Vacant residential units in rural settlements of southeastern Serbia: Is there a future outside the cities?

Abstract

Rural depopulation in the settlements of southeastern Serbia, lasting more than half a century, is the result of a combination of historical, geopolitical, economic, sociocultural and other factors that caused unfavorable demographic trends in this area. One of the most obvious but least studied effects of depopulation is vacant residental units, the first material signal of the abandonment of the rural areas. Abandoned houses and overgrown gardens are typical in rural areas in Serbia, primarily in the southeastern part. The population is the oldest, and the number of abandoned housing units is the highest. Caught in the vortex of depopulation, the survival of many rural settlements is uncertain and, in some cases, almost impossible. However, the question arises whether, by managing the "excess" housing differently, this problem can become a resource. Although depopulation in Serbia has been studied from several aspects, the aim of this paper is to point out the importance of identifying abandoned buildings of rural housing, their extent and spatial distribution, as well as a function "tool" for potential changes in rural areas.