Recent trends and future prospects of socio-spatial differentiation in urban regions of Central and Eastern Europe: A lull before the storm?

Abstract

This article reviews recent patterns of socio spatial differentiation in five Central and Eastern European urban regions: St. Petersburg, Budapest, Sofia, Vilnius and Leipzig. The consideration of the individual city region is complemented with a comparative case study approach, based on first results of a cross-national household survey and expert interviews. Regardless of the vast differences in urban structures, housing markets and socio-economic contexts, certain common factors can indeed be identified. One of the most important factors is the popularity of the suburban single family housing ideal. In addition, certain outcomes are also shared. These include: the wide acceptance of housing districts built during the socialist period by the indwellers contrary to the bad external perception, the emergence of gated residential enclaves and to some extent the upgrading of inner urban areas. The presented housing preferences must be considered as a significant indicator of future urban trends. How these prospects will be implemented in the individual city region depends first of all on the conditions of the local housing markets and housing politics.