The Reform of Housing in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union

by Jozsef Hegedus (Editor), Ivan Tosics (Editor), Bengt Turner (Editor)

Overview

The rapid political changes in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union have had repercussions for many elements of the socialist system. Housing provision, always an important part of the socialist agenda, has undergone extensive changes. These have solved some problems but given rise to others. The studies in The Reform of Housing in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union highlight the various aspects of housing reform, including such issues as rehabilitation, private initiatives, housing quality, welfare requirements and home ownership. While in some countries policy-makers have adhered to the older methods of housing provision, in others the number of massive state-run projects has declined in favour of smaller privately-funded enterprises. The latest changes reflect the socio-economic restructuring of the countries in general and thus housing can be seen as a spearhead for reforms throughout the system. The contributors are active researchers in the former Eastern Bloc who analyse the latest reforms and academics from Western Europe who supply a context of broader housing issues. They analyse the external factors that have influenced the reforms and assess the outlook for the future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781134911431
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/04/2005
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
File size:	744 KB

About the Author

Jozsef Hegedus, Ivan Tosics, Bengt Turner

Table of Contents

List of figures and tables, Preface, 1 Housing reforms in Eastern Europe: an introduction, 2 Albania: an introduction, 3 Housing and housing policy in Albania, 4 Bulgaria: an introduction, 5 Housing reforms in Bulgaria Myth or reality?, 6 Czechoslovakia: an introduction, 7 Housing in Czechoslovakia: Past and present problems, 8 Recent changes in the housing system and policy in Czechoslovakia: an institutional approach, 9 Germany: and what now, when the twain have met?, 10 Housing in the colours of the GDR, 11 Hungary: an introduction, 12 Housing reforms in Hungary, 13 Poland: an introduction, 14 The housing system in Poland: changes and direction, 15 The housing market in Warsaw according to the mediators of the estate agencies, 16 Romania: an introduction, 17 The housing sector in Romania: appendix, 18 The Soviet Union: an introduction, 19 Housing and housing policy in the USSR, 20 The reform of the Soviet housing model: the search for a concept, 21 Yugoslavia: an example reconsidered, 22 Reformism in Yugoslavia: introductory remarks, 23 A case study of conflicting housing pluralism in Yugoslavia: informal (self-help) activities in the formal housing system, 24 Conclusion: past tendencies and recent problems of the East European housing model, Appendix: housing reforms in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, Index

Editorial Reviews

Revised and enlarged papers originally prepared for a Conference on East European Housing Reform held in Noszvaj, Hungary, April 1989. Included is at least one chapter for each of the East European countries, including the Soviet Union, along with an introduction for each country (most written by researchers from the National Swedish Institute for Building Research). Numerous tables present statistics on many subjects, e.g. monthly payment for use of a flat, units built per 1,000 population, construction techniques, tenure structure of households, waiting lists for state-allocated housing, capital investment in housing construction. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

‘... the book is a welcome addition to the meagre coverage of housing in eastern European countries. Its wide coverage of countries is a strong point with many existing gaps being filled. ... should provide useful teaching material and should be a part of any researcher's library who has an interest in this part of the world. - Urban Studies

‘I recommend this rare collection of reference materials to all people interested in the market oriented transformation of housing in the countries of the ex-socialist block.' - Environment and Planning A

‘... provides a comprehensive analysis of the rapid unfolding of housing policy which accompanied political change across Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union ... provides an unusually critical perspective by Eastern European housing analysts of command economy.' - Town Planning Review

‘...this volume will provide essential reading for the student and specialist and indispensable for library references. - Geografiska Annaler

From the Publisher