Residential Change and Demographic Challenge : The Inner City of East Central Europe in the 21st Century

Using selected second-order cities in Poland (Gdansk and Lódz) and the Czech Republic (Brno and Ostrava) by way of illustration, this book examines the nexus between urban development and demographic change in East and Central European inner cities, particularly in residential areas. In doing so, the volume provides a framework for linking urban and demographic research, while also exploring parallels and differences in comparison with broader European patterns.

Going beyond the assumption that East Central European cities are still ''in transition'' this book draws on the postsocialism paradigm to ask new questions about the impact of demographic change on residential developments in this region. Focussing on four second-order cities in this region, it examines Gdansk and Lódz in Poland and Brno and Ostrava in the Czech Republic as examples and deals with the nexus between urban development and demographic change for the context of East Central European cities. It provides a framework for linking urban and demographic research. It discusses how residential areas and urban developments cope with changes in population development, household types and different forms of in- and out-migration and goes on to explore parallels and differences in comparison with broader European patterns. This book will be useful to academics of urban planning and development especially in transition areas, Central and Eastern European studies, demographics and population studies, and sociology/social exclusion.