Global and Local Urban Spaces in Belgrade: Perception of Socio-Spatial Changes and Inequalities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47152/ziksi2026023Keywords:
socio-spatial inequalities, commercialisation, globally standardised space, local space, BelgradeAbstract
Global economic connectivity, shaped by neoliberal dominance, shapes the urban structure of contemporary cities. Among the various strategies of entrepreneurial urban policy, the consumption of urban diversity stands out, which includes combining globally standardised spaces and local ones while transforming the city space in accordance with the demands of capital. The paper analyses perceptions of socio-spatial change in Belgrade on two levels: first, socio-spatial inequalities; second, the emergence of globally standardised and locally specific urban spaces. The analysis is based on data from the qualitative research "Territorialization of transnational discourses and practices in Belgrade", which the Institute for Sociological Research of the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Belgrade carried out in late 2018 and early 2019 on a sample of 42 experts. Half of the interviewees are foreigners who lived and worked in Belgrade, while the other half are local residents whose work is connected with foreign companies or institutions. The MAXQDA program was used to analyse qualitative data. The research findings show that the respondents recognise the socio-spatial differentiation and criticise the commercialisation of the city space, while the kafana and the pijaca (green market) stand out among the local urban spaces.
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