Residential segregation in a radically changing urban context: experiences from Belgrade

Abstract

This article examines the historical perspective of residential segregation in Belgrade and addresses the contextual factors responsible for the dynamics of this segregation. The article considers the decline in social status from the centre to the periphery as the main feature of citywide segregation in Belgrade, along with perpetuated peripheral informality. It also examines the impact of large-scale socialist estates, which were intended to contribute to an egalitarian society and counteract residential segregation. To examine the long-term patterns of residential segregation in Belgrade, we use a combination of sources and research approaches, due to the incomparability and lack of statistical data. Recent changes in segregation patterns during the first two decades of the post-socialist period were additionally analysed at the census-unit level, using data on the education of the population as a proxy for their social status.