Urban Transport - Synergies between City and the Port - the Example of the City of Koper

Abstract

Koper is located in Slovenia near the Italian border and is the fifth largest city in Slovenia with 53,000 inhabitants. The history of the town is interesting because it first flourished during the Venetian Republic, when it became an important administrative and cultural centre of Istria. After the Second World War, the city underwent a different development as a harbour was built next to the old town. Today, Koper is a town that connects the old town centre with the newer surrounding settlements and is closely linked to the port of Luka Koper. The municipality covers an area of 303 km2, 48% of which is protected by Natura. Since 2017, the municipality of Koper has been implementing an integrated transport strategy aimed at ensuring sustainable and environmentally friendly mobility for its citizens. To ensure accessibility and a better quality of life, pedestrians, cyclists and public transport are promoted in particular. Residents of Koper who do not live in the old town still predominantly use private cars to get to work, school, and university. Koper is an old city that has existed since the time of the Roman Republic and has many monuments. To reduce the number of cars, the city centre has been closed to traffic, and residents of Koper's old town can use parking garages or open parking lots for a small fee. For everyone else, parking lots with P+R facilities have been set up, but there is great dissatisfaction among the population. Another problem is the increasing freight traffic coming in and out of the port of Koper. The port and the city live in harmony, but the problem of increasing freight traffic at critical times and on critical days is a big problem. In this paper we will outline the measures that should be taken in the area of public passenger transport and freight transport to ensure that the strategy is implemented.