Browsing by Author "Hirt, Sonia"
Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- The Compact vs. the Dispersed City: History of Planning Ideas on Sofia’s Urban FormHirt, Sonia (Sage Publications, 2007)This paper reviews the planning history of Sofia since its designation as Bulgarian capital in 1879. It argues that Sofia’s planning has been persistently shaped by two perennial dilemmas—how to reconnect the city with nature and how to define its relationship with the region. In response to these dilemmas, different visions, shaped by both local conditions and dominant foreign theories, were proposed at different times. Some promoted a compact city, while others advocated a dispersed form. The case of Sofia demonstrates the significance of the city-nature and the city-region relationships in the evolution of planning thought. It also points to the difficulties which arise when local ideas of how to organize these relationships are inspired by international models made for cities with different historic experiences.
- Peri-Urban Development in Sofia and Havana: Prospects and Perils in the New MillenniumHirt, Sonia; Scarpaci, Joseph L. Jr. (Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy, 2007)This paper compares the patterns of socio-spatial peri-urban change in two post-socialist state capitals: Havana, Cuba (2.1 million) and Sofia, Bulgaria (1.3 million). The comparison between patterns of post-socialist peri-urban change in Havana and Sofia is instructive because it illustrates precisely how spatial patterns reflect social changes. We first out line the global diversity in peri-urban development patterns, and contrast those in socialist and capitalist cities as described by the literature. Then, we discuss the typical pattern of post-socialist peri-urban development, also according to the literature. Third, we summarize empirical findings for the development of Sofia’s periphery since 1990. Fourth, we present the current state of Havana’s outskirts. In conclusion, we reflect upon the likelihood of Havana following Sofia’s post-socialist peri-urban model, if Cuba is to eventually enter the capitalist realm.
- Planning during Post-socialismHirt, Sonia (Elsevier, 2015-05)This article analyzes the state of public-sector planning in countries that subscribed to a Marxist, state-socialist ideology during some part of the twentieth century, and especially those countries that comprise the former Eastern Bloc (today often referred to as the “transitional countries”). Central economic planning was a defining feature of state socialism. With its collapse, this type of planning was abandoned. During the early years of post-socialism, all types of public-sector planning, including urban spatial planning, were severely weakened as well. A tentative revival of urban planning can be only recently observed.
- The Post-public City: Experiences from Post-socialist EuropeHirt, Sonia (Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, 2014)Public space has become an increasingly important focus in the work of architects, urban designers, philosophers, geographers, sociologists and others interested in promoting a more civil and democratic society. This vigorous attention to public space as an object of design and scholarly inquiry is likely driven by two factors. The first factor is the strong purported connection between vibrant public space as a material arena and a vibrant public sphere as a social condition. Space is not just a blank canvas on which social phenomena are imprinted. Rather, it is one of the very “constructive dimensions” of social life. Open, accessible, inclusive public space may serve as venue of social interactions that teach the values of tolerance, engagement and citizenship—values that are an “essential precondition for building a public world.” Lack of such spaces may lead to the opposite: a “trained incapacity for public life.” The second factor is the recent erosion of public space. Despite its importance, public space has in recent years been increasingly replaced by explicitly private or quasi-public spatial forms that are easily accessible only to select segments of the population. Examples include malls, gated communities, exclusive suburbs, office parks, new or gentrified urban districts, etc. Ellen Dunham-Jones and June Williamson make a useful distinction between the values of community (i.e., exclusivity, membership, belonging to a group) transmitted in quasi-public spaces of the type mentioned above and those of civility (i.e., openness, inclusion, respect for otherness) transmitted in truly public spaces. This trend toward the privatization of urban space as a part of the broader privatization of the public sphere was initially highlighted in the United States and other parts of the “Western” world by scholars such as Michael Sorkin, Edward Blakeley and Nan Ellin but has by now been documented around the globe.
- To zone or not to zone? Comparing European and American Land-use RegulationHirt, Sonia (PNDonline II, 2010)This paper compares German and American approaches to land-use regulation. Conclusions are derived from a review of regulatory documents and expert interviews conducted in the German city of Stuttgart. The analysis shows that in the United States, the zoning approach is most commonly based on the assumption of exclusivity (i.e., each land-use district is suitable for only a single type of human activity, such as residential, business or industrial); whereas in Germany the prevailing principle is that of predominance (i.e., each land-use district is suitable for multiple types of activity and most districts end up essentially mixed-use). Thus, although the names of the land-use categories used in both countries are similar, their definitions – the types of activities they permit – are starkly different. The paper concludes that zoning reform in the United States must start with a fundamental rethinking of the definitions behind our standard zoning categories and recommends further learning from European nations.