Abstract
Research into the socio-spatial dynamics in Central European cities is an important area of contemporary transition studies. Open issues in this domain range from defining a theoretical framework to data availability and methodological approaches. As to the former aspect, recent literature focuses on the hybrid nature of the post-socialist urban space, which underwent modernization in the conditions of globalization and economic liberalization; the earlier model of spatial development changed dramatically as a result. The multi-scalar and comparative approaches may shed new light on the complex patterns of urban socio-spatial differentiation and its post-Soviet dynamics. Growing regional socio-economic imbalances observed in the former socialist states are lending new urgency to this area of research. This study employs a comparative approach to investigate post-1991 socio-spatial transformations in St Petersburg and Riga — the two largest post-Soviet urban centres in the Baltic Sea region. An important result of the research is a methodology for multi-level analysis of changes in the urban environment of post-socialist cities. Data from post-1991 national censuses and population registers are used to calculate measures of social well-being in urban districts as well as to identify territorial imbalances. Comparative analysis makes it possible to trace the spatial patterns of post-Soviet differentiation and set out guidelines for further research in the area.
Highlights
It is widely accepted that growing socio-economic inequality is a major trend in most post-socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe
1991, just like any other large city in Russia, St Petersburg witnessed a rapid population decline caused by a natural decrease and negative net migration [19]
The population of St Petersburg had to be below 4,600 thousand people at the beginning of 2002
Summary
This study attempts to use available statistical data to examine, in a compara tive perspective, spatial aspects social differentiation in the two largest post-So viet cities of the Baltic region as a starting point for a multi-scalar analysis of post-socialist urban transformations. We compare interconnected indicators calculated using official statistical data to understand the patterns of socio-spatial differentiation at a city level in St Petersburg and Riga. For St Petersburg, we used various information sources: data on the social parameters of the population (in particular, the level of education) are from the 2010 census, whereas information on housing prices comes from 2016— 2019 evaluations Alongside the indicators of the socio-economic differentiation of urban areas, we employed data on intra-census population change in municipalities. Percent deviation from the city average is given for the indi cator in question
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