1st Edition

Growth and Change in Post-socialist Cities of Central Europe

Edited By Waldemar Cudny, Josef Kunc Copyright 2022
    274 Pages 35 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    274 Pages 35 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    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), the 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 interest in Central Europe.

    1. Conceptualising urban transition in Central Europe

    Waldemar Cudny, Josef Kunc and Irena Dybska-Jakóbkiewicz

    2. Post-socialist urban change and its spatial patterns: the case of Nitra

    Ira Vladimir and Boltižiar Martin 

    3. The University as the creative hub: the city of Olomouc after 1989

    Zdeněk Szczyrba, Irena Smolová, Martin Jurek and David Fiedor

    4. In the shadow of Karl Marx: the case of Chemnitz and its multiple transitions

    Birgit Glorius

    5. Young people's life plans and their impact on the demographic future of a shrinking city: Kielce case study

    Mirosław Mularczyk and Wioletta Kamińska

    6. Manufacturing in the post-industrial city: the role of a “Hidden Sector” in the development of Pécs, Hungary

    Gábor Lux

    7. Socio-economic development in Bratislava during post-socialism

    Pavol Korec, Slavomír Ondoš

    8. Brno in transition: from industrial legacy towards modern urban environment

    Josef Kunc, Petr Tonev

    9. Challenges and Problems of re-growth: the case of Leipzig (Eastern Germany)

    Dieter Rink, Marco Bontje, Annegret Haase, Sigrun Kabisch and Manuel Wolff

    10. Łódź: a multidimensional transition from an industrial center to a post-socialist city

    Jolanta Jakóbczyk-Gryszkiewicz

    11. The socio-economic transformation of the Katowice conurbation in Poland

    Robert Krzysztofik

    12. Population  ageing processes in towns and cities situated in peripheral areas:
    an example of urban centres in Eastern Poland

    Wioletta Kamińska, Mirosław Mularczyk

    13. Hallmark features of post-socialist urban development in Central Europe

    Josef Kunc and Waldemar Cudny

    Biography

    Waldemar Cudny is an Associate Professor at The University of Lodz, Faculty of Geographical Sciences (Poland). He specialises in urban, tourism geography, and event studies. His publications include such books as City Branding and Promotion: The Strategic Approach (Routledge, 2019) and Urban Events, Place branding and Promotion. Place Event Marketing (Routledge, 2020).  

    Josef Kunc, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Masaryk University, Faculty of Economics and Administration, Brno, Czech Republic. He specialises in the transformation of the current socio-economic and spatial environment of cities and regions, consumer preferences, shopping behaviour, and retail management as well as special interest tourism.