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1.3.Thepost–socialistcity–atheoretical
approach
Asaresultoftheperestroika,theUSSRandthedependentcountries
underwentanumberoftransformations,whoseaimwasthedeparturefrom
thecentrallyplannedeconomyandone-partypoliticalsystem,andthe
introductionoffreemarketanddemocracy.Changesofthistypeareoften
referredtoasthesocio-economicandpoliticaltransformation,whichis
“aprocessofparticularchanges,breakingthecontinuityofthecountry3s
economicsystem.Transformationisaprocessinvolvingnotonlyamove
fromoneformation(system)tothenext;itisalsoachangeinthesystemof
values.Thistypeoftransformationaffectsthebasicspheresofthesocial
life”(Chołaj1998,citedinCudny2006,pp.14-15).
Transformationaffectswholecountries,butitsconsequencesare
particularlywellvisibleincities.Forexample,thechangesinPolishcities,
bothpositiveandnegative,arereallyhuge(Parysek2004).Ontheonehand,
thecitiesstartedtoexperienceproblemsresultingfromthedeclineofsome
traditionalindustries,suchasahighunemploymentrateorpathologies.On
theotherhand,however,theyattractednewPolishandforeigninvestments.
Theyareapartoftheglobalizationprocesses,competingwiththeWest
EuropeancitiesontheEuropeanandglobalmarket.Theyaredeveloping
newfunctions,e.g.relatedtotourismorcultureandentertainment,whichdid
notexistbeforeorwereofmarginalimportance.Havinggainedmorepower
afterthefallofsocialism,thelocalauthoritieshaveagrowinginfluenceon
thetransformationofurbancentres.Wemayalsoobservenumerousspatial
changes;someareasareundergoingdegradation(e.g.thepremisesofthe
factorieswhichwerecloseddown),whileothersaredeveloping.Thereare
newinvestmentsandoldbuildingsarebeingrevitalized(redecorated,
performingnewfunctions).Wemaywellsaythatintheformersocialist
countries,whicharecurrentlyundergoingtransformationprocesses,thereis
aparticulargroupofcitieswhichmaybereferredtoaspost-socialistcities
1.
AccordingtoLiszewski(2001,p.304),“apost-socialistcityisanycity
whichhasbeenfunctioninginnewpoliticalandeconomicconditionsfor
over10years,andearlier(before1990)itwasfunctioningintheconditions
ofrealsocialismfor45years,regardlessofthefactwhetheritwasbuiltin
1AccordingtoDomanski(1997),thepolitical-economicsystemfunctioninginthe20thc.in
thecountriesofCentralandEasternEuropeisgivendifferentnames.Itiscalledcommunism,
realsocialism,soviettypesociety,orstatesocialism.Domanskibelievesthatinfactallthese
termsreferredtoasystemwhichcouldeventuallybecalledsocialism.
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