Growth and Change in Post-socialist Cities of Central Europe

✍ Scribed by Waldemar Cudny (editor), Josef Kunc (editor)

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 274
• Series: Routledge Contemporary Perspectives on Urban Growth, Innovation and Change
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book presents multidimensional socio-economic transformations taking place in the post-socialist cities located in selected countries of the Central European region.

The analysis includes case studies from the Eastern part of Germany (Chemnitz, Leipzig), Poland (Łódź, Kielce, Katowice conurbation, and peripheral urban centres from Eastern Poland), Slovakia (Bratislava, Nitra), Czech Republic (Olomouc, Brno), and from Hungary (Pécs). The analysed urban areas have undergone far-reaching political and socio-economic changes in the last 30 years. These changes began with the collapse of communism and the centrally planned economy system in the region of Central Europe. The beginning of this period, often referred to as post-socialist transformation, dates back to 1989. The consequence of the aforementioned political processes was the multifaceted socio-economic and demographic changes that significantly affected urban areas in Central Europe. This book presents an attempt to summarize the main long-term processes of changes taking place in these urban areas and to identify contemporary and future trends in their socio-economic development.

The book will be valuable to undergraduate and postgraduate students in human geography, urban studies, economy, and city marketing, especially with an interesting in Central Europe.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
List of Contributors
Chapter 1: Conceptualising urban transition in Central Europe
Research problem and aims
The thirty years of post-socialist transition
The methods and the structure of the book
References
Chapter 2: Post-socialist urban change and its spatial patterns: The case of Nitra
Introduction
The study area
Changes of physical, functional and socio-demographic intra-urban structures
Urban land-cover change analysis
Land cover in the year 1990
Land cover in the year 2019
Summary
Funding
References
Chapter 3: The university as the creative hub: The case of the city of Olomouc after 1989
Introduction
The changing role of universities
City of Olomouc and its university—University and the city of Olomouc
University as a creative hub
A creative cultural and artistic hub
A creative scientific research hub
Conclusion
Notes
References
Internet sources
Chapter 4: In the shadow of Karl Marx: The case of Chemnitz and its multiple transitions
Introduction
From Chemnitz to Karl-Marx-Stadt
Political change and early transition period
Chemnitz as a shrinking city
Demographic and economic stabilisation
Dealing with housing vacancies
Alternative strategies of urban development
Recent urban re-imaginations and societal developments
Urban re-imaginations and socio-cultural modernisation
Societal ruptures: the “Chemnitz Incident”
Conclusion
References
Chapter 5: Young people’s life plans and their impact on the demographic future of a shrinking city: Kielce case study
Introduction
The second demographic transition theory vs. young Poles’ procreative behaviours
Kielce—a shrinking city
Survey results
Characteristics of survey respondents
Kielce students’ plans regarding place of residence and starting a family
Summary
Notes
References
Chapter 6: Manufacturing in the post-industrial city: The role of a “Hidden Sector” in the development of Pécs, Hungary
Introduction
Pécs: transformation processes in a peripheral city
Historical background
Post-socialist development processes
Manufacturing in the post-industrial city
The institutional context of industrial change
Conclusions
Notes
References
Chapter 7: Socio-economic development in Bratislava during post-socialism
Introduction
Main dimensions of socio-economic change in post-socialism
Geography, history and local governance design
Processes of population development
Processes of economic transition
Changing inner spatial structure
Suburbanisation
Some special problems of spatial structure
Conclusion
References
Chapter 8: Brno in transition: From industrial legacy towards modern urban environment
Introduction
Industrial tradition in Brno and the first years of the transition period
Changes in the city economy and policy
Spatial and social aspects of de-industrialisation
Brno—modern urban environment
Brno interconnected and liveable
Brno cultural, sporty and entertaining
Brno educated and entrepreneurial
Conclusion
Acknowledgement
References
Chapter 9: Challenges and problems of re-growth: The case of Leipzig (Eastern Germany)
Introduction
Background, materials and methods
Leipzig’s development as a shrinking and re-growing city
Leipzig as a growing city during industrialisation
The GDR era: Towards long-term shrinkage
Massive shrinkage after 1989
Moderate re-growth: The 2000s
Challenges and problems of re-growth
Housing provision
Schools as an example of social infrastructure
Public transport as an example of technical infrastructure
Discussion
Conclusion
References
Chapter 10: Łódź : A multidimensional transition from an industrial center to a post-socialist city
Introduction
Presentation of the research area
Research results
Before 1989
After 1989
Summary
Note
References
Chapter 11: The socio-economic transformation of the Katowice conurbation in Poland
Introduction
Katowice conurbation—formation of strong monofunctionality
1989’s political and economic crisis and its consequences
Political and economic crisis in the face of traditional economy
Regional crisis into the agenda setting
Re-industrialisation and the Special Economic Zone as a way to solve different problems
Social dimension of changes
Metropolisation of conurbations as an attribute of the expected direction of changes
The Katowice conurbation after 30 years of transformation—what next?
Modelling the economic transformation process
Socio-demographic transition
Spatial patterns
Environmental challenges
Conclusion
Notes
References
Chapter 12: Population ageing processes in towns and cities situated in peripheral areas: An example of urban centres in Eastern Poland
Introduction
Peripheral areas
Eastern Poland as a peripheral area
Relations between natural growth and migration balance in the towns of Eastern Poland (Webb’s demographic types)
The pace of ageing among the inhabitants of urban centres in Eastern Poland
Conclusions
References
Chapter 13: Hallmark features of post-socialist urban development in Central Europe
References
Index