Stanilov, K. and Sýkora, L. (eds.): Confronting Suburbanization. Urban Decentralization in Postsocialist Central and Eastern Europe


457

L I T E R A T U R E

Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 63 (4) (2014) pp. 457–464.

Stanilov, K. and Sýkora, L. (eds.): Confronting Suburbanization. Urban Decentralization 
in Postsocialist Central and Eastern Europe. Wiley Blackwell, Chichester, 360 p.

The book focuses on the process of suburbanization that has been perhaps the most spec-
tacular spatial phenomenon of urban restructuring in post-socialist countries. It provides a 
detailed overview about the migration from core cities to suburbs, the reasons and conse-
quences of suburbanization, and the common features and distinctive characteristics of the 
process in the post-socialist cities. In addition, it explores the impact of the globalization, 
the EU-enlargement, the fi nancial crisis and the role of local authorities, investors, and 
inhabitants. Although single papers have been excessively published on suburbanization 
in individual cities in post-socialist Central and Eastern Europe, however, this is the fi rst 

attempt to evaluate subur-
banization from a comparative 
perspective in the region. 

The structure of the book 
follows the traditions: an in-
troductory and two summariz-
ing chapters were writt en by 
the two editors, Kiril Stanilov 
and Ludek Sýkora. In be-
tween the reader fi nds seven 
case studies about the capital 
cities of Central and Eastern 
Europe. The introductory 
chapter argues that the main 
factors of rapid suburbaniza-
tion were the privatization of 
state assets, the deregulation 
of economic activities, and 
the decentralization. These re-
forms (implemented right aft er 
the change of regime) created 
favourable conditions for the 
rapid sprawl of population, 
services, and commerce.

The concluding chapters 
and the case studies equally 
emphasize the importance of 
national policies (e.g. privati-
zation) and local authorities. 
In the early phase of transi-
tion suburbanization was trig-
gered by the mass provision of 
land by suburban municipali-



458

ties causing substantial population loss in big cities. The EU-enlargement brought about 
signifi cant changes because the countries had to establish their regional authorities and 
environmental policies and regulations had to be developed in line with EU standards. 
The eff ects of the urban sprawl, however, did not always reach an alert line on behalf of 
public authorities; therefore, policy responses were either late or completely missing. The 
authors claim that if suburbanization is lessening, it is mainly due to market forces, like 
the fi nancial crisis or the urban rehabilitation programs that increased the supply of high 
quality inner-city dwelling stock. 

The case studies were prepared according to a common methodology. The authors 
fi rst put the suburbanization in its historical context, summarizing the pre-socialist and 
state socialist periods. This is followed by an introduction of the post-socialist processes. 
Not only the suburbanization of population, but of trade, services and other functions are 
analyzed. The role of the diff erent actors like public authorities, urban developers, planners 
and the market is also explored. The common structure makes the individual chapters very 
transparent and comparable.

The case example of Ljubljana presented by Pichler-Milanović, N. demonstrates that 
the deregulation, the lack of coherent strategy, and the inadequate cooperation of local 
governments have a lot of negative eff ects. Despite the negative consequences of the urban 
sprawl, suburbanization has proved to be sustainable in Ljubljana. This is explained by the 
dispersed patt ern of the sett lement system, the spread of energy-effi  cient construction, and 
the improvements in sewage facilities.

The metropolitan area of Prague is highly fragmented (more than 200 sett lements) 
which would require greater cooperation among the suburban localities. However, dur-
ing the transition period, a competition began among the local governments for att racting 
new jobs and residents. The lack of competence at higher administrative levels resulted in 
negative consequences as far as the authors of the case study, Ludek Sýkora and Ondrej 
Muliček claim. The priorities in Prague’s metropolitan region were the improvement of 
transport connections and the construction of roads, while the environmental issues were 
completely neglected.

The heterogeneity of the agglomeration zone is one of the main characteristics of the 
Sofi a Metropolitan Area. According to the authors, Kiril Stanilov and Sonia Hirt, the at-
tractive natural environment of the Vitosha Mountain close to the southern border of the 
city determines the direction of suburban migration. 

The mobile middle class people tend to move to this southern area, while the northern 
suburbia has remained a deteriorated industrial zone inhabited mainly by lower class 
people. The process of suburbanization started around Sofi a in the 2000s and dramatically 
slowed down aft er the fi nancial crisis; the price of newly built houses has decreased by 40 
percent since 2008.

The Budapest Metropolitan Area is similarly divided but the heterogeneity of the zone 
is explained not only by its physical geographical features but also by the direction of the 
main roads, and the characteristics and functions of the suburban sett lements. The authors 
of the chapter – Zoltán Kovács and Iván Tosics – have identifi ed three economic growth 
poles around Budapest each having logistics, commerce or industry as a driving force 
behind. Authors also point out that in the mid-2000s the outfl ow of population lessened, 
while the city itself started to grow again. This was partly the consequence of the urban 
rehabilitation programs that resulted in a steady growth of newly constructed dwellings 
inside the city boundaries. Budapest was the fi rst case among post-socialist cities where 
national legislation intervened and prevented limitless land conversion in the suburban 
belt by a law in 2005.



459

The main characteristic of the Estonian capital is that in Tallinn suburbanization was 
driven by the cheaper housing due to an oversupply of fl ats in the periphery. This supply 
was partly created by the Russian-speaking residents who left  Estonia aft er the country 
became independent, thus their apartments and summer homes became vacant at a rela-
tively low price level. The authors (Leetmaa, K., Kährik, A., Nuga, M. and Tammaru, T.) 
claim that the main period of suburbanization in Tallinn was also in the early 2000s like in 
all other postsocialist countries.

Warsaw is the only large capital city in Central and Eastern Europe which has con-
tinuously increased its population during the last 25 years, while the suburban periphery 
also experienced increasing population growth rates. Authors (Lisowski, A., Mantey, D. 
and Wilk, W.) pay special att ention to the confl icts between the old and new residents of 
the suburban sett lements caused by their diff erent lifestyles, att itudes and development 
preferences. 

Moscow is the most special case among the analyzed cities, not only because of its size, 
but also because the very nature of urban development is diff erent. The major sources of 
metropolitan growth are not suburbanizing residents arriving from the core city, but the 
newcomers from other parts of the country and from Post-Soviet states. Despite the large 
scale housing constructions over the last two decades the agglomeration of Moscow is still 
very heterogeneous; it maintains a strong agricultural character. The authors (Brade, I., 
Makhrova, A. and Nefedova, T.) claim that the proportion of unregistered inhabitants and 
informal economic activity is extremely high.

The editors’ conclusion is that the conditions of suburbanization were set by the new 
capitalist system implemented aft er 1990, and its ideological platform, the neoliberal state. 
Aft er the crisis this doctrine must be revised because the uncoordinated urban sprawl 
contradicts to the principles of sustainable development. This is a very readable book and 
a successful trial to set the suburbanization of post-socialist cities in a global context.

Balázs Szabó