Urbanex is an independent think-tank, consulting and research organisation in the field of sustainable urban development and spatial policies. Urbanex works on a wide range of territorial development issues with a specific focus on sustainable urban development and territorial cohesion.
EU funds and programmes
With Croatia joining the EU, numerous opportunities for financing the projects from EU funds have been opened. At the same time, competition among project applicants also increased. In order to secure financing from EU funds, projects have to satisfy high quality criteria and we in Urbanex know how to achieve it.
Strategic spatial planning
Strategic spatial planning document represent a foundation for the solving of the spatially specific developmental problems. They are founded on the quality situation analysis, identification of the development problems, needs and potentials, and defining the adequate strategic plan for their accurate and directed addressing. For years, Urbanex has been developing the high quality strategic development documents such as general development plans for certain county, municipality, city or the urban or rural area, as well as the sectoral development plans (for tourism, cultural development, transportation etc.). In this process we use modern and innovative methods such as GIS analyses, participatory approach, thematic workshops, scenario planning etc.
Sustainable urban mobility
Sustainable urban mobility is a strategic determinant in EU 2014-2020 programming period. It includes the planning and organization of the sustainable public transport system, integration of the various forms of transportation and improvement of the transport and port infrastructure. Urbanex has been a lead partner in consortium for development of the first plan of sustainable urban mobility in Croatia which has been approved by the JASPERS and indicated as the example of good practice.
FIELD OF WORK
Integrated management of cultural heritage and protected areas of nature
Measures of restoration and revitalization of cultural and natural heritage are founded on the analysis of the contemporary policies of regeneration and their integration into the specific institutional framework. In this field Urbanex has submitted projects worth several millions of kuna to the public calls of ministries. Furthermore, our professionals have participated in the development of physical planning documentation for numerous protected areas of nature along the Adriatic coast.
FIELD OF WORK
Integrated territorial investments
Integrated territorial investments are a new EU mechanism for achieving the sustainable development of the cities as the drivers of the economic growth and regional development. It implies an integrated use of the three most important ESI funds (EFRD, KF and ESF). Urbanex has participated directly in application of four urban agglomerations and areas to the limited call of Croatian Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds. Moreover, Urbanex’ professionals have participated in the team for the ex-ante evaluation of the intervention plans for integrated physical, social and economic regeneration of five Croatian towns affected by war (so-called “small ITU”).
FIELD OF WORK
GIS
During the years of work in strategic spatial planning we perfected our knowledge of the most important tool for spatial analyses – GIS. It has been used by Urbanex team in development of strategic plans and project implementation, enhancing their quality and innovativeness. Our professionals have conducted international educations on GIS (in EU, China, etc.) and various other spatial planning tools (Acad Map, RasterDesign, etc.).
FIELD OF WORK
Research, development and innovation
Urbanex develops RDI projects for other users and participates in them as a partner or leader. RDI projects can be financed through the Operational Programme Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020, within the priority axis 1. “Strengthening the Economy through Application of Research and Innovation” which allocate 748 million kunas for RDI projects.
ABOUT
Urbanex is an independent think-tank, consulting and research organisation in the field of sustainable urban development and spatial policies. Urbanex works on a wide range of territorial development issues with a specific focus on sustainable urban development and territorial cohesion.
Urbanex’s list of references includes a great number of strategic and spatial documents related to sustainable urban development that includes all segments of sustainable development – social, economic and environmental, with a constant focus on gaining urban development equilibrium. Urban development and planning are key branches of organisation’s transdisciplinary orientation, including all aspects of spatial management: integrated territorial development (ITI mechanisms), integrated management of cultural heritage, specific traffic planning in dense urban areas, tourism development in urban areas, nature-based solutions, brownfield regeneration in urban areas, as well as addressing land-use issues in coastal areas. Wide, transdisciplinary research scope spans from EU-level territorial policies and research to local level spatial and strategic development documents and projects. Organisation is specialised in providing services of preparation, development and implementation of urban development and planning projects co-financed by the European Union and various funding programmers, as well as providing technical support for the government and public bodies in the Republic of Croatia in field of strategic and spatial planning.
IVANA KATURIĆ, CEO
Mrs. Ivana Katurić, PhD – earned doctoral degree at the University of Milan – Bicocca’s Department of Sociology and Social Research on the thesis addressing the land-use issues generated from social aspects of urban housing. Mrs. Katurić is director of the Urbanex Ltd. and coordinator of development of numerous studies in the field of integrated territorial and urban development, strategic, spatial and other planning documents, consulting in the field of EU funds and the programming period 2007-2013 and 2014-2020, revitalisation of cultural heritage, preparation and implementation of projects co-financed by the EU, and many others.
PARTNERS & CONTRACTORS
World Bank
BBSR – Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (Germany)
Croatian Academy of Science and Arts (HAZU)
Croatian Institute for Spatial Development
Equinox Consulting Ltd. (Hungary)
ESPON
Ministry of Agriculture (Republic of Croatia)
Development agencies in Croatia and neighbouring counties
Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning (Republic of Croatia)
Ministry of Regional Development and EU fund (Republic of Croatia)
Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (Netherlands)
ÖIR Gmbh (Austria)
Politecnico di Torino (Italy)
University of Bologna (Italy)
University of Valencia (Spain)
University of Venice (Italy)
University of Warsaw (Poland)
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Architecture
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science
Counties, cities and municipalities in Croatia
Development agencies in Croatia and neighbouring counties
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development