Cities after the fall of Communism: reshaping cultural landscapes and European identity

摘要

The end of East European communism in 1989, arguably the most important geo-political event of the late-twentieth century, converted cities in the region into laboratories of socio-spatial change. Twenty years later, this change remains crudely understood; hence, the persistence of the rather vague term 'transitional city'. One key reason for the continuous misunderstanding of contemporary East European urbanism may well be that scholarship on the subject has been heavily dominated by the political economy approach, to the neglect of 'softer', humanist-driven interpretations. In this sense, Cities after the fall of Communism presents a laudable attempt to complement the literature by adding an important analytical variable explaining urban change in the region - that of culture.