5. CHALLANGES – PROBLEMS IN HOUSING ESTATES:
Ttraffic problems – lack of parking spaces
In the neighbourhoods, residents face an immense lack of parking spaces daily. In some, because the envisaged parking spaces in the areas were never built, in others, because the population density in the neighbourhoods was already significantly increased during the construction (the number of parking spaces planned did not follow this change). Even today’s need for parking places (and, consequently, the norms for the design of parking lots) are considerably higher than they were during the construction of neighbourhoods. Thus rough-and-ready parking solutions are everywhere, on the lawns, footpaths, playgrounds, and emergency accesses.
Unclear property relations on public / common spaces
Other major issues include problematic and unfinished land policy proceduresand, consequently,still unclear property relations on public/common open spaces, which prevents their proper maintenance and renovation). In some cases, procedures for determining ownership of public open spaces within neighborhoods are processed in courts according to the law from 2008 – Act Establishing Commonhold Tenure in Certain Buildings and Determining Commonhold Land (ZVEtL, zakon o vzpostavitvi etažne lastnine na določenih stavbah in o ugotavljanju pripadajočega zemljišča), but without considering project documentation from the time of construction and as well as professional principles of spatial planning. As a result, public spaces are fragmented and privatised. In some cases, large public spaces (green areas or parking areas of the neighbourhood) have become private property. And now the ambitions of the new owners are to build there some new residential facilities for the market. Significant alterations to the original urban and functional concept of a neighbourhood usually result in an inferior user experience of the space.
Energy efficiency refurbisment
Energy efficiency refurbishments are executed primarily in terms of heat insulation, often with a new choice of vivid facade colours, disregard the original colour schemes and design characteristics of the existing architecture.
An energy-efficient renovation of multi-apartment buildings is a tremendous technological challenge, as well as an architectural and social challenge. Unique architectural, urban and cultural heritage can be preserved and quality upgraded or destroyed with extensive renovation. Unfortunately, in Slovene reality, in the case of energy renovations, the importance of preserving the legibility of original architecture is way too often completely ignored. New materials and components added are often different from the original substance or texture and, therefore, have a significant impact on the overall image of the building.
Uncoordinated individual interventions
Individual homeowners pursue their interests and meet their wishes and needs with the uncoordinated interventions on the building’s exterior (individual replacement of exterior fittings with new, more energy-efficient ones (mostly deviating from the original in material, colour and opening style), or the glazing of balconies, and awning modifications), as a rule, without any respect for the original architectural design. The visual appearance of the buildings is spoiled, architectural authenticity is threatened, and the entire neighbourhoods are being transformed into unrecognisable complexes.
That kind of arbitrary interventions are interventions into the common property (the facade of multi-dwelling building), but the lack of control or inspection, and especially the absence of any sanctions for violations impart a sense of legality to such acts within the Slovene society.
Kaja Lipnik Vehovar 