Urban forests are an important part of urban green infrastructure that contributes to the quality of life of citizens. Numerous studies show the importance of researching urban forests and the services they provide to people, as well as their disservices. The goal of this project is to map the services and disservices of the selected urban forest parks based on the perception of citizens, to investigate the preferences of citizens with regard to the characteristics of the forest parks, and to provide recommendations for planning and management of those selected forest parks. An online PPGIS questionnaire will be used for perception mapping. The results of the questionnaire will be validated by field research at selected locations.
PROJECT LEADER:
PROJECT COORDINATOR:
PROJECT TEAM:
CONTACT PERSON:
EXTERNAL ASSOCIATES:
Logo of the GREEN HEART OF THE CITY project
Roll-up banner of the GREEN HEART CITY project
Activities of the GREEN HEART OF THE CITY projectForest parks visited as part of the project
I don’t think there is a person in Croatia who hasn’t at least heard of the popular Croatian movie One Song a Day Takes Mischief Away (Tko pjeva, zlo ne misli). But did you know that part of that film was filmed at Anindol (the location of the Tepec-Palačnik forest park) in Samobor? A few minutes from the city center, you can quickly immerse yourself in the peace and quiet of the forest park. As part of the Green Heart of the City project, we decided to visit this forest park in June 2025 in order to find locations for the implementation of the project. It was a beautiful day for a walk. We met only a few dog walkers and an elderly lady who was walking alone in the forest. Maybe because it was a weekday. At the foot of the hill by the stream, however, there were many more walkers. The forest park has several entrances and steep paths that are not very pleasant for walking. There are some parts that are easier to master, such as the Tancalište (Dance Hall) and the Šmidhenove stube (Šmidhen Steps), as well as the path to the old town of Samobor. There was no trash in the forest itself, not even in the old town, which surprised us a bit, because trash is, unfortunately, an inevitable part of our forests. In the forest, there are many fallen trees, branches and fallen stumps, which stand as witnesses of the storm that hit Croatia in 2023. The Tepec-Palačnik Forest Park is interesting for the implementation of this project because it is rich in cultural ecosystem services – apart from the obvious recreational role, it is important for cultural identity and heritage, has an educational role, and provides a habitat for flora and fauna. The real green heart of the city!
View of Samobor from the forest (Photo: Silvija Krajter Ostoić)
The old town of Samobor (Photo: Silvija Krajter Ostoić)
Promenade in the forest park (Photo: Silvija Krajter Ostoić)
Example of wooden boards with location name (Photo: Silvija Krajter Ostoić)
Šijana Forest Park is located in the city district of Pula with the same name and was protected in 1964. It is managed by the Public Institution for protected nature areas of the Istrian County Natura Histrica and managed by Croatian Forests Ltd., the forest office Pula. The size of the forest is 152.13 ha. It is a forest of honey oak and white hornbeam, in which exotic species are also planted. In the past, it was used for the production of wood for shipbuilding, but later it was developed as a recreational and picnic area. In the forest, there are trails of different lengths and levels of difficulty, a children’s playground and an exercise area. The old Austro-Hungarian bunker was renovated in 2022. It hosts various public events. During the visit, we met walkers, cyclists and people exercising in nature. There is a restaurant (café) next to the central meadow.
Information board at the entrance to the forest park
Detail from the Šijana park-forest
Researchers in action
For the purpose of selecting locations for conducting research as part of the Green Heart of the City project, a field tour of the Šubićevac Forest Park in Šibenik was conducted. The forest is located in the neighbourhood of the same name within the city of Šibenik. It is part of the protected landscape of Gvozdenovo-Kamenar. The forest is managed by the Croatian Forests Ltd., and is managed by the Public Institution Nature of Šibenik-Knin County. There are recreational facilities within Šubićevac, and it is a very popular place for recreation of the local population. Recreational facilities include a children’s playground, bocce ball court, a trim track and bike path, while on the Šubićevac trail, you can see a cave and a well. At the top of the hill is a viewpoint with a view of the city, the sea and the islands.
Trim track
Part of the trim track with educational content
For the purpose of selecting locations for conducting research as part of the Green Heart of the City project, a field tour of the Župetnica forest park in Križevci was conducted. Given that it is a protected area, it is governed by the Public Institution Koprivnica-Križevci county, and the forest is managed by the Croatian Forests Ltd. company, forest office Križevci. Its size is 38 ha, and it was declared a forest park in 1983. Citizens use it mainly for walking and recreation. It has no recreational facilities. Remains of the former trim track are visible in the forest, which is now completely neglected. There is a guerrilla mountain bike trail – built by users without of authorisation. At the beginning of the forest, there are also the remains of a hunting lodge with a restaurant, which was once an important place for gatherings and celebrations of the local population, but after passing into private hands, it was left to decay and is now a complete ruin. In the forest, there is a 50-year-old conifer culture that is declining. Only sanitary felling is carried out in the forest. During our stay in the forest, we met only a cyclist, using the forest as a shortcut.
Entrance to the forest park Župetnica
Guerrilla trail building – mountain biking trail built by users
Remains of the former trim track
The remains of a former hunting lodge
Poor health status of conifer culture
For the purpose of selecting locations for conducting research as part of the Green Heart of the City project, a field tour of the Rimska šuma (Roman Forest) in Daruvar was conducted. The Roman Forest is an important place for recreation for the citizens of Daruvar. Although it has the characteristics of a forest park, it is not formally protected as such. It is oak and common hornbeam forest with beech. The forest is managed by the Croatian Forests Ltd. Company, forest office Daruvar. Only sanitary logging is carried out in the forest. Near the forest is the central town square, the famous Daruvar spa and wellness and the recently opened Veterans Centre, which serves for the rehabilitation of veterans of the Homeland War. In the forest, there are also culturally interesting elements such as Roman remains, the Jewish cemetery and the Roman (Julian) spring. The latter is also associated with a legend saying that anyone who drinks water from that source will soon fall in love. An educational trail with 19 panels was opened in the forest in 2014, from which you can learn about the natural and cultural sights of the Roman Forest. The goal of the educational trail was to enrich the recreational and tourist facilities in the town of Daruvar.
Information panel at the beginning of the trail
Walking path inside the Roman Forest
Autumn view of the forest
In order to select locations for conducting research as part of the Green Heart of the City project, a field tour of the Dravska forest park in Varaždin was conducted. It is located along the Drava River and is a favourite recreational area of Varaždin residents. The Dravska forest park is a protected area managed by the Public Institution Priroda of the Varaždin County, and the forest is managed by Hrvatske šume d.o.o. It is part of the Mura-Drava regional park, the cross-border Mura-Drava-Danube biosphere reserve under the protection of UNESCO and the Natura 2000 ecological network. In the part of the forest, there are recreational and educational facilities, such as a children’s playground, an educational trail about the flora and fauna, as well as a viewpoint next to the wetland habitat. These are the facilities that certainly contribute to the visitation of the forest park and influence the interest and movement of visitors in the forest. For informational and educational purposes, an interesting application, Explore the Forest, was created.
At the entrance to the forest park
Information board at the entrance to the forest park
An element of the educational path
An element of a children’s playground with educational content
Rules of conduct for visitors
Viewpoint in the forest
For the purpose of selecting locations for research as part of the Green Heart of the City project, a field tour of the Musapstan forest in Zadar was conducted. The forest is state-owned and managed by the Croatian Forests Ltd. company, the forest office Zadar. We met with the head of the forest office, Mr. Mislav Maršić, with whom we went around the forest. Musapstan has the physical characteristics of a forest park, that is, a forest intended for the recreation of citizens. An educational trail and recreational facilities, such as a children’s playground and an outdoor exercise field, were arranged with the funds of the European Union.The Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology of the University of Zagreb made a study on the future recreational and touristic development of the forest. Musapstan is a forest dominated by pine, which was planted by the Italians. The problem is the absence of natural regeneration of the Pinus pinea due to climate change and the fact that it is on the edge of its natural geographical distribution. To keep it, all that remains is to replace it by planting seedlings. The stone pine has a distinctive umbrella-shaped crown and is aesthetically attractive. According to Mr. Maršić, the citizens are very attached to its presence in the forest and therefore insist on keeping it even though there is no natural regeneration. The forest is managed by using uneven-age forest management.
At the entrance to the Musapstan forest
Forest view
The beginning of the educational and trim track
An element of a children’s playground
Infrastructure for forestry pedagogy
Recreational infrastructure
Forest regeneration
For the purpose of selecting locations for conducting research as part of the Green Heart of the City project, a field tour of the forest park Japlenški vrh in Delnice was conducted. The popular recreational point for citizens of Delnice is governed by the Public Institution for Nature Protection of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, and the forest is managed by Croatian Forests Ltd. company. Only sanitary felling is carried out (removal of trees for health reasons). After talking with the employees of the regional forest office Delnice, we toured the forest park together. At the entrance to the forest, there is a popular restaurant and lodging, as well as a viewpoint with a view of the city. Within the forest, there is a trail with an educational path. There is no other recreational infrastructure. During the visit, we did not encounter any visitors, even though it was a beautiful and sunny day.
Viewpoint at the entrance to the forest park Japlenški vrh
Information board about the forest park Japlenški vrh
View of the forest park Japlenški vrh
A sign for a cycling route
Employment
The Croatian Forest Research Institute recently announced a call for several job positions on projects, including the Green Heart of the City project. After the interviews, the selected candidate gave up, so we are still looking for an assistant (doctoral student) on this project.
If you are interested, please contact us, even though we currently do not have an open call, so we can keep you in mind when we re-announce a vacancy for this position. We hope to add a new colleague to the project team soon!
There is an ongoing competition for an assistant on the GREEN HEART OF THE CITY project. The Ministry of Science, Education and Youth from the National Program for Recovery and Resilience (NPOO) finances the project.
Potential candidates are undoubtedly interested in the assistant position and, specifically, what is expected of them on this project. An assistant is a doctoral student, meaning someone who is applying to write a doctoral dissertation and become a doctor of science.
What does the role of an assistant on the GREEN HEART OF THE CITY project mean?
The assistant on the GREEN HEART OF THE CITY project is required to enrol in a doctoral program.
The assistant participates in all project activities under the mentorship of the project manager, Dr. Silvija Krajter Ostoić.
Project activities include:
Are you the right person for this project?
If you recognise yourself in most of the points, congratulations, this is the right project for you!
More about the call itself and the text of the call:
https://www.sumins.hr/natjecaji-za-izbor-na-radna-mjesta/.
For any additional questions about the project, feel free to contact the project manager, Dr. Silvija Krajter Ostoić, silvijak@sumins.hr.
We look forward to talking with the candidates!
