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On the Sustainability of Spaces, 
Spheres and Environment 
Editorial 
The dominant notion of sustainability in the natural and built environments is 
ever more shaping the actions of individuals, groups and institutions on all levels 
of social organisation. In the examination of both the natural world and society, 
concepts and practical ideas are emerging with regard to the transformation of 
the combined or hybrid agency of various individual and collective actors when 
it comes to sustainability. 
The search for new modes of action and connections between social actors 
is driven by growing “environmental anxiety”. The colour green is becoming a 
ubiquitous hallmark of conduct for virtually everything, everyone, everywhere 
and in all social matters. 
In this special issue of Social Science Forum, the authors address a range of 
dilemmas concerning the actual or expected effects of relationships between 
actors in different social spheres with respect to spatial environmental sustain-
ability. 
In the five articles, the authors investigate: first, the effects of integration, or at 
least the permeation of research in science; second, the co-effects of university 
and city spaces; third, the outcomes of learning and employability of university 
students in physical vs. virtual spaces; fourth, the relationship between immov-
able cultural heritage and the local community while, finally, a well-thought-out 
idea of inclusive “renewable energy communities” that combines the effects of 
local, virtual and hybrid levels of social organisation. 
Marjan Hočevar tackles the issue of research perspectives on environmental 
issues and the nature of environmental knowledge production in science. Consid-
ering the example of the dualism of nature and culture/society and applying the 
science mapping method, the author tests the hypothesis of a possible strength-
ening of interdisciplinarity between the natural sciences and the social sciences 
as well as between the humanities and the social sciences. For this purpose, the 
bibliographic descriptor considers the Anthropocene as an approach and a 
concept. The Anthropocene, defined as a contested and still evolving concept, 
can explain events between and within disciplines due to its “naturally” integra-
tive qualities, i.e., controversiality and polyvalence. The author concludes that 
from the perspective of environmental approaches, the Anthropocene already 
reveals a connection between dualistically organised sciences. 

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UVOD
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
        
 
 
 
 
 
       
 
 
 
 
 
 
         
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
           
Domen Žalac and Matjaž Uršič study the interweaving of two social spheres 
on the level of spatial practices, city and university life. The article proceeds on 
the assumption that a socio-spatial analysis of university libraries makes sense for 
understanding the dynamics and permeation of both landscapes. The University 
of Ljubljana and the University of Vienna are used as an example. A holistic 
approach is called for that encompasses sensory engagement, technological 
influences, cultural diversity, and the role of the university as an urban anchor. 
As the higher education landscape continues to evolve, these insights can help 
guide the future planning and development of universities, with a view to foster-
ing urban campuses that effectively cater to the diverse needs and activities of 
their users while contributing to the urban fabric of their cities. 
Samo Pavlin, in his exploration of the interweaving of physical and virtual 
spaces, addresses the question of why it is good for university students in “mod-
ern” times to continue to physically attend lectures and to also participate in 
other situational forms of study. He stresses that the development of different 
forms of knowledge and competencies is strongly intertwined, which explains 
why virtual space should complement physical space in learning processes, not 
vice versa. Professional competencies cannot be developed and used in isolation 
from general competencies. The author proves that confidence and professional 
identity, which are important motivational bases for successful knowledge transfer 
and longer-term career development, are fundamentally located in the physical 
premises. At the end, it is concluded that the virtual–physical space relationship 
should be considered a fundamental developmental issue in higher education. 
Through the prism of “new localism”, Matjaž Uršič explores the intertwining of 
spheres of interest while planning sustainable heritage-based development. 
The study of combined cases in Slovenia builds on the analytical insight that 
the declarativeness of immovable cultural heritage integration processes is 
exposed in spatial antagonisms based on frictions between local communities 
and, on the other side, conservation approaches, the development aspirations 
of investors, political structures and other actors who try to assert their particular 
interests and needs. The author preliminarily notes that local actors are not suf-
ficiently equipped or given the possibility to learn about the issues and how to 
deal with the challenges they confront. Moving away from hierarchical forms of 
one-dimensional protection of heritage status to inclusive and locally adaptive, 
sustainable based heritage development is suggested. 
Primož Medved explores the foundations of new policies, schemes, and solu-
tions in order to propose an appropriate model able to assist with a quicker and 
stronger push towards green transition. It raises the question of how a realisable 
platform to improve the proliferation of renewable energy communities in Slovenia 

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INTRODUCTION
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
could be structured to ensure the empowerment of the most vulnerable strata of 
society. The author conceptually and practically elaborates the innovative REC 
Platform, which foresees segmentation via three different levels or spheres of en-
gagement: local, virtual and hybrid RECs, and represents an interactive meeting, 
learning and investing point – a ‘one-stop shop’ for all stakeholders involved. A 
REC platform would connect producers with customers, the city population with 
rural citizens, local and virtual members, investors with the most vulnerable part 
of society, as would be further supported and directed through the “inclusive 
enabling framework”. 
Marjan Hočevar, guest editor