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The topic of this research is crafts in the city of Zagreb, with special emphasis on traditional and artistic crafts. The main objective of this paper is to analyse the extent to which they are recognizable by the citizens of Zagreb, as well as to emphasize their potential for the development of the cultural and creative tourism. The research was conducted in two stages in 2021. The first stage consisted in the mapping of traditional and artistic craft businesses and vacant commercial property in the city centre, and the second stage included an online questionnaire survey on a purposive sample of 179 citizens of Zagreb. In order to understand the topic of research better, additional four semi-structured interviews with selected traditional and artistic craftspeople were conducted. Research shows that the majority of respondents consider traditional crafts an important part of Zagreb's cultural identity. Furthermore, the majority of respondents believe that traditional craft businesses and their products are not promoted enough in public. Crafts represent valuable tangible and intangible heritage of the City of Zagreb and have a potential for the development of cultural tourism of Zagreb. In this sense, and following the example of similar tourist tours in the world, a craft tour could be designed based on the work of traditional and artistic craftsmen of Zagreb, with the possibility of visiting their workshops and participating in the process of making products or their parts. This would be in line with the increasing demand and desire of modern tourists to be active participants and co-creators of experience rather than just be observers of the heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to analyze the spatial distribution of libraries in the Republic of Croatia. To this end, the structure of the library network in the Republic of Croatia and the hierarchy of library centers (municipalities and cities that have a library) is presented, while the development of libraries and its usage are analyzed through selected indicators. A comparison of the development of libraries has been made according to macro-regions, counties and local government units. Furthermore, the current situation has been compared to the state of the library system in 1990. The collected data is analyzed and presented using graphical and cartographic methods. Based on the conducted analysis, it can be stated that the network of public libraries in Croatia is relatively well developed, but there are still some areas where further development can be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative food networks have been developing in Croatia over the last ten years, following the example of similar global initiatives. By directly connecting consumers with producers, middlemen are bypassed and short food supply chains are created. This paper focuses on the development of local food systems that have emerged as a result of cooperation between groups of solidary exchange (Grupe solidarne razmjene or GSR for short) and organic farmers. The research is based on qualitative methodology, i.e. semi-structured interviews, and participant observation. A total of 15 interviews with organic food producers were conducted over the last two years (2017-2019). This research shows that cooperation with GSRs, i.e. distribution of products through short food supply chains, has had a series of advantages for producers. GSRs represent a good market for organic products and guarantee fair and stable prices, immediate (or even advance) payment upon delivery of products, and greater autonomy for producers. In addition to its financial advantages, this is a system that fosters social ties and relationships with consumers, in which producers feel appreciated, respected, and supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Quality of life is a multi-dimensional and complex construct, too broad to be described in simple terms, and, as a result, it is impossible to develop a single, universallyaccepted definition thereof. Reaching a consensus for a definition of quality of life is complicated by the fact that this concept is dealt with by a host of disciplines. Geography, economics, medicine, sociology, psychology, anthropology, philosophy, and marketing all find areas of interest in investigating certain aspects of quality of life. It is difficult to clarify the specific geographic contribution from the veritable sea of approaches to investigating quality of life, i.e. it is not easy to single out the aspects of investigation of quality of life for which the geographic approach could yield the best results. The goal of this paper is to clarify the qualities of the geographic approach in investigation of quality of life through discussion about the appearance and development of interest for this issue in the framework of geography, as well as by demonstrating theoretical models and classifications of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]