Emergence of problem areas in the urban structure of post-socialist Zagreb

The period of economic transition has resulted in complex social, functional and morphological transformations which have left their mark in the urban structure of Zagreb. At the beginning of 2000' fundamental planning acts have been passed - Zagreb spatial plan and the City Master Plan - to serve as concrete strategies and guidelines in developing the city area. However, none of the regulatory rules and acts have been completely successful in managing the city development. Significant changes and problems the city is facing in the post-socialist era serve as a research framework and are discussed in this paper. The main goal is to register and explain crucial causes of these spatial transformations. Based on the research of cartographic sources and conducted fieldwork four representative types of problem areas of the city are recognized. According to their functional and morphological characteristics, they are: converted urban land areas, derelict areas, newly built areas and densified areas. Each of these four types of problem areas is individually analyzed in the context of possible negative consequences on the urban environment