Imagining the urban transformation of Ravne na Koroškem at the NONA Travelling Academy Summer Camp

In July, the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem – a project partner in the NONA project hosted the first planned international architectural summer school within the Summer Academy Future Works! programme. Ten students, eight from Germany and two from Bulgaria, took part under the mentorship of Professor Ute Mayer and Verena Krappitz from the  Biberach University of Applied Sciences – Institute for Architecture and Urbanism Hochschule Biberach (Germany), together with Gergana Iliyeva from the The Collective Foundation Kolektiv/КОЛЕКТИВЪТ (Bulgaria) and Viktor Damov from the initiative Underschool (Bulgaria). The summer school was co-organised by the Iskriva, Institute for Development of Local Potentials, with strong support from the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem.

The students explored the town, its specific features and development potentials through fieldwork, mapping and direct engagement with the local community. On the opening day, they were welcomed in the municipal hall by Deputy Mayor Andrej Erjavec and Dr Tjaša Laznik, Head of the Office for Investment and Development, who presented the municipality and its key spatial and development challenges. As part of the expert input, architect Maruša Zorec, together with her students from the Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana, presented conceptual solutions for post-flood rehabilitation of the Meža Valley, while Marina Lovrić from the Geodetic Institute of Slovenia introduced principles of accessibility for all. A guided tour of Ravne, led by Tim Kolar-Erat from ZKŠTM, enabled the students to experience the town’s urban fabric and cultural offer. They also explored the industrial heritage of the Meža Valley and the Old Ironworks area under the expert guidance of Dr Karla Oder, curator at the Carinthian Regional Museum.

Results of the Summer School

As first-time visitors to Ravne, the students identified hidden potentials that, with proper promotion, could also attract international audiences. They emphasised the town’s strong sports infrastructure, diverse cultural offer and unique venues as a basis for developing sustainable sports and cultural tourism. The varied landscape and numerous viewpoints were seen as an opportunity to design a distinctive tourism product.

Their proposals focused on mobility, accessibility and public green areas. They suggested reducing car use in the town centre to create more space for greenery and community life, improving signage and pedestrian access, and ensuring better inclusion for persons with reduced mobility. The railway station was highlighted as a “hidden gem” with potential to become a sustainable mobility hub, particularly appealing to younger generations.

Above all, the students emphasised that Ravne’s greatest value lies in its people and the strong sense of community they experienced during their stay.

The students’ initial findings were presented to representatives of the Municipality and other local and regional stakeholders, and will be further exhibited in autumn in the renovated Old Ironworks. Their proposals will also serve as a valuable basis for future development planning and investment initiatives.

The initiative is carried out in cooperation with the NONA project, co-financed by the Interreg Danube Region and the international New European Bauhaus on the Danube network, which brings together professionals, policymakers, and representatives from the public, private, civil and financial sectors to promote sustainable land use, revalorisation of existing infrastructure and high-quality design of the living environment. The Summer School was done in cooperation with the Old Ironworks Ravne na Koroškem Future Works! Academy.

The Municipality is also one of 20 European recipients of European Commission technical assistance under the NEB Local Small Initiatives, confirming the international recognition of this revitalisation effort.

Through this multi-partner and multi-level cooperation, Ravne na Koroškem is emerging as a flagship example of how the transformation of industrial heritage can go beyond physical renovation, creating new opportunities, connections and narratives rooted in local values and a shared European vision for an inclusive and sustainable future.