<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Chaotically developed post-socialist suburbs need retrofitting by providing residents with a local central space. This research aims at developing a typology of suburban local centres, describing the most common central spaces according to adopted criteria, as well as identifying which type of local centre has the most potential to be perceived as such by suburbanites and how suburban municipalities plan central spaces. The research was conducted in six institutional Warsaw suburbs representing the most common types of local centres of a neighbourhood catchment area. The research has shown that spatial criteria differentiate local centres more than social criteria. Concentric layouts attract different non-residential functions more effectively than linear ones. When recognising some spaces as central, the legibility of the broader spatial arrangement and the presence of key objects with centre-forming functions seems to be important. Factors that distort such recognition include the excessive dispersion of buildings, shops, and service points; peripheral or random location of the main activity node; poorly designed and equipped central spaces; and the proximity to large-scale shopping centres and recreational areas/objects. When looking for a model of retrofitting post-socialist suburbs through strengthening neighbourhood centres, it is worth recalling the concept of the so-called “third places”.</p>
</abstract>

Chaotically developed post-socialist suburbs need retrofitting by providing residents with a local central space. This research aims at developing a typology of suburban local centres, describing the most common central spaces according to adopted criteria, as well as identifying which type of local centre has the most potential to be perceived as such by suburbanites and how suburban municipalities plan central spaces. The research was conducted in six institutional Warsaw suburbs representing the most common types of local centres of a neighbourhood catchment area. The research has shown that spatial criteria differentiate local centres more than social criteria. Concentric layouts attract different non-residential functions more effectively than linear ones. When recognising some spaces as central, the legibility of the broader spatial arrangement and the presence of key objects with centre-forming functions seems to be important. Factors that distort such recognition include the excessive dispersion of buildings, shops, and service points; peripheral or random location of the main activity node; poorly designed and equipped central spaces; and the proximity to large-scale shopping centres and recreational areas/objects. When looking for a model of retrofitting post-socialist suburbs through strengthening neighbourhood centres, it is worth recalling the concept of the so-called “third places”.

Local centres in post-socialist suburbs: Redefined concept and retrofitting perspectives

Moravian Geographical Reports

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Chaotically developed post-socialist suburbs need retrofitting by providing residents with a local central space. This research aims at developing a typology...

Local centres in post-socialist suburbs: Redefined concept and retrofitting perspectives

Published Online: Oct 15, 2022

Page range: 192 - 210

Received: Dec 13, 2021

Accepted: Aug 26, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mgr-2022-0013

Keywords
local centre, neighbourhood, suburbs, retrofitting. Warsaw, Poland

© 2022 Dorota Mantey, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Local centres in post-socialist suburbs: Redefined concept and retrofitting perspectives

Published Online: Oct 15, 2022

Page range: 192 - 210

Received: Dec 13, 2021

Accepted: Aug 26, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mgr-2022-0013

Keywordslocal centre, neighbourhood, suburbs, retrofitting. Warsaw, Poland

© 2022 Dorota Mantey, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
local centre, neighbourhood, suburbs, retrofitting. Warsaw, Poland