People walk peacefully along the pavement, looking at historical monuments and churches, hurrying to a play at the national theatre or trying to reach the central post office before it closes. They pass by bicycles and gather to watch street artists and temporary installations.

This is a daily scene on Slovenska Cesta, Ljubljana’s main street. It dissects the Slovenian capital from north to south and used to be a noisy through-traffic corridor at the intersection of the city’s most densely populated areas.

The conversion of Slovenska Cesta from a hub of noise and air pollution to a hotspot of one of Eastern Europe’s most vibrant capitals began in 2008 when the municipality decided to gradually turn it into an attractive public place.