Urban diversity and the production of public space in Budapest

Public spaces are spaces for representation of individuals, social groups, ideologies, values, cultures. At the same time, public spaces are commodifi ed and “disneyfi ed” in capitalism, thus, the creation of a homogeneous, “desirable” spatial form and use of public space is often intended. Therefore, their production is characterised by constant rivalries and struggles and causes social confl icts. In addition, the production of public spaces in post-socialism has distinct development paths which is often characterised by contradicting traditions and objectives regarding the spatial form and the everyday practices taking place there. These contradictions create confl icts between various individuals, social groups, actors of urban policies etc. The aim of the paper is to investigate how urban social diversity is (re)presented in the public spaces of the 8th district of Budapest, Józsefváros. Which groups and values are more visible than others? How do local people use public spaces? The research is based on the content analysis of policy documents and interviews conducted with local residents of Józsefváros – one of the most diverse districts of Budapest. According to our results, the fragmented nature of the local society is refl ected in the use of public space: diversity is present between the public spaces and not within them. Furthermore, some of the recent developments support the homogenisation of values and behaviours in public spaces

Az okos vidékfejlesztés lehetőségei és korlátai Magyarországon

A magyarországi térszerkezet évtizedek óta konzerválódott regionális léptékű egyenlőtlenségei a társadalomföldrajz és a regionális tudomány által egyaránt jól dokumentáltak (Kerese, 2009). Azonban a változó szakpolitikai keretek, politikai döntések, és nem utolsósorban a helyben meghozott döntések és értékválasztások befolyásolják a térségek fejlesztési pályáit, amelyek új megközelítésekből táplálkoznak. Ilyen az okos települések koncepciója is, amely az infokommunikációs technológia használatára épít, nemcsak a városi, hanem a rurális terekben is. Tanulmányunk célja, hogy szakpolitikai, területfejlesztési szemüvegen keresztül megvilágítva a kérdéskört bemutassuk, miképpen értelmezik az okosfalu fogalmát és mi a véleményük az okosfalu-koncepció magyarországi alkalmazásáról. Másodlagos források (pl. szakpolitikai dokumentumok, okos vidékfejlesztési projektek dokumentációja), szakértői interjúk és online kérdőíves felmérés elemzése nyomán ismertetjük, milyen tényezők befolyásolják az okos projektek megvalósíthatóságát. Rámutatunk a technológiaközpontú, felülről vezérelt, projektalapú fejlesztési-tervezési gyakorlat hiányosságaira, és az eredményeinkre építve ajánlásokat fogalmazunk meg

Diversity and local business structure in European urban contexts

This article investigates the interconnectedness between neighbourhood diversity and local business structures. For this purpose, interviews with residents and entrepreneurs were conducted in three European cities: Budapest, Copenhagen, and Milan. The results show that diversity in the economic structure of urban neighbourhoods is equally important with regards to residents’ quality of life, the image of the neighbourhood, and local social cohesion. Therefore, the main recommendation is that policy makers should act to preserve the diversity of local business structures, and that the concept of diversity itself should be understood in a broader sense, taking local peculiarities into account

Studentification, diversity and social cohesion in post-socialist Budapest

In the literature studentification is closely associated with gentrification. Many authors consider the mass invasion of students to inner-city neighbourhoods as a type of gentrification, some of them even use the two terms interchangeably. Regardless of theoretical considerations, it seems that there is a consensus on the significance of studentification in contemporary urban transformations. Recent studies demonstrate that the appearance of students as 'transient' inhabitants in inner-city neighbourhoods, accompanied by growing differences in lifestyles and socio-cultural attitudes weakens social cohesion in the affected neighbourhoods Haase, A. et al. 2012). This study focuses on the interplay between studentification, socio-cultural diversity and social cohesion in an inner-city district of Budapest, Józsefváros. The district has been characterised by several waves of urban rehabilitation and subsequent gentrification since the transition of 1989-1990. Studentification has also become dominant phenomenon in the area due to the settling of new higher education institutions, the concomitant influx of students, as well as low rent and dwelling prices providing a niche for the spontaneous movements of a new generation of urbanites (Grabkowska, M. 2011; Bernt, M. et al. 2015). The main research questions we intend to answer in this paper are as follows. Firstly, what is the relationship between studentification and gentrification in Józsefváros? Secondly, what kinds of effects has the influx of students on the social cohesion of the district? According to our findings, studentification in Józsefváros is not the pioneer phase of gentrification, but - especially in the rehabilitation areas - it runs more or less parallel with it. Most of the students use the place as a springboard in their career, and after graduation most of them leave. The attitude of students is, however, very much resembles those of the young, highly educated newcomers, i.e. early gentrifiers. The impacts of studentification on the social milieu of Józsefváros are contradictory. On the one hand, the inflow of students and young intellectuals increases the socio-cultural diversity of the district, contributing to the recognition of diversity in a post-socialist context, and fostering tolerance and the acceptance of different cultures and lifestyles. On the other hand, it seems that the ongoing population change hampers the establishment of strong social ties at the neighbourhood level and leads to certain conflicts