Urban Transition in Central Eastern Europe

Abstract

Central Eastern (CE) European countries have faced many challenges that are specifi c to the macro-region and its historical context. Much of CE Europe was heavily urbanized before the revolutions of 1989. Twenty-five years on, innovative and collaborative strategies are evolving to address changing urban challenges. Stimulated and supported by the EU and with other member states and regions, core cities in CE Europe are now achieving levels of prosperity and growth that are at least equal to some of their counterparts in the older EU member states. Researchers have described the growing and partially new problems and disappointments in CE cities in recent years. The narratives at the level of cities and metropolitan areas have a unique value in helping to understand what is really going on. We argue that it is important to see these efforts and achievements in a wider context, and indeed recognize the increasing degree of convergence between many eastern and western European cities, both in policy terms and in their development. The fi nancial crisis slowed the rate of improvement and modernization. The cities still have an innovative capacity that is needed to emerge from the economic crisis. Increasing transparency, strengthening the role of NGO’s and regional governance, learning through exchange and international integration, as well as raising the status of higher educational institutions are recognized as being important strategies for the future (EBRD 2014). Central Eastern European cities have largely kept their regional and national status that existed before 1989. Twenty-fi ve years on, the cities are increasingly equal players within Europe. Their democracies remain intact, despite challenges of trust in diffi cult times. Examples in both the built environment and in complex democratic processes, including citizen participation and regional collaboration, show how fast things have changed. Seen as a whole, the CE cities are still in need of comprehensive improvements. They aim to stay competitive and attractive for their citizens and entrepreneurs. At the same time broader strategies for sustainable growth, such as retrofitting and developing sustainable buildings and the urban fabric, need further attention. Models for transparent and participatory decision-making could also help to achieve cross-party agreement on key issues, which would enable stability and stronger commitment to longer-term strategic goals. i Here, we present an update on some of the challenges, and try to match these with the opportunities at the level of practitioners in cities. The situation in Central East European cities was reviewed by researchers and practitioners at the conference “25 year Jubilee” in Budapest, organized by the Metropolitan Research Institute, November 2014. Inspiration from this material is supplemented with selected narratives.