Two cities with no soul: Planning for division and reunification in post-war Mostar

Urban planning has played different roles ever since cities first came into existence – it has been used to build defensible cities, cities that are symbols of power and prestige, cities that are functional, and cities that are sustainable and equitable. Its role in the aftermath of conflict has also changed and evolved over the years, sometimes driven by design, sometimes by circumstance. Recent wars and intra-national conflicts, whether in Iraq or Afghanistan, or earlier, in the Balkans, have clearly taken on an urban character. Cities are strategic targets in and of themselves, and conflicts can divide cities, both de facto and de jure, causing lasting damage.