·
All episodes
Damir Mandić
Episode · #524

ZGRADONAČELNIK Damir Mandić

Guest Damir MandićHosted by Tin BašićMay 3, 2026
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation

In an ancient city, the drive for modern sustainability often clashes with the imperative to preserve its heritage. Damir Mandić, the mayor of Karlovac, knows this tension intimately. His city, rich in history, is now pursuing ambitious green initiatives, from solarizing public buildings to developing geothermal energy. It's a conviction that a city's identity can evolve without sacrificing its past, even when dealing with what he calls "terrible problems" navigating conservation rules. Mandić describes Karlovac's journey to becoming a self-sustainable and "green" urban center, not just through grand plans but through concrete projects that began years ago. He shares how strategic planning, public-private partnerships, and a pragmatic approach to financing are making a difference. Readers will learn how a city administration can balance development with historical preservation, and what it takes to embed long-term energy independence into the fabric of a community.

Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Karlovac's ambition to be self-sustainable, green, and "smart" isn't merely about energy efficiency; it's the city's guiding principle, articulated early in the conversation. The mayor frames it as a deep-seated conviction that shapes every project, showing that a compelling vision precedes — and drives — the technical solutions.
02
The "Solarika" project, placing photovoltaic panels on 14 public buildings, isn't a standalone initiative; it's a second phase. These buildings were first energy-renovated with new facades and roofs, demonstrating that maximizing solar impact begins with insulating the structure itself, turning a building into a more efficient canvas for energy generation.
03
The combination of energy-efficient facades and solar panels on schools and kindergartens is projected to cover 80% of their electricity needs, saving Karlovac €150,000 annually. This shows that the true financial impact of green initiatives comes from stacking multiple interventions, where each step builds on the last to compound savings.
04
The €150,000 saved annually from the Solarika project isn't just a budget reduction; it's capital that can be immediately "directed elsewhere," as the mayor puts it. This positions energy efficiency not as an expense, but as a mechanism for self-funding future green projects and driving continuous urban development.
05
Karlovac's Smart City Strategy, developed in 2018, wasn't just a conceptual exercise; it "forced us," the mayor says, to move beyond abstract ideas and create concrete strategic documents. The lesson is that even ambitious green visions require formal frameworks to transform into actionable projects and attract necessary funding.
06
A local subsidy of up to €4,000 for small businesses installing solar panels surprisingly left unspent funds, revealing a gap between public incentives and private investment. The mayor notes that even with support, the remaining private share can be too high for smaller entrepreneurs, indicating that awareness alone isn't enough to drive adoption; the financing structure must also be accessible.
07
Modernizing an ancient city like Karlovac with energy-efficient solutions inherently creates "terrible problems," as the mayor puts it, when dealing with heritage protection. This tension between conservation and progress is a constant negotiation, showing that strategic urban development must account for — and actively work with — historical preservation bodies rather than against them.
08
The Karlovac city administration building itself serves as an exhibit: it was energy-renovated "according to all rules of the conservation profession," while still achieving energy efficiency. This demonstrates that historical buildings can be modernized, albeit with higher costs, proving that preservation and sustainability are not mutually exclusive, but rather require careful, integrated planning.
Explore further
ScenariosBusiness challengesCardsEducational cardsTimelineTopic evolution