Post-socialist Cities Research Articles

Intertwined narratives of urban modernization and Europeanization in the Balkans: a feminist analysis

ABSTRACT This article offers a feminist perspective on urban modernization and Europeanization in the Balkans from the late 19th century to the present. It examines how these intertwined processes have shaped urban landscapes through a continuous negotiation between local traditions and outside influences. Despite their contributions, local women have often been marginalized within these narratives. The analysis combines a historical exploration of urban modernization and Europeanization with a critique of their gendered implications in post-socialist cities. It argues that while modernization has brought transformative changes, it has also reinforced gendered inequities, often to the detriment of women. This study highlights the need for more inclusive and gender-sensitive approaches to urban development in the Balkans.

Re-mapping Zagreb‘s Urban Space

Areas with a higher concentration of queer population are a well-established feature of the spatial structure in major cities across the Global North. However, there is a conspicuous lack of research on queer population within post-socialist cities. This paper addresses this gap by exploring the possibility of a higher concentration of queer men population in the Croatia’s capital, Zagreb. Based on the analysis of various spatial datasets, we assumed the existence of a queer men’s residential core in Zagreb, described its position within the city’s spatial structure, and examined the spatial dynamics of its development. Our findings reveal that the urban geography of Zagreb is less heterosexual than is usually perceived. Additionally, we demonstrate how the global patterns of the queer community spatialization have adapted within the post-socialist context with all its local specificities that enabled the unique integration of queer man spaces into Zagreb’s post-socialist urban structure.

The modern and the Monster: heritage activism in the post-socialist city between performance and performativity

ABSTRACT This paper explores the role of urban grassroot movements in the social configuration of contentious heritage and multiple temporalities and political articulations of heritage defense activism. Using the case study method, the paper traces the genealogy of one urban movement in defense of socialist modernist heritage in contemporary Montenegro, shedding light on the process of slow political recognition as opposed to the wide and rampant repertoire of urban contention and socio-cultural appropriation. Focusing on the events following the announcement of the construction of the 12-floor skyscraper (colloquially dubbed “the Monster”) in the immediate proximity of the iconic modernist Hotel Podgorica, the paper theorizes the capacity of urban activism in the contemporary post-socialist city to activate heritage dynamics and leverage urban knowledge as a tool of cultural control. Relying on a multi-method approach including participatory observations, interviews, urban and critical discourse analysis, and the archival research, this paper provides a multi-perspectival analysis of the complex interactions between contentious heritage, grassroot movements and political performativity in the post-socialist city. The results shed light on the evolving role of citizenship in urban development, signaling a paradigm shift towards engaged architecture and emancipatory urban activism as mechanisms for mitigating institutional inefficiencies and political performativity.

Urban food governance without local food: missing links between Czech post-socialist cities and urban food alternatives

Food is becoming an increasingly important issue in the urban context. Urban food policies are a new phenomenon in Czechia, where urban food alternatives to the current food regime are promoted by food movements or take the form of traditional self-provisioning. This paper examines how urban food governance in Prague and Brno is constituted based on the municipalities’ relations with actors engaged in urban food alternatives. We argue that prioritizing aspects of local food system transformation compliant with the status quo is non-systemic and implies a fragmentation of urban food alternatives based on different levels of social capital and radicality. We conceptualize urban food alternatives as values-based modes of production and consumption and focus on values that guide urban food governance in its participatory and territorial interplay with the actors of urban food alternatives. Our analysis reveals that the values underpinning the two cities’ progressive food policies do not match reality on the ground. We propose four types of relations between the two examined cities and aspects of the local food system transformation. Aspects compliant with the status quo, such as food waste reduction and community gardening are embraced, whereas those requiring more public intervention, such as public procurement, short supply chains, or the protection of cultivable land are disregarded, degraded, or, at most, subject to experimentation as part of biodiversity protection. Chances for a successful transformation of the local food system under such governance are low but can be increased by strengthening social capital and coalition work among urban food alternatives.

(Post-)Socialist Housing and Aging in Neoliberal Riga

This article contends that envisioning the future of housing planning in post-socialist cities necessitates the acknowledgment of a pressing reality: Many societies are undergoing rapid aging and depopulation. Latvia’s capital city of Riga, the focal point of this study, stands at the forefront of these global trends. However, due to entrenched neoliberal practices that idealize youthful, robust, and entrepreneurial residents, considerations of aging are conspicuously absent from urban planning visions. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in the capital city between 2021 and 2023, this article establishes a link between urban lived experiences while aging and the intersecting dynamics of housing. The critical analysis is informed by data derived from observations, conversations, media sources, official discourses, and perspectives gathered through expert interviews. Ultimately, this article advances an agenda aimed at urging people to think about more hopeful futures for aging in cities, an issue of paramount significance in the post-socialist societies of the 21st century.

Ljubljana—European Green Capital 2016: From Strategic Spatial Planning to Governance

Ljubljana was the first post-socialist city awarded with the title European Green Capital. The title awarded by the European Commission is given to a city that is achieving high environmental standards, is setting ambitious goals for further environmental improvement and sustainable development, and can act as a role model to inspire other cities and promote best practices to all other European cities. The article is based on a hypothesis that at the moment when Ljubljana applied for (and was awarded) the European Green Capital title, it had strong strategic spatial planning and successful territorial governance, as well as the interweaving of both. To prove the hypothesis, the timetable and characteristics of the strategic spatial planning and territorial governance in Ljubljana are presented in this article and critically evaluated. Critical evaluation and analyses are also assessed using a qualitative research method, i.e., semi-structured in-depth interviews among experts from four professional fields including spatial planning, urbanism, architecture, and management. The results confirmed the hypothesis: Ljubljana’s sustainability-oriented strategic spatial plan prepared by a variety of stakeholders, experts, and citizens, as well as the effective governance system established by the mayor, a manager by profession, were two factors that coincided at a crucial moment. This was recognized by the European Commission and Ljubljana was awarded a prestigious title. Ljubljana can therefore serve as an excellent sustainable example for other post-socialist cities in terms of strategic spatial planning and governance.

From chaotic construction to coevolution: Tbilisi’s 2019 master plan and the right to the city

ABSTRACT A cautious revival for planning is emerging in some post-socialist cities including Tbilisi, Georgia – a response to diminished quality of life after decades of “investor urbanism” policies. Tbilisi’s 2019 Master Plan takes a pragmatic approach to the right to the city – emphasizing human rights to urban mobility and green space but in cooperation with market processes and detached from ideological narrative. The adoption and implementation of Tbilisi’s plan has the potential to yield a coevolution of local governance institutions, now oriented for the first time since independence to administer long-term urban policy. While full implementation of the plan vision will likely be limited by existent processes of state capture, the plan offers a promising new framework for urban governance and the social function of urban space. Although Georgia exhibits troubling signs of democratic backsliding, Tbilisi’s plan asserts alignment with international best practices including European Union accession criteria – thus serving as a potent geopolitical tool.

Totalitarian Flower Pavilion: The Dubious Post-Socialist Legacy of Contemporary Eastern European Cities

More than three decades after the collapse of state socialism in Central and Eastern Europe, local urban processes are still very often associated with that historic period or post-socialist transformation. This article aims to undermine the concept of the post-socialist city itself as reductionist, given the crucial importance of factors that differ from the influence of the pre-1989/91 times. The article confronts the discussion on the applicability of the post-socialist framework with field research conducted in selected Polish and Ukrainian cities, in particular the examples of the Kvity Ukrainy (Flowers of Ukraine) protest movement in Kyiv, Ukraine, and the 2003 spatial planning reform’s results in Krakow, Poland. The analysis is based on interviews with representatives of different actors involved in the policymaking process, such as local government representatives, policy advisors, urban planners, journalists, business circles, and members of grassroots initiatives.

Having a garden or being in the city? The trade-offs and strategies of young middle-class families in Prague

ABSTRACT In recent decades, evolving residential preferences among young middle-class families have diversified spatial mobility patterns, challenging the traditional suburban inclination with the emergence of reurbanization tendencies. Our study employs the concept of life course and explores the decision-making process of housing relocation in a post-socialist city and how housing needs and preferences are confronted with what is affordable for young middle-class families. Through semi-structured interviews in the Prague Metropolitan Area, our findings reveal heterogeneous mobility responses to family transitions and housing market dynamics. A significant trade-off is identified between having a garden and residing in the city without a commute, highlighting variations in parental perceptions of an ideal childhood. Our research underscores distinctions in residential preferences and housing choices in post-socialist cities compared to Western counterparts, driven by factors such as privatism, unique perceptions of suitable housing for young families, and historical development influencing intergenerational transmission of residential preferences.

Monumental mosaics as places of memory in public spaces of Ukraine

Background. Modernist monumental mosaics as an intrinsic part of Soviet cultural heritage are ubiquitously present all over the urban environments of Ukraine. With rare exceptions, they remain predominantly unacknowledged as being valuable objects of cultural heritage. Many fine works of monumental art are already lost and others remain under constant threat. The precarious situation of modernist mosaics calls for a thorough reexamination of a complex situation with memory politics in Ukraine overall. The goal of this article is to explore the theoretical-methodological framework of memory studies for its applicability to the analysis of socio-cultural value of Soviet monumental modernist mosaics within the context of their destruction by the ongoing process of commercialization and decommunization of public spaces in post-socialist cities. The research objectives are to investigate the current status of modernist mosaics within contemporary Ukrainian heritage preservation discourse and conceptualize it within the memory studies framework. Methods. Case studies, narrative and textual analysis, interdisciplinary integration of cultural and memory studies, application of the "collective memory" approach, synthesis of "postmemory" and "places of memory" concepts. Results. Created by Ukrainian monumental artists of the Soviet period, modernist mosaics are already deeply embedded within the urban environment. Within the framework of memory studies, modernist mosaics may serve as 'places of memory' of that particular period of history and in that way contribute to its reinterpretation and further formation of the complete image of city memory and of inclusive memory politics of Ukraine. Conclusions. The theoretical-methodological framework of memory studies appears to be an appropriate tool for analysis of socio-cultural value of monumental mosaics. There is a necessity for further inquiries into this field and its further engagement in the development of Ukrainian heritage preservation discourse.

Old housing estates in the housing market of a post-socialist city: The case of Budapest

Housing estates were constructed by public authorities and private investors long before the era of large prefab housing estates. Their dwellings, like almost all flats, became privatised after 1989 in the postsocialist cities, thus they appeared in the housing market. The aim of this paper is to analyse their market position and to explore how their physical characteristics and residential environment influence the dwelling prices. It also examines the impact of the renovation of buildings with a special attention to its housing policy background.

Land suitability analysis in monocentric post-socialist city: Case of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Urban expansion has been rapidly increasing and is projected to be tripled in 2030 in worldwide. The impact of urbanization has adverse effects on the environment and economic development. Residential lands consist of almost one-third of the urban area and heavily affect the city's inhabitants. The capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, has been significantly expanded, particularly in the urban periphery where poor living conditions and a lack of essential urban services were identified. The paper aims to conduct a suitability analysis of residential areas in Ulaanbaatar city based on three main categories (livability, affordability, and accessibility) of fifteen criteria using the fuzzy logic. Through the study, we have identified some potential suitable residential areas for further development, such as apartment residential area located in the southern part of the city and four low-rise ger areas were distributed along major transport corridors. Moreover, the results indicated that the spatial structure of the whole town might be in transition to a polycentric pattern. However, a concentric ring pattern in the 'city's periphery displayed a concerning uncontrolled ger area expansion, which may increase low living conditions in the area. This study recommends better urban sprawl control policies and more property market investment in the ger area to ensure sustainable development goals in Ulaanbaatar.

Landscape effects of urbanisation in a post-socialist city. A case study of Wrocław (Poland)

Progressing urbanisation is contributing to the changes of vertical and horizontal landscape structure. The aim of this paper is to investigate the spatial regularities of changes in the landscape pattern that resulted from the urbanisation processes in Wrocław (Poland) between 1994 and 2020. The research area is an example of a post-socialist city characterized by fluctuating spatial processes, especially after the economic and political transformation of the year 1989. In the empirical part, authors have analysed the changes in the number of buildings and the structure of land cover using methods of spatial analysis in a GIS environment, with a particular focus on landscape metrics. The results show two main trends in landscape changes within the city boundaries, which the authors refer to as expansion and transformation. These processes were related to various driving forces and their intensity depended on analysed sub-periods and distance from the city centre. Expansion and transformation are mainly exhibited by an increase in developed area at the cost of the decline of natural and open areas (especially agricultural lands) and densification in central areas.

‘Inner-city is not the place for social housing’ – State-led gentrification in Łódź

From the point when it was noted for the first time, gentrification has changed, and so has the role of the State, as public intervention has become central to urban upgrading. A popular model of this development describes three waves of gentrification for the U.S. Whether or not these experiences are indeed global, however, remains under discussion – and this is particularly the case for post-socialist cities. Against this background, the paper wishes to contribute to the ongoing debate about “state-led gentrification” and test the applicability of a widely used model of gentrification in a different context than it was developed. The guiding questions of the paper are the following: 1) What is the significance of institutions/policies in shaping the onset and trajectory of gentrification in Łódź (Poland), and what are the contributing factors behind it? 2) What are the underlying similarities and distinctions between the case of state-led gentrification in Łódź, and the general features of this phenomenon observed in the Global North?

PRYWATYZACJA PRZESTRZENI PUBLICZNEJ – STUDIUM PRZYPADKU ZAGRZEB, CHORWACJA

The article explores the topic of privatization of public space occurring in the process of contemporary urban planning policies, on the example of city of Zagreb in Croatia. The division between public and private in the European cities, particularly post-socialist cities, has historically been rather clear. However, with the change of socio-economic system, continuous development and adopting the contemporary planning practices such as public-private partnerships, the line between public and private is becoming blurred. The article analyses current practices and explores the possible risk for the city in case these practices prevail.

International Migration from a Semi-Periphery City: The Case of Baia Mare

Abstract Many post-socialist cities in Romania experience population decline caused by both negative natural growth and large-scale international migration. This study seeks to advance an understanding of post-socialist migratory flows from the city of Baia Mare to Western labour markets in terms of its mode of incorporation into the global economy. Using a historical structural lens, the study traces the critical economic transformations, political moments or institutions that influenced migratory flows from Baia Mare. It argues that from its semi-peripheral position, the city’s role, after the regime change, became that of a supplier of cheap labour to Western Europe and a location for low added value industries. Despite its rapid economic growth due to reindustrialisation and its success in attracting relatively large shares of immigrants, its native urban population continues to decrease. The developing manufacturing industry specialised in intensive, low-paid, manual labour automatically excludes more educated and qualified labourers who continue to resort to international migration in order to survive or to improve the quality of their lives.

Introduction: Reconsidering “Post-Socialist Cities” in East Central and South East Europe

Introduction: Reconsidering “Post-Socialist Cities” in East Central and South East Europe

Deconcentration of Industrial Activity as a Constituent of Sustainable Urban Development in a Post-Socialist City: A Case Study of Wroclaw, Poland

The transformative period following 1989 ushered in significant political and economic changes across Central and Eastern Europe. Among the profound consequences of these shifts were the initiation of suburbanization processes and the uncontrolled expansion of suburbs, particularly around major cities in the region. Suburban zones experienced extensive spatial and functional alterations, while agglomeration centers, the cities themselves, underwent noteworthy transformations. The interplay of land rent dynamics contributed to the reconfiguration of functions within cities, intensifying land use. The aim of this study is to explain the spatial processes of industrial deconcentration within a post-socialist CEE city, using Wroclaw, Poland, as a case study. Employing GIS software, we examine both the spatial patterns and localization of industrial activity within the Wroclaw agglomeration. The research highlights that the peak of industrial deconcentration in the city transpired during the 1990s. Presently, the suburban zone has assumed an increasingly predominant role in the industrial activities within the agglomeration, aligning with the imperatives of sustainable development policies.

Compact and polycentric urban forms as intertwined concepts: Learning from the impacts of Covid–19 retail restrictions on spatial (in)equalities in Brno (Czech Republic)

Abstract Urban structure conceptualisation using compact and polycentric city narratives is often performed separately. However, although both are based on different spatial grammars, they are inextricably linked. The spatially equitable distribution and accessibility of urban functions are often seen as their main contributions. This paper uses the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic to further analyse the relationship between the two narratives, using the radical transformation of a retail network in a post-socialist city (Brno, Czech Republic) as an example. Based on an in-depth analysis of government measures aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus and their coverage in the media, operational changes among all stores in the city are quantified. A comparative spatial analysis then shows that, in addition to economic inequalities, spatial injustice was exacerbated by the position of the central government, with varying degrees of intensity depending on the type of urban structure. It is argued that the resilience potential of polycentric and compact structures is very low, especially in the absence of retail planning and reflection upon spatiality in ensuring social equity.

Changes in the Patterns of Population Distribution and Built-Up Areas of the Rural–Urban Fringe in Post-Socialist Context—A Central European Case Study

The rapid and significant expansion of urban areas is observed worldwide; however, considerable differences are detected within the characteristics of the process. The rural–urban fringe is changing most dynamically from the aspect of land use and this tends to be relevant in the case of post-socialist cities in Central Europe even with a stagnating or decreasing population. Debrecen (Hungary) and its hinterland adequately represent the migration trends of Hungarian cities and the great administrative area provided wide intra-urban suburbanization processes. The current study put the emphasis on the analysis of the spatial pattern of built-up areas and the distribution of residents. In order to discover the processes of the post-socialist transition period, detailed point layers were created to illustrate every built-up parcel in the rural–urban fringe of Debrecen (for the years 1980, 2000, and 2020). The most important characteristics were discovered with the help of GIS methods—Kernel-density, grid pattern analysis of the object density, and analysis of land cover/land use changes using Corine Land Cover Change (CLCC) databases. The dynamic and extended expansion of built-up areas was seen until 2000, in which the outskirts (including hobby gardens) densified spectacularly. The urban sprawl has been less intensive since the millennium and the increase in built-up areas has become more concentrated. As a consequence of the transition period, extended territories—primarily the least dense parts of the rural–urban fringe—are faced with the disappearance of buildings due to agricultural cultivation reasons.