Contemporary urban policies and planning measures in socialist-era large housing estates
Date
2021-05-25
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Abstract
Ühendkuningriigi eeskujul on lääneriigid järk-järgult vabaturumajandusele üle minnes läbinud palju poliitilisi, majanduslikke ja sotsiaalseid muutusi, näiteks erastamine, mille tulemusel on süvenenud sotsiaal-majanduslik segregatsioon ja ruumiline ebavõrdsus, eriti elamusektoris. Postsotsialistlikus kontekstis, kus enamiku elamusektorist moodustavad suured korterelamupiirkonnad, kajastab nende alade sotsiaalne mitmekesisus siiani olukorda, mis kujunes nõukogude perioodil sisserände tulemusena. Väitekirjas esitatud näidete põhjal saab jälgida linnapoliitilist ja ruumilise planeerimise arengut pärast peaaegu täielikku erastamist ning luua õppematerjal ühiskondadele, kus erastamine ja vabaturumajandusele siirdumine alles toimub. Uuringu tulemustest selgus, et Baltimaades valitsenud äärmuslik erastamine on loonud olukorra, kus linnaplaneerimist juhib ja kammitseb tänini pigem era- ja majandushuvi kui linnaplaneeringuline strateegia ja arenguvisioon. Üha enam on tunda elanike nõudlust parema elukeskkonna järele. Ent peale elanike on ruumisekkumise nõudlus tekkinud ka ruumiekspertidelt (arhitektid, geograafid, urbanistid, maastikuarhitektid). Huvitav on ehk seegi, et kui siselinnad taassünnivad gentrifikatsiooni kaudu, siis sotsialismiaegsetes korterelamupiirkondades on samuti toimumas renessanss. Erinevus näib olevat üksnes selles, et gentrifikatsioon ja sellega kaasnev kogukonnaaktivism sünnib piirkonna seest, kuid korterelamupiirkondade renessanss algatatakse väljast, ruumiekspertide poolt. Seega on ka avaliku sektori roll siselinnade või korterelamupiirkondade arengut suunates erinev. Siselinna arengus peab avalik sektor toimima jahutajana, piirates kinnisvaraarendajate tuhinat ja leevendades seeläbi ehituse tekitatud survet piirkonnas. Kuid korterelamupiirkondades peab avalik sektor pidevalt soodustama ja isegi õhutama ühest küljest kogukonnaaktivismi ning koostööd eri osaliste vahel, teisalt aga kinnisvaraarendajate huvi seal ehitada.
Following the example of the UK, western countries have gradually undergone many political, economic and social changes, such as privatization, which have led to deeper socio-economic segregation and spatial inequalities, especially in the housing sector. In the post-socialist context, where a vast part of the housing sector is made up of socialist-era housing estates, the social diversity of these areas still reflects the situation created by immigration during the Soviet period. Based on the examples presented in the dissertation, it is possible to monitor the development of urban policy and spatial planning after almost complete privatization and to create a place of study for societies where privatization and the transition to a free market economy are still taking place. The results of the study revealed that extreme privatization in the Baltics has created a situation where urban planning is still driven and constrained by private and economic interest rather than strategic urban planning and vision. There is a growing demand for a better living environment. However, in addition to residents, the demand for spatial interventions has also arisen from urban professionals (architects, geographers, urban planners, landscape architects). Interestingly, inner cities are ‘reborn’ through gentrification, and a renaissance is also taking place in the socialist-era housing estates. The only difference seems to be that gentrification and the accompanying community activism originate within the region, but the renaissance in the estates is initiated from outside by urban professionals. Consequently, the role of the public sector in directing development tracks should be different for inner cities and large housing estates. In inner cities, the public sector must act as a ‘cooler’, alleviating real estate development pressure in the area. However, in housing estates, the public sector must constantly encourage community activism and collaboration between parties as well as the interest of real estate developers to build there.
Following the example of the UK, western countries have gradually undergone many political, economic and social changes, such as privatization, which have led to deeper socio-economic segregation and spatial inequalities, especially in the housing sector. In the post-socialist context, where a vast part of the housing sector is made up of socialist-era housing estates, the social diversity of these areas still reflects the situation created by immigration during the Soviet period. Based on the examples presented in the dissertation, it is possible to monitor the development of urban policy and spatial planning after almost complete privatization and to create a place of study for societies where privatization and the transition to a free market economy are still taking place. The results of the study revealed that extreme privatization in the Baltics has created a situation where urban planning is still driven and constrained by private and economic interest rather than strategic urban planning and vision. There is a growing demand for a better living environment. However, in addition to residents, the demand for spatial interventions has also arisen from urban professionals (architects, geographers, urban planners, landscape architects). Interestingly, inner cities are ‘reborn’ through gentrification, and a renaissance is also taking place in the socialist-era housing estates. The only difference seems to be that gentrification and the accompanying community activism originate within the region, but the renaissance in the estates is initiated from outside by urban professionals. Consequently, the role of the public sector in directing development tracks should be different for inner cities and large housing estates. In inner cities, the public sector must act as a ‘cooler’, alleviating real estate development pressure in the area. However, in housing estates, the public sector must constantly encourage community activism and collaboration between parties as well as the interest of real estate developers to build there.
Description
Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsioone
Keywords
urban policy, urban geography, town planning, residential districts, apartment houses, post-communist countries, Baltic States, Estonia, end of the 20th century, beginning of the 21st century