensive graffiti. Beyond the physical improvements, the greatest achievement was strengthened community cohesion: residents of all generations and entrances connected and are already planning new joint initiatives.

Shared Herb Garden with Educational Picnic

In a Bežigrad neighbourhood, residents transformed an unused section of allotment plots into a shared herb garden. They planted various herbs and created a welcoming social space. The action concluded with a community picnic and informal education about herb use. The space has become a meeting point for neighbours and encourages regular interaction through shared care of the garden.

Park Revitalisation on Gorkičeva Street

Residents cleaned and renewed a park between apartment blocks that they have been maintaining for several years. They planted an 80-metre-long hedge, repaired the paving of a garden pavilion used for meetings and gatherings, and organised regular watering of newly planted shrubs. The initiative was complemented by several well-attended community picnics and gatherings, bringing together around 50 residents of different ages. Importantly, some participants joined community actions for the first time, indicating the expansion of active community engagement.

We would like to thank all initiators for their courage, persistence, and dedication to the common good.