Demographic decline, lack of properties at suitable prices, shortage of both skilled and unskilled labor for available jobs, inadequate infrastructure connections, preservation of natural areas: these are some of the challenges faced by the large cross-border territory of the Gorizia area. From an urban-planning perspective, the dedicated committee of the EGTC GO hopes for the harmonization and sharing of territorial data, as well as closer cooperation among the three municipalities, with the goal of jointly addressing future scenarios.

These were some of the themes that emerged during the latest meeting of the urban-planning committee, held on Monday, 10 November, at the EGTC GO headquarters in Corso Italia 55. Present were representatives of the technical offices of the three municipalities of Nova Gorica, Gorizia, and Šempeter-Vrtojba; the City of Gorizia’s Councillor for Urban Planning, Chiara Gatta; the committee coordinator, Livio Semolič; and the EGTC GO representatives, EU project coordinator Ezio Benedetti and deputy director Tomaž Konrad. This is the third time the EGTC GO has hosted and promoted a meeting between the technicians of the three municipalities and the Urban-Planning Committee to encourage closer collaboration on urban-planning issues; the first meeting took place in May 2024.

Erik Lasič, head of the Environment and Spatial Planning Department of the Municipality of Nova Gorica, shared a series of statistical data regarding the large territory of Nova Gorica, proposing a vision that also includes Gorizia. The challenges to be addressed are numerous and largely shared across the entire cross-border area: among them population aging and decline, the lack of adequate jobs, and the shortage of properties suited to the needs of the population. A cross-border approach to tackling these problems could envision potential economic development that would position Gorizia and Nova Gorica as a development area along the Venice–Ljubljana axis.

The push toward collaboration for a common goal was also emphasized by the committee coordinator, Semolič, who highlighted the need to be effective and concrete in order to be convincing to citizens. It is also important to maintain the collaborative momentum that gained significant traction during GO! 2025, Semolič reiterated. One could also consider, he added, expanding the territorial area of influence of the EGTC GO, given the strategic connection between Nova Gorica and the Aidussina area. This would broaden the horizons of EGTC GO’s strategy and programming of activities, both territorially and in terms of content.

Councillor Chiara Gatta also stressed that the committee meetings represent an impetus for collaboration—something beneficial for all parties involved. She also noted that in the spring, the Municipality of Gorizia commissioned a specialized firm to collect data and analyses that will form the basis for revising Gorizia’s urban plan. Licinio Gardin, head of the Environmental Protection, Urban Planning, and Private Construction Department, reiterated the willingness to share the data collected with committee members, enabling the three municipalities to engage in dialogue based on concrete elements. Harmonizing the methodology for collecting this data, as noted by several participants, is itself a significant issue. It was also underlined that the EGTC GO is precisely the institution where a cross-border statistical-survey service—structured for constant updating and historical tracking of data—could find support. There will also be an assessment of whether statistical data comparable to that presented by the Municipality of Nova Gorica exists for the Italian territory.

The EGTC GO deputy director, Tomaž Konrad, proposed encouraging immediate operational coordination among planners in order to identify a “common denominator” in analyses and objectives. The need to monitor European calls for funding—especially those offering opportunities for digitization and data-collection projects—was also highlighted. Architect Claudio Meninno, a member of the committee, pointed out the opportunities offered by the “digital twin” mechanism, which enables data sharing and a common methodological approach to interpreting and using such data.

The Committee agreed on the importance of meeting more frequently, extending the discussion to economic and territorial-development fields, which are considered essential for the development and competitiveness of the cross-border area.