BTC City Ljubljana, a large shopping and business centre in Slovenia, is on a mission to bring nature back into its urban landscape – and to become a climate change-resistant and thriving ecosystem. This includes various greening activities. These actions aim also to support biodiversity, enhance the microclimate, and improve the comfort and well-being of visitors, employees, and business partners.
Published February 22, 2024
In 2023, the Desire partner BTC City Ljubljana implemented greening activities in the area, with the wish to gradually change the microclimate and strengthen the biodiversity of the natural environment, which will have a favourable effect on the comfort of the centre's visitors, employees and business partners who visit the centre or work in BTC City Ljubljana.
The greenery covers trees and green areas to support biodiversity and strengthen the area's climate resilience.
"Through joint efforts with our expert stakeholders to enhance the greenery and biodiversity of BTC City Ljubljana, we envision a transformed landscape that not only mitigates urban warming and the heat island effect but also fosters a thriving ecosystem. We aim to create a pleasant environment for flora and fauna as well as ensure the comfort and well-being of our visitors, employees and business partners who visit us or work in BTC City Ljubljana," says Head of Sustainable at the Development Department at BTC City Ljubljana, Mag. Andrej Janko.
Photos from BTC City 2023.
BTC City Ljubljana
BTC City Ljubljana
BTC City Ljubljana
BTC City Ljubljana
BTC City Ljubljana
BTC City Ljubljana
BTC City Ljubljana
Six different species and beehives
They planted 48 trees in the spring and an additional 72 trees in the fall in the southeast part of BTC City Ljubljana, a total of 120 trees of six different species. Now, more than 1,700 trees are currently growing in BTC City Ljubljana.
In the fall, they arranged a green island at the roundabout between two streets (Argentinska and Francoska streets) with karst species of plants that thrive even in times of increased temperatures and lack of rainfall.
Along one of the facades (the western facade of Hall A), they planted new climbing plants, ivy, which, when it grows along the facade, will cool the building in the summer months.
In the spring, as part of the Let's Help the Bees - let's Flower the City project, whose partner is the City Municipality of Ljubljana, BTC City planted a 500 m2 meadow for bees to graze near the swimming and health centre Atlantis Water Park with 4 beehives and put up signs announcing the purpose of the meadow.
In the process of planning new greenery, BTC City included and cooperated with the Faculty of Biotechnology of the University of Ljubljana and the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana (Department of Geography), who, related to the global challenges of urban warming and the phenomenon of the heat island, advised them on the type, method and location of planting green areas.
Positive feedback
“Our expert botanist partners acknowledged gratitude for involving them in the process for they are often overlooked or their expertise is often ignored. So we should definitely get more positive responses from stakeholders for including them in the green transformation process,” says Andrej Janko.
BTC City held two workshops and received positive feedback from participants as they enjoyed contributing their ideas and being involved in building a green vision. As for visitors, they haven't yet seen the response.
“We planted in November, and trees and plants are not fully green yet. We are looking forward to spring to start the blossoming process and show the green colours,” he says.
The types of trees planted in the BTC City area:
- Fraxinus ornus
- Ulmus minor
- Ostrya carpinifolia
- Acer monspesilanum
- Tilia platyphilos
- Prunus mahaleb