Koper

The port cities of Trieste, Rijeka, and Koper all lie in the northern Adriatic, although in three different countries: Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia. The greatest advantage of this port city region is its geostrategic location: it connects Western Europe with the Danube region, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and Asia Minor. This location is also the greatest threat to the region’s stability, for countries, cities, and ports are always struggling for political and economic dominance. This article first defines approaches to urban resilience and various forms of capacity and vulnerability. It then identifies the key factors in the three cities’ resilience or lack of it over two thousand years. Finally, it shows how these notions are visible in the more recent past and present of each port city.