Izola, 3 February 2026 – The Mayor of the Municipality of Izola, Milan Bogatič, and the Rector of the University of Primorska, Prof. Dr. Klavdija Kutnar, today officially opened the renovated section of the former Parenzana railway line in the area of western Livade. With this, the town has gained a newly arranged public space intended for pedestrians, cyclists, and the pleasant spending of free time in nature.

The renovated section is the result of successful cooperation between the Municipality of Izola and the University of Primorska. The project for arranging areas for pedestrians and cyclists was professionally designed by the UP IAM InnoRenew CoE Centre of Excellence, which operates under the auspices of the university. It represents an exemplary case of connecting knowledge, professional expertise, and the local community in creating a high-quality and sustainably oriented public space. “We have shown that by taking community needs into account and through professional cooperation, sustainable and well-considered solutions can be created that are beneficial for everyone in the long term,” Mayor Bogatič emphasized at the opening.

The project included the development of approximately 3900 m² of surfaces, the planting of 70 trees, the installation of 18 LED streetlights, and the arrangement of three rest areas with urban furniture. The investment is valued at nearly EUR 250.000. Once overgrown and almost unnoticed, this section of the route has now been transformed into an approximately three-metre-wide gravel path suitable for pedestrians and cyclists. The path is equipped with bicycle stands, benches, waste bins, public lighting, a tree-lined avenue, and grassed embankment slopes, giving the area a fresh appearance, including new views of the town. The works were carried out by the company GEOIT and were completed in December.

At the opening, the Rector of the University of Primorska, Prof. Dr. Klavdija Kutnar, said: “The University of Primorska and the Municipality of Izola are demonstrating precisely in the Livade area how coexistence is possible and how positive shared stories can be created. Together, we are developing a space intended both for research in the natural sciences and engineering fields and for meetings among passers-by and residents. From the very beginning, we have jointly discussed how best to integrate different uses into this environment and sought solutions to various challenges. The renovated section of the Parenzana proves how we can connect knowledge, address the needs of the environment in which we operate, which supports us, and also give something back to it.”

Project architect Eva Prelovšek Niemelä, speaking on behalf of architect Aarne Niemelä, who was not present at the event, added: “The goal of the project was to create an attractive pedestrian and cycling connection, designed using natural materials and with minimal construction interventions – and we have fully achieved this. We cleared and stabilized the path and returned it to the town and back to nature, from where we took it. The park that has emerged along the Parenzana route is understood by us as a socially responsible intervention in urban space, which is becoming increasingly sustainability-oriented.”

Image: UP

“I believe that this section of the path will also become a popular meeting point for socializing and recreation, as we have provided appropriate urban equipment that gives the space additional functional value,” the mayor concluded. He added that “development is not measured only in numbers, but also in how sustainably oriented, inclusive, and user-friendly an environment we create.”

The renovation of this section of the Parenzana thus represents an important step toward improving the quality of life in Izola and encourages sustainable mobility, recreation, and social interaction in a well-maintained natural environment.