Post-Soviet Suburbanization as Part of Broader Metropolitan Change: A Comparative Analysis of Saint Petersburg and Riga

Studies on post-socialist suburbanization, which originally focused demand side dynamics and linear narratives of modernization, have progressively adopted more holistic approaches that consider the various dimensions factors behind phenomenon. However, there are still significant gaps shortcomings affecting this research domain; studies encompassing supply rare, so comparative perspectives. The phenomenon has rarely been analyzed in context broader metropolitan change, together with other such as inner-city gentrification, degradation, or maintenance/regeneration socialist era residential neighborhoods. This study addresses mentioned through a multi-dimensional pilot analysis suburban Saint Petersburg Riga. encompasses spatial extent demographic, socioeconomic, housing market within change. findings reveal picture demographically economically remarkable implications for macro- micro-level socio-spatial segmentation; distinctive features between two cases primarily due to migration short/medium term effects 2008 financial crisis real estate industry. Overall, option appears be an attractive (in terms economic trade-off societal aspiration) well safe profitable developers.