Kunz and post-communist geographies of urban poverty in Romania

Abstract

This article examines the spatial, social, economic, and civic dimensions of poverty in a post-communist Romanian city, focusing on the Kunz, an informal neighborhood in Timișoara. In Romanian, areas marked by concentrated poverty are pejoratively referred to as mahala, and internationally as, akin to the pejorative word, ‘slums’. This study sheds light on spatially concentrated poverty in post-communist cities through the lens of urban planning, citizenship, and environmental justice. Drawing on multiple research methods, the research reveals how environmental injustice is perpetuated by the lack of inclusive urban planning strategies, exacerbating existing poverty due to a continuous influx of impoverished populations from various regions. Exploiting legal uncertainties, these newcomers built homes without property deeds, subdividing older land plots. The strong socio-economic cohesion, basic urban infrastructure arrangements, temporary identity cards, and strong family ties within the community mitigate the fear of eviction from substandard housing. Economic crises generate a certain sense of security in the face of eviction as residents in these impoverished areas interpret crises as opportunities for safety. This sentiment prevails as substantial public investments are often delayed, reducing the likelihood of demolition and mass evictions, leaving the population nowhere else to turn.