Rethinking Suburban Governance in the CEE Region: A Comparison of Two Municipalities in Poland and Lithuania

Abstract

In this article, we seek to analyse and compare the modalities of suburban governance in Polish and Lithuanian municipalities looking at the territorial development trends typical for the Central Eastern Europe region. The theoretical elaborations on suburban governance are evolving towards the analysis of constellations of diverse actors, institutions and processes that define the politics and design of suburban spaces. We assume that there are similarities and differences in suburban governance in the analysed localities compared to Western countries in terms of networks, actors and territorialisation of local politics. Despite both suburban municipalities showing similarities in suburban development patterns (growing middle-class population, economic capital accumulation, suburban sprawl and interconnectedness with the metropolitan zone), the analysis reveals the main differences in terms of composition and importance of horizontal and vertical networks, the role of local stakeholders and collective action. The article concludes that both localities represent a specific approach to suburban governance marked by low stakeholders’ participation, dependence on the top down vertical state and regional networks and the creation of urban-suburban policies within metropolitan areas.

From a Small Village to an Exclusive Gated Community: Unplanned Suburbanisation and Local Sovereignty in Post-Socialist Hungary

“…There are differences between North American, Western European, and post-socialist countries in metropolitan governance, regional development policies, and the system of local government, as well as social, economic, and political conditions (Bučaitė-Vilkė & Krukowska, 2020;Salvati & Gargiulo Morelli, 2014). Unlike in North America, in Western Europe, municipalities strongly depend on the regional and/or state levels.…”

“…In post-socialist countries, the complicated process of transformation and the need for investments narrowed the playing field of policy (Kajdanek, 2014;Leetmaa et al, 2009). Without planning and coordination, settlements affected by suburbanisation were often not prepared for the new population flows and lacked services and adequate infrastructure (Bučaitė-Vilkė & Krukowska, 2020;Hess et al, 2012). Suburban sub-centres have developed just in a few cases, and the dependence on the central city has remained strong (Hirt & Atanas, 2015).…”

Changes in the Spatial Development of a Satellite Town under the Impact of a Metropolitan City—Evidence from Pruszcz Gdański (Poland)

“…Then function daily between the metropolis and the place of residence. Basic shopping is done, or services are used on the way, and people do not use them in the place of residence [47,48]. Combining residential and service functions, as in the analyzed case, when a sub-center is being developed-a new service band, may be an exception.…”