Iron Curtains: Gates, Suburbs, and Privatization of Space in the Post‑socialist City

Iron Curtains: Gates, Suburbs, and Privatization of Space in the Post‑socialist City explores the human dimension of new city‑building that has emerged in East Europe. Utilizing firsthand research culled from more than 100 interviews conducted primarily in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, a city whose public spaces have unraveled over the last two decades Sonia Hirt examines the ways people live and experience the new, post‑socialist urbanism. Also addressed are what these new spaces tell us about their builders, users, and inhabitants. Embracing an explicitly cultural approach, the author suggests that disappointment with socialist and post‑socialist conditions has led to mass skepticism toward the public domain, further resulting in a radical de‑construction of public spaces. Iron Curtains offers provocative insights into the complex relationship between society and space during times of fundamental change.

Details

Type

Book

Place of publication

New York City

Year

2012

Number of pages

241 pages

Language

English

ISBN

9781444338263

Open stacks or available on request

Open stacks

Illustrations

Yes

Bibliography

No

UDC code and author sign

711 Hir

Volumes

1

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