Development of public open spaces in multi-family housing in post-socialist context: the effects of land restitution

Abstract

Large housing estates were the dominant form of housing in socialist cities, with more than half of the urban population residing in them – sometimes even exceeding 80%. While the primary focus in housing construction was on efficiency and quantity, attention was also given to the quality of living. The layout of these estates, featuring detached buildings surrounded by expansive green spaces, was designed to create optimal microclimatic and sanitary conditions while also providing recreational areas in close proximity to the apartments.

After the fall of socialist regimes, cities in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Southeastern Europe (SEE) underwent multilayered transformations known as the post-socialist transition. This period was marked by the return of property rights over real estate – buildings and land – through processes of privatization and restitution. As integral parts of the urban structure in socialist cities, large housing estates underwent significant changes during the post-socialist period.

This paper examines the impact of post-socialist changes on the development and transformation of public open spaces (POS) in inherited multi-family housing areas in selected countries of CEE and Serbia, with a particular focus on the influence of land restitution. By analyzing these examples, the paper aims to establish a relationship between land ownership and the state of POS and identify the potential for their future development and management in a post-socialist context.