What attracts people to inner city areas? The cases of two post-socialist cities in Estonia and the Czech Republic

Abstract

Since the 1990s the inner city residential areas of CEE post-socialist cities have experienced substantial physical and social transformation. Previous studies have recorded a gradual rehabilitation of inner city housing stock and the displacement of lower status groups by middle and higher social status residents, but they have also shown that diverse social groups continue to live in the inner city. The scholarly emphasis on identifying the macro-scale factors that influence inner city change has resulted in a lack of studies considering micro-scale processes. We therefore herein attempt to address this gap in the literature by providing qualitative insight into the drivers of inner city dynamics at the level of the individual actors concerned. Our study is based on an investigation of two second-tier cities: Tartu in Estonia and České Budějovice in the Czech Republic. We found that, besides supply side factors which emphasise the conditions of urban spatial fabric, relocations to inner cities can best be explained by a combination of household socio-economic, life course and lifestyle factors. We also provide a typology of relocators to post-socialist inner cities, based on our findings.

Studentification, diversity and social cohesion in post-socialist Budapest

“…All these changes gave rise to a substantial pool of potential student-gentrifiers, i.e. students who seek inner-city locations close to their universities and other typically student facilities (Krišjāne, Z. and Bērziņš, M. 2014;Bernt, M. et al 2015;Kährik, A. et al 2016).…”

Neighbourhood Trajectories in the Inner Cities of Prague and Tallinn: What Affects the Speed of Social and Demographic Change?

“…the maps confirm that social upgrading and demographic rejuvenation have taken place hand in hand in tallinn (Figures 4 and 5). the belt of wooden housing has become the most popular destination for the invasion of newly formed households and Kährik et al 2016). the same holds for the historically more affluent, bourgeoisie, quarters (e.g.…”

Spatial variation of in-migration to Moscow: Testing the effect of housing market

“…It became possible to make an individual choice, which was driven by the households' needs and desires (Clark, 2009;Mulder & Wagner, 1998). The individual needs and desires vary depending on the households' life course stage, socio-economic background, and cultural orientation (Clark, Deurloo, & Dieleman, 1984;Kährik, Temelová, Kadarik, & Kubeš, 2016). The choice of housing is therefore influenced by infrastructural and spatial characteristics of the area: the accessibility of amenities, workplaces, distance to family members and friends (Kährik et al, 2012;Karsten, 2007).…”

“…The reputation and perceived image of the area are also important in making residential choices (Sørensen, 2014). Naturally, income inequalities play a crucial role mediating these choices (Gentile, 2015;Marcińczak, 2012;Marcińczak, Musterd, & Stępniak, 2012) and limiting the opportunities for low income households (Kährik et al, 2012(Kährik et al, , 2016Musterd et al, 2015). Thus, the development of socio-spatial structures within post-socialist capital cities is characterized by contradictory processes (A.…”