Spatial Planning Versus Realized Construction in Bratislava: Zonal Planning, a Case Study Dúbravka
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PP Periodica Polytechnica Spatial Planning versus Realized Architecture Construction in Bratislava: Zonal Planning, a Case Study Dúbravka 47(1), pp. 41-48, 2016 DOI: 10.3311/PPar.9421 Creative Commons Attribution b Peter Horák1* research article Received 03 May 2016; accepted 19 July 2016 Abstract 1 Broader context of the Bratislava development The article deals with the implications of the spatial planning For a better understanding and subsequent solution for the process in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. The article high- current urban problems, it is helpful to add some background lights the need for the formation of zonal plans as a possible to the development, factors and elements that formed the city. solution to the improvement of a certain territory regarding Such formation is better understood through case studies. In spatial planning. Bratislava, from the perspective of urban this way, different situations can be modelled using historical planning and design, is a diverse city representing a model for cross-sections, analysing the problems and factors affecting understanding the formation of the urban structure through them. The city of Bratislava is a good example for analysing various political and economic principles. The dynamics of the process of urban formation concerning both positive and the city’s development after the Second World War was condi- negative aspects. From the perspective of urban planning and tioned by new technological and prefabrication constructions, design, it is a diverse city, providing a varied urban structure and required new concepts for residential areas that could resulting from the implementation of different political and exceed the geographical barriers; specifically, the Danube economic principles. Its area, population, structure, and impact River and the Carpathian Mountains, thus enabling further of the construction of housing estates, make Bratislava an ideal development of the city. In this article, the Carpathian region example to illustrate the broader problems resulting from con- is presented by a case study of Dúbravka. To understand the struction of residential areas after the war. developmental process of this area, basic historical, economic, The city is located on the western border of Slovakia. The and technical factors are presented. The phases of the realised first elementary settlements were located here because of the construction and their comparison with spatial plans show the ford across the Danube River (Šášky, 1992). Trade routes impacts that affect the functioning of this city part and the city later used this ford and stimulated the development of the as a whole, to the current day. Positive and negative aspects, city. Another natural factor that formed city was the Carpathi- potential and new development ideas are described. The exist- ans, which by their terrain protected the settlement, but also ing current spatial plan and the relevant legislation take these restricted the development of urban structures in the later peri- aspects into account. The article critically evaluates the cur- ods (Hruška, 1961). rent spatial planning methods in the selected area. After the scientific and technological revolution, the city underwent continuous industrialization, prompting the further Keywords development of the city. Due to this industrialisation, Brati- spatial planning, mass housing, Bratislava, Dúbravka slava became one of the most important cities during Austria- Hungarian Empire (Šášky, 1992). In the second half of the 19th century, the city’s architecture was mainly influenced by Hun- garian, Austrian, Czech and partly German architects (Kusý, 1995). In the early 20th century, the most significant collabo- ration in the city´s development was linked with world qual- ity Czech architects (Kusý, 1971). According to Šášky (1992), the First World War period did not influence the development 1Department of Urban Design and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Architecture, of the city; however, the Second World War ended the natu- Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava ral architectural development of the city, which subsequently Námestie SLobody 19, 812 45, Bratislava broke up in the post-war era of the new regime, in architecture * Corresponding author, e-mail: [email protected] known as socialist realism (Kusý 1975). Šášky (1992) claims Spatial Planning versus Realized Construction in Bratislava 2016 47 1 41 that Bratislava was the city of many nations. During the Second plans illustrated by the construction of housing estates (Kusý, World War, the city was occupied by Hungarians, who were 1975). The realization of progressively larger concepts, the lack violently moved away by the Czechoslovakian army. After this of a theoretical basis, elementary and rapid realization of con- act, the city population remained mostly Slovak and Czech. struction, failure to address the problems encountered, and the According to Kusý (1971), urban planning as a new scien- increasing economic pressure in the construction of civil facili- tific discipline in Slovakia started to be applied in the early ties and services, caused increasingly intolerable conditions for 20th century. However, the first urban visions of Bratislava, life in the mass housing areas (Moravčíková et al., 2011). when facing the existing situation, showed themselves to be Construction of social housing took place in Bratislava in unfeasible. This was due to several factors from two directions. the late 19th century. Since then, several smaller build urban From the perspective of the municipality and investors, the residential units have been constructed. Following the estab- main focus was on economic principles. Urban plans have thus lishment of the socialist regime, residential areas were started become unsuitable documents affecting previously unregulated on a previously unknown scale. This brought new problems. and freely designed construction. From the perspective of plan- Increasing pressure to satisfy the needs of housing forced ners, at that time engineers having mostly a geodetic education, the architects to rapid implementation, without the option to city planning was a vision beyond feasibility. In the pre-war adequately respond to both the architectural and urban situa- and the interwar period, the city was actively initiating the cre- tion (Moravčíková et al., 2011). Consequently, the problems of ation of urban and regulation plans, and urban studies. How- residential structures deepened from the establishment of the ever, they remained largely at a theoretical level for the reasons first large residential complexes in the 1950s to the termina- mentioned previously. The largest urban realizations were just tion of their construction in the mid-90s. Even then, providing architectural studies about the size of an urban block or several adequate conditions for dealing with the situation that occurred blocks. While architects were aware of the importance of the were not provided. The repetition and emergence of new prob- city planning, the system approach did not allow them to solve lems were on-going. problems on a city scale (Kusý, 1971). The first post-war plans reflected the eastern urban develop- According to Moravčíková et al. (2015), planning before the ment of Bratislava. New dynamics and the construction tech- First World War contained specific requirements from investors nologies, like prefabrication, required finding new residential regarding parcelling of lots and the public interest. After the areas on the other side of the River Danube and the Carpathi- establishment of socialism following the Second World War, ans. Examples of this development were laid in the master plan a basis for the realization of huge urban complexes was cre- of the city from the 1960s, which founded the current approach ated. The enhanced power of the state allowed for the vision of of mass housing areas, functional zoning and transportation. urban development on a previously impossible scale. Spatial Based on this plan, the international competition for Petržalka planning, at that time the “smerný plán” (directional plan), had (one of the largest communist housing estates) was announced. a sovereign status, which enabled the realization of huge urban The first comprehensive urban residential complex built concepts. However, the preparation of such a plan was long after the Second World War was the Krasňany.residential com- and could not quickly and sensitively respond to changes in the plex. The principles of the satellite belt town were applied to development of the city. Also, due to the economic situation this complex and other residential units (Jankovich, 1988). and the pressure from the state, the visions within the plans Amenities around the perimeter complement the characteristic could not be realized in all their extent. The development was thin line built-up area. This housing estate was built as the first therefore either mono-functional or specific. within the north-east urban development between 1955-1962 The change came after 1989. Following this, complex Social- (Moravčíková et al., 2011). ist urban plans had become unfeasible. New ownership rela- Next, mass housing areas appeared in both larger and tions arose, and much state land was privatised. This provided smaller forms, among which were widespread complexes such a fresh insight into spatial planning. New individual investors as Ružinov, Karlova Ves, Dúbravka and Petržalka (Fig. 1). and an active community entered