Space Management, Urban Landscape and Spatial Practices Across the Boundary
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Elena Bassi: Divided Sarajevo – Space management, urban landscape and spatial practices across the boundary Divided Sarajevo – Space management, urban landscape and spatial practices across the boundary ELENA BASSI Abstract Zusammenfassung This contribution focuses on Sarajevo as a case study of divided Das geteilte Sarajevo. Raumverwaltung und city. As a consequence of Dayton Peace Agreement signed in Stadtlandschaft über die Grenze hinweg 1995 Bosnia-Herzegovina appears internally split into the two Dieser Beitrag ist eine Fallstudie über geteilte Städte mit entities of Federation of Bosnia Herzegovina (FBiH) and Schwerpunkt auf Sarajevo. Als Folge des 1995 unterzeichneten Republika Srpska (RS); at local level the administrative line Friedensvertrags von Dayton ist Bosnien-Herzegowina landesin- divides two areas that before the war constituted a unique tern in die zwei Entitäten der Föderation Bosnien und Herzego- urban system: Sarajevo, including the historical neighbour- wina (FBiH) und der Republika Srpska (RS/PC) aufgeteilt. Auf hoods of the city and part of FBiH, and Eastern Sarajevo, a kommunaler Ebene bezeichnet eine Verwaltungsgrenze zwei suburban area now included in the territory of RS. Considering unterschiedliche Bereiche, die vor dem Krieg ein einzelnes the city’s partition the paper discusses the extent to which the städtisches System darstellten: Sarajevo (einschließlich der divisive power of the boundary is either reduced or renovated. historischen Stadtviertel) als Teil der FBiH sowie Ost-Sarajevo, From the inhabitants’ standpoint the crossing experience has ein Vorstadtgebiet, das nun zum Territorialgebiet von RS/PC become a common practice since the emotional burden related gehört. Im Hinblick auf die Teilung der Stadt beschäftigt sich die to the presence of the boundary has largely vanished among Arbeit damit, in welchem Ausmaß sich die entzweiende Kraft der the population. Nevertheless ongoing processes of separation Grenze entweder verringert oder erneuert. can be recognised in the rhetoric of space management as well Vom Blickwinkel der Bewohner aus gesehen ist die Erfahrung as in the feature of the built environment. By looking at the des Überschreitens der Grenze zu einer gängigen Praxis way in which urban planning deals with the territorial separa- geworden, da die emotionale Last in Bezug auf deren Vorhan- tion the paper shows how the divisive logic is constantly densein unter der Bevölkerung weitestgehend verschwunden fostered by the interpretations of local administrators and ist. Dennoch lassen sich in der Rhetorik der Raumverwaltung professionals, while interventions and initiatives suggesting an fortwährend Separationsprozesse erkennen, gleiches gilt für alternative approach result scarce and ineffective. As such, the die bebaute Umgebung. Indem sich die Arbeit mit der Art und implicit rhetoric of the normative frame fosters a vicious circle Weise beschäftigt, wie die städtebauliche Planung mit der that reproduces functional, organizational and infrastructural territorialen Trennung umgeht, zeigt sie, inwieweit der division. Separierungs-Logik durch die Auslegungen der kommunalen The power of separation can be further acknowledged by Verwaltungsbediensteten und Experten Vorschub geleistet looking at the symbolical connotation of urban landscape. wird, und dass gleichzeitig Einwände und Initiativen, die einen Despite the division is not marked by any artefact, the inten- alternativen Ansatz zur Diskussion stellen, selten sind und sich tional use of symbols and signs across the boundary selectively als ineffektiv herausstellen. Entsprechend begünstigt die celebrates specific collective identities simultaneously neglect- implizite Rhetorik des normgebenden Rahmens einen Teufels- ing the presence of the counterpart. Moreover, such changes kreis, der eine funktionale, organisatorische und infrastruktu- within the built environment have to some extent influenced relle Teilung entstehen lässt. inhabitants’ daily life and collective representations. Die Kraft der Trennung lässt sich außerdem erkennen, wenn man einen Blick auf die symbolische Bedeutung der Stadtland- Sarajevo, divided city, boundary, space management, urban landscape, schaft wirft. Obwohl die Teilung nicht durch Artefakte gekenn- collective identity zeichnet ist, würdigt die absichtliche Verwendung von Symbo- len und Zeichen über die Grenze hinweg punktuell spezifische gemeinsame Identitäten, während gleichzeitig die Gegenwart des Gegenübers vernachlässigt wird. Darüber hinaus haben die Veränderungen innerhalb der bebauten Umgebung in gewis- sem Maße den Alltag und die kollektive Darstellung der Bewohner beeinflusst. Sarajevo, geteilte Stadt, Grenze, Raumverwaltung, Stadtlandschaft, kol- lektive Identität 101 Europa Regional 22, 2014 (2015) 3-4 Despite the idea of a borderless world, on urban space entails effects also at wid- the symbolical meaning attributed to borders still represent a crucial research them can be renegotiated so that the topic as new forms of division are con- (refer to 2000, 2007, 2009). As same spatial element can assume differ- er level in terms of conflicts’ management stantly emerging at different scale (refer (2008, p. 3) states, “the city’s ent relevance depending on the prevail- Bollens to 1999; 2006a; potential rests not only on being a ‘victim’ ing discourse (refer to Anderson 2005). Consequences and implications of where suffering is sometimes most con- 2004). Territory constitutes an important Newmann Kolossov Kostovicova spatial partitions involve challenging centrated, but also being a ‘protagonist’ component of our individual, group and question since boundaries and symboli- national identities not simply because cal meanings attached to them are our state territories are delimited by where conflict is often most intense”. changeable throughout time. In this per- devoted to divided cities has often fo- The field of urban studies specifically spective, the present contribution aims cused on the potential of spatial planning symbolic dimension which determines fixed boundaries but because land has a at discussing the extent to which the ad- in affecting – either positively or nega- - ministrative boundary of Bosnia – Herze- tively – the development of inter-group lar spaces and places (refer to - our attachment and affiliation to particu govina is still able to exert its divisive 2004; 2005; 2006). Kostovi power. The peculiar feature of this sepa- where tensions can be either mitigated As such, territory can be conceived as a conflicts describing cities as urban arenas cova Newman Cella ration makes it a remarkable case study or fostered through the shaping and con- social and political construct; narratives for different reasons. As the result of a vi- trol of urban space (refer to 1999; on nationhood and territory are change- 1998a, 1998b, 2000, 2001, able throughout time, showing how the Dovey bearer of a strong symbolical meaning for 2007, 2009; 2003; political and social meaning of spatial olent conflict the boundary has been the Bollens long; on the other hand, the divisive line 2006; et al. 2007; boundaries can be either emphasized or Stanlay Yftachel lacks any physical elements of separa- 2008; and minimized (refer to 2004). Pullan Anderson tion, such as walls or barriers, and now- 2009). In the case study of Sarajevo spa- Furthermore, spatial and social demar- Calame Charlesworth Kostovicova adays it’s regularly crossed from both tial planning regulations are analysed in cations intertwine in processes of iden- sides. As discussed below, crossing the order to unfold their implicit rhetoric, tity construction providing the basis for boundary from both sides has become discussing the representation of the sep- practices of othering ( 2006b, p. a common practice while the emotional aration they imply. 176). Indeed, boundaries provide a solid Newman stress and symbolical meaning related The concept of boundary is here con- basis to decline a sense of belonging in to such experience have progressively ceived as a socio-spatial category. Bound- spatial terms fostering processes of intra- vanished. From this standpoint the aries represent social constructs as the - presence of the boundary scarcely af- - tinction. Not only boundaries allow sepa- group identification and inter-group dis fects inhabitants’ spatial practices and rating groups that used to live together significance attributed to them in sym feelings; nevertheless its divisive pow- and changeable. As such, their meanings and constantly interact, but also allow the bolic and political terms is always flexible er can be clearly acknowledged by look- can be always negotiated, challenged and insiders to build and maintain their col- ing at regulations and interventions of lective identities removing and hiding space management. Thus the paper practices of social interaction. Drawing memories shared with the excluded por- redefined by different discourses and aims at pointing out the processes on the constructivist perspective suggest- tion of the population and sometimes de- through which the division is constant- ed by and (1998, 1999) nying the process of exclusion itself ( - ly confirmed and reinforced focusing boundaries result from an arbitrary pro- 2006, pp. 181f.). Donnan Wilson Cel the analysis on the city of Sarajevo. cess based on cultural conventions. The In conclusion the boundary is here con- la According to the analytical perspective meaning and relevance attributed to spa- ceptualised assuming a relation of mutu- here