The book explores urban dynamics in post-socialist Europe 15 years after the fall of communism. The 'urban mosaic' metaphor expresses the complexity, diversity and uniqueness of the processes and spatial outcomes in post-socialist cities. The book examines the urban development and the policy and planning processes that have resulted from the socio-economic, political, and institutional transformations characterizing the move to markets and democracy. The emerging urban phenomena are illustrated with in-depth case studies, sensitive to historical themes, cultural issues and the socialist legacy. Cities featured in the book include: Kazan, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Warsaw, Prague, Komarno, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest, Sofia and Tirana. The edited volume is organized around the following four themes: the driving forces of post-socialist change; urban processes and spatial change; housing and retail sector transformation; and urban planning and policy responses.

"This volume provides an impressive overview of the dramatic transformations in the urban fabric and housing systems of post-socialist Europe". Larry S. Bourne, Professor of Geography and Planning, University of Toronto

"This text is a brave attempt to bring together a range of understandings of how urban systems are developing in post-socialist Europe, using both comparative data across countries and case studies of individual cities." Christine Whitehead, Professor of Economics, London School of Economics

Inhalt
The Driving Forces of Post-Socialist Change.- The urban mosaic of post-socialist Europe.- Beyond transitions: Understanding urban change in post-socialist cities.- Institutional and spatial change.- Wall and mall: A metaphor for metamorphosis.- The spatial structures of Central and Eastern European cities.- Urban Processes and Spatial Change.- The changing spatial structure of post-socialist Sofia.- Spatial restructuring in post-socialist Budapest.- Poverty and inequality in Greater Tirana: The reality of peri-urban areas.- Urban Functions: Housing and Retail.- Urban housing markets in transition: New instruments to assist the poor.- Conquering the inner-city: Urban redevelopment and gentrification in Moscow.- The role of property rights reforms in Warsaw's housing market.- The retail revolution in post-socialist Central Europe and its lessons.- Spatial imprints of urban consumption: large-scale retail development in Warsaw.- Urban Planning and Policy Responses.- Planning and societal context The case of Belgrade, Serbia.- Entrepreneurial governance and the urban restructuring of a Slovakian town.- Urban redevelopment programmes in Kazan, Russia.- Urban policies and the politics of public space in Bucharest.- The post-socialist urban world.