URBAN ECOLOGY AS THE BASIS OF MODERN LIVING

When creating and planning urban spaces, it is necessary to return to fundamental values, which dictate that urban development should be aligned with the needs of the population. One of the most important needs is that humankind, for its own existence, must learn to live in harmony with nature. The basic hypothesis of this paper is that urban ecology is an integral part of the daily management of the city, but it is also a social task as it concerns the way of life of urban residents. The purpose and goal of this paper is to indicate problems that our current way of life imposes, that is, cities are being developed without sufficient attention paid to the quality of life, which can be achieved through the application of urban ecology. The paper presents results of empirical research conducted in the City of Rijeka, through the method of a survey questionnaire. The results obtained show that environmental awareness of citizens surveyed is still not at a satisfactory level, but there is a continuing interest in participating in the planning of their own city and a desire for change and improvement of the current conditions pertaining to the field of urban ecology. In conclusion, the paper offers proposals for the improvement of the urban space of the City of Rijeka, taking into account the principles of urban ecology.