August Šenoa Street was selected based on its central, traffic-free location and the city’s plan to prioritize pedestrians and cyclists. Planning faced regulatory and stakeholder alignment challenges, especially with heritage preservation. The design was developed with city departments, conservation authorities, businesses, and residents. Creative green infrastructure solutions address technical limitations like lack of open soil.
In Varaždin, a wide coalition of stakeholders—from city departments and conservation authorities to local businesses and University North—jointly co-developed the pilot’s design through inclusive planning sessions.
Thanks to comprehensive planning and cross-sector coordination, the pilot was executed without major disruptions. The use of pre-fabricated urban furniture and container-planted trees simplified logistics and minimized on-site issues. Stakeholder collaboration, including University North and the City’s Conservation Department, ensured both regulatory compliance and usability. Surveys revealed that over 95% of citizens viewed the space as more inviting and comfortable, with strong support for maintaining the pedestrian zone. Peer feedback emphasized the project’s potential as a replicable model for low-cost, high-impact greening in dense urban areas.