Abandoned structures: tools for reuse and repurposing of buildings in Slovak municipalities

Abstract

In this article, we aim to analyse the state of abandoned properties in Slovak municipalities and present possible solutions for this issue. In the theoretical part, we define abandonment and the tools for abandonment based on the current literature review. Building on this framework, the paper analyses the towns and villages of selected Slovak region, that being Banská Bystrica self-governing region. To map abandoned properties located in a selected region, as well as to identify emotional value of these building and the instruments needed for their reconstruction or removal, a questionnaire was sent to the mayors of all municipalities of over 1,000 inhabitants in the region of Banská Bystrica – a total of 115 municipalities in 2019. This concentrated research on one region enabled us to have a closer look at the status of abandoned structures in municipalities in a typical area of Central and Eastern Europe. We compare the issue of abandonment in the commuter zone (the two largest cities in the regions and their surrounding) and the hinterlands. Research has shown that the population in the hinterlands is declining more than in the commuter zone, but more abandoned buildings are located in municipalities in the commuter zone. Buildings in need of repair that are important for the inhabitants (e.g. from the point of view of history), are registered in their municipality by 93% of mayors in the commuter zone and 84% in the hinterlands. The most frequent obstacles to repairing these buildings are considered by the mayors in both zones the many number of owners who cannot agree on a plan for saving the objects. The quantitative research is completed with an illustration of an abandoned object in Banská Bystrica.

Parasitic Architecture and the Conversion of Abandoned Buildings into Green Open Space

“…An abandoned building is an issue in urban areas that is considered a barrier to revitalization (Cole et al, 2021). The cause changes a metropolitan area's economic and demographic factors (Balco et al, 2018).…”

“…The cause changes a metropolitan area's economic and demographic factors (Balco et al, 2018). According to Hronec et al ( 2014) in (Cole et al, 2021), the presence of abandoned buildings can negatively impact property values, interfere with aesthetics, and are a source of crime. Mallach ( 2006) in (Cole et al, 2021) defines an abandoned building as a property that the owner has not significantly developed.…”

“…According to Hronec et al ( 2014) in (Cole et al, 2021), the presence of abandoned buildings can negatively impact property values, interfere with aesthetics, and are a source of crime. Mallach ( 2006) in (Cole et al, 2021) defines an abandoned building as a property that the owner has not significantly developed. Apart from economic factors, every community in an environment has an emotional value that can assess the existence of an urban area.…”

“…Apart from economic factors, every community in an environment has an emotional value that can assess the existence of an urban area. Therefore, an abandoned building can describe positive or negative values (Cole et al, 2021). Based on this, abandoned building objects are categorized based on Cole et al (2021) as being positive if they can provide a positive value to the environment, neutral if they are not conspicuous and disturbing, and negative if the object is considered harmful.…”

“…This claim alludes to the building's central location in a city, its size, and how it appears from the perspective of a grid-shaped building structure made up of intersecting and perpendicular cross beams (Priyanto, 2012). Bullen &Love (2011) andFriedman (2003) in (Cole et al, 2021) argue that abandoned buildings can be given a new lease on life through adaptive reuse. According to Bollack (2013) in (Kim, 2019), the parasitic principle can be applied to abandoned buildings by adding new functions.…”