The Transformation of Urban Space in Post-Soviet Russia

In the years since 1989, the societies of Russia and Eastern Europe have undergone a remarkable transformation from socialism to democracy and free market capitalism. Making an important contribution to the theoretical literature of urbanism and post-communist transition, this significant book considers the change in the spatial structure of post-Soviet urban spaces since the period of transition began. It argues that the era of transformation can be considered as largely complete, and that this has given way to a new stage of development as part of the global urban and economic system: post-transformation.

The authors examine the modern trends in the urban development of western and post-socialist countries, and explore the theories of the transformation and post-transformation of urban space. Providing a wealth of detailed qualitative research on the Russian city of St. Petersburg, the study examines the changing structure of its retail trade and services sector. Overall, this book is an important step forward in the study of the spatial dynamics of urban transformation in the former communist world.

Konstantin Axenov is Associate Professor in the Department of Regional Diagnostics and Political Geography at St. Petersburg State University. His main research interests are urban and political geography.

Isolde Brade is Senior Researcher in the Department of European Regional Geography at the Leibniz Institute of Regional Geography, Leipzig. Her research interests are focused on geographical city and city system research with a regional emphasis on Eastern Europe and Russia.

Evgenij Bondarchuk is Director of the Scientific Institute for Applied Geography & Territorial Management, St. Petersburg. His main fields of interest are urban geography and the spatial research of retail.