Urbani izziv Volume 33, No. 2, December 2022
: 91-102
(Articles)
UDK: 316.334.56:005.418:711.432(497.11)
doi: 10.5379/urbani-izziv-en-2022-33-02-03
Author
Mina Petrović
Department of Sociology, Faculty of Philosophy University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
mipetrov@f.bg.ac.rs
Vera Backović
Department of Sociology, Faculty of Philosophy University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
vera.backovic@f.bg.ac.rs
Milena Toković
Department of Spatial Planning, Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
milena.tokovic@gef.bg.ac.rs
Title
Rebuilding post-communist city identity: The case
of Novi Pazar, Serbia
Abstract
In line with contemporary urban policy to build a competitive city identity, this article deals with the post-communist identity of Novi Pazar, a medium-sized city in
southwestern Serbia. Research attention is centred on
building urban identity through the dynamic interaction between actors and socio-spatial structures. Following Bourdieu’s notion of habitus, the concept of a city’s
habitus is employed as well as Lefebvre’s concept of the
social production of space. Special focus is placed on the
challenges that post-communist cities face in re-establishing their identity following the former promotion of the
“communist (industrial) city” and its subsequent decline.
The analysis is based on a survey of residents of Novi Pazar
(n = 299) and interviews with experts employed in local government and other local institutions/organizations
(n = 14), as well as content analysis of the city’s official
website. Novi Pazar is a city with a potentially strong
identity but also with considerable structural constraints
that block the local agency needed to activate the city’s
identity potential.
Key Words
identity, post-communist city, habitus, Novi Pazar, Serbia