Tensions of Urban Development in Post-Socialist Cities: The Case Study of Community-Based Initiative for Preservation and Transformation of Open Public Space in Banja Luka

Abstract

Fundamental institutional reforms, as well as changes in the political, economic, and social system, are the cause of the very complex and dynamic urban development of post-socialist cities.The transition from the single-party socialist political system into the system of parliamentary democracy and the decentralisation of public state institutions and administration led to a greater responsibility of the local community for the creation of urban policies.The reduced role of the state in the economic system, the established capitalist principles of private ownership and market-lead economy have signifi cantly infl uenced changes in the management of urban development, which is mainly driven by short-term goals and private interests.In conditions where local communities have insuffi cient fi nancial resources to implement public policies, the role of the private sector in urban development becomes dominant, and the needs of citizens are neglected.Due to the low level of involvement of civil society in the decision-making process of urban planning, which is only declarative, but also due to the non-transparency of the process itself, it is also evident that citizens are not interested in participating in planning of urban development.This often results in the emergence of urban resistance movements and non-acceptance of imposed planning solutions.This paper deals with the problem of the "bottom-up" planning approach in the transformation of post-socialist cities.The aim of the paper is to point out the complexity of the process of postsocialist transformation of cities and to re-examine the role of civil society initiatives in the urban planning process.The paper presents a case study of the action of a civil initiative with the aim of preserving and transforming open public space in a residential area in the centre of Banja Luka.The presented example indicates the importance of informal and formal forms of self-organisation of citizens for strengthening social inclusion, improvement of neighbourhood and preservation of community interests.Finally, the example indicates the need to change the current planning approach and develop new planning tools aimed at achieving a higher level of citizen participation in the planning process and long-term social goals of the sustainability of the urban development of postsocialist Banjaluka.

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