Evaluation on the use of the old city centre

ENGLISH SUMMARY
Adding to the document
"PLACEMENT OF THE NEW CENTRAL MARKETS CONTENT IN OLD CITY CENTRE Evaluation of the potential to use the Old city centre market areas for new market products"
(UMESTITEV NOVIH VSEBIN TRŽNIC V STARO MESTNO JEDRO Ocena možnosti uporabe področja mestnih tržnic ter starega mestnega jedra za trženje novih izdelkov)
Nowadays the majority of traditional markets are experiencing a serious decline threatening a tradition that stretches
back in some cases to Medieval times and beyond. Markets have indeed been the backbone of many towns and city
centres and the oldest form of commercial exchange. It is not only a key part of our heritage that is at risk, but also a
system which brings economic benefits to consumers, along with the social value of markets as an important factor of
cohesion for local communities not only in the centres but also in the peripheries, where they are often located.
Markets also help regenerate town centres and peripheral districts, promote healthy eating and support 'greener'
lifestyles and more sustainable patterns of commerce. One of the reasons for this decline is that traditional markets
have to cope with the increasingly competitive big distribution and that missing or insufficient regulation does not
allow for a re-launch of urban markets.
The CENTRAL MARKETS project seeks to elaborate strategies and measures for the re-discovery of markets as an
engine for the development of the urban districts. The general aim is indeed to enhance the competitiveness and
attractiveness of the 8 target cities/regions by developing new and innovative market revitalization strategies in order
to reinforce and balance the relationship between city/regions and markets.
Maribor Development Agency (MDA), as a Slovenian partner in CENTRAL MARKETS project, has been/is working
intensively on the implementation of the Slovenian pilot action. It consists of the three main elements / activities, of
the improvement in visibility and orientation on central market areas: (a) Evaluation of the possibility to use the Old
city centre market areas for new market products associated with promotion of a city image attractiveness for
sustainable tourism and social activities; involvement of traders and inhabitants; (b) Development of new business
model which will connect the traditional market place offer and will provide communication possibilities between
management structures, producers and end users; (c) Creation of an innovative web designed platform which will
offer information and communication opportunities between all involved target groups (management structures and
end users) and improve the attractiveness of market sites and their products.
Significant support by the development of the Slovenian pilot action elements was given, not only from the side of the
City of Maribor government and it's correlated offices but also from appropriate project predefined target groups and
active stakeholders that all worked on the further strengthening of the revitalisation and promotion of the traditional
central market areas in Maribor.
The present document “Use the Old city centre market areas for new market products” as the first element of the
Slovenian pilot action represents the "background" study for the both next elements (b) and (c).
This study presents the evaluation of the possibilities to use the Old Maribor city centre market areas for new market
products and possibilities to improve existing ones. One of the components is also associated with promotion of the
city image attractiveness for sustainable tourism and social activities, as well as with involvement of traders and
inhabitants. Both topics have been pointed out by stakeholders as one of the priorities in future development of city
markets and the tourism development on local level.
Projekt se izvaja v okviru programa Srednja Evropa, ki ga sofinancira Evropski sklad za regionalni razvoj (ERDF) | www.centralmarkets.eu
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Evaluation study of the possibilities to use the Old city centre market areas for new market products associated with
promotion of a city image attractiveness for sustainable tourism and social activities involves several chapters, divided
to empirical and analytical parts, from which most important exposed and analysed points are presented in the
continuation.
In the first part of the study, an overall overview of the existing markets is presented. There are especially pointed out
the points of their current use/state, necessary improvement issues and co-offer to the markets (fair events etc.).
Furthermore existing city markets management system has been analysed and pros and cons are presented, following
by the analysis of the legislative framework in the sense of legislation and regulations governing the concerned central
markets areas.
Second part represents more analytical part where ideas and proposals have been collected via different executed
activities. One of the important activities is represented by on-site survey (questionnaire) of different target groups,
with prime focus on visitors / buyers on the central market areas. Analysis of the survey questionnaire shows
significant set of ideas and proposals for the future development. In addition, the collected ideas from students of
Architecture, Faculty of Civil Engineering are presented, especially in more details three best-awarded student ideas.
Furthermore, very successful pilot marketplace Art & Craft at a local event Špasfest is presented as well.
Last and most important part of the evaluation study is the logical continuation of the first and second input parts,
which summarizes overall recognised / gained input issues and recommendations. Input issues from the first and
second parts has been involved in the common SWOT analysis of the Maribor city markets and evaluates the
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. According to this analysis, a final section with recommendations
and suggestions has been prepared.
Final section represents the overall, with the support of the target groups and relevant active stakeholders, set of the
recommendations and suggestions that government and its offices should closely take into consideration and their
strategic planning within the common city aim / potential (that strongly exists) to future improvement of the situation
of the Old city market areas in correlation with old city centre.
Projekt se izvaja v okviru programa Srednja Evropa, ki ga sofinancira Evropski sklad za regionalni razvoj (ERDF) | www.centralmarkets.eu
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