Post-socialist urban development between polarisation an persistency. St. Petersburg in comparison to other selected post-socialist cities

ERSA abstract St. Petersburg Post-socialist urban development between polarisation an persistency. St. Petersburg in comparison to other selected post-socialist cities Abstract The change in societal system since the 1990s has been shaping the city regions in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The urban social space has transformed as well, reflecting changed local housing markets and qualities, new housing preferences and increased residential mobilities among city dwellers. So more than 20 years of societal transformation, distinct socio-spatial development trends have emerged, new processes loom, and the contexts and factors determining these developments are becoming evident. The presentation demonstrates the gained insights by primary, comparative case study research which was carried out in the CEE urban regions of Leipzig, Budapest, Vilnius, Sofia and St. Petersburg. The focus lies on the development in St Petersburg in comparison to the other case studies. The authors reveal on the one hand similar trends of socio-spatial development in CEE urban regions. On the other hand, the authors argue for differentiated patterns of socio-spatial developments in the city regions after 1990, which reflect the different paths of post-socialist urban development ? paths that are based on the hybrid eclipsing and diverse forms of socialist and transformative legacy as well as transnational influence.