Urban living next to farms and rural living next to high-rises? Finding a clear boundary between urban and rural

Abstract

This study mainly focuses on understanding the relationship between city and countryside (urban and rural) in the case of Ljubljana. By speaking with the residents of the city's Posavje District, we have attempted to establish their perception of where the boundaries between urban and rural lie, considering their interactions, practices and relations within that environment. The region discussed is that space “in between”, where the shift from rural to urban is apparent. Representative features of this space include fields and villages in close proximity to city elements, those elements bonded to the urban way of life. It has become clear through our research that the perception regarding this area is different for those that inhabit the BS 7 urban-planning area compared to those living in the surrounding villages of Savlje, Ježica, Kleče, Mala Vas and Stožice. How one understands space is closely connected with age because personal experience and individual interests affect the value system through which space is experienced.