The Neoliberal Frontline: Urban Struggles in Post-Socialist Societies
Zagreb, 4. 12. - 7. 12. 2008. Community Center Mosor, Zvonimirova 63
The Neoliberal Frontline is an international conference aimed to reflect on transformations of cities, urban landscapes and urban governance in Croatian and other post-socialist societies in the Eastern Europe at a moment of urgency when the development of cities in those societies increasingly comes under pressure of neoliberal policies and economic overexploitation of space.
The conference will take stock of the following issues: effects of globalization and transition in the context of East-European cities, introduction of neoliberal governance instruments, city-planning policies damaging public interest for the benefit of business, dismantling of process of citizen participation, urban struggles against disfranchisement of citizens and cultural practices contesting privatization of public space.
Many of the developments that can be observed in East-European cities resemble urban developments in Western societies in the post-industrial and globalizing 80-ties and 90-ties, yet are characterized by particularities of post-socialist transition - a transition marked by democratic deficits, corruption of public governance, failed privatization of economy and now economic pressures on space.
And while developments in the Western societies are well researched, there is not much research and reflection available on the developments in post-socialist societies. This occasion will provide an opportunity for international scholars, researchers, urbanists, urban activist groups, cultural practitioners and local initiatives to look into those early research efforts and expand on them with first-hand accounts from the participating actors.
Alongside keynotes and panels with interventions by those different actors, the conference will also include work sessions and meetings of local practitioners and concerned citizens, civil initiatives from across Croatia, and urban activist groups from across former Yugoslavia.
| Conference team: |
Petar Milat (coordinator), Tomislav Medak, Leonardo Kovačević, Marko Sančanin |
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Conference Programme
Thursday, 4.12.2008.
20:00-21:00 Keynote 1: Neil Smith 21:00-23:00 Opening Party (with Pytzek)
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Friday, 5.12.2008.
11:00-12:00 Panel 1: Scales of Neo-liberalism Panelists: Jochen Becker, Jason Hackworth, Brian Holmes, Neil Smith,
Moderator: Petar Milat12:00-13:00 Keynote 2: Jason Hackworth 13:15-14:15 Panel 2: Neo-liberalism at the test of Post-socialist societies Panelists: Boris Buden, Artemy Magun, Boyan Manchev, Stefan Nowotny
Moderator: Leonardo Kovačević14:15-16:00 Break 16:00-17:15 Panel 3: Urban Struggles and Public Imagination Panelists: Daniel Chavez, Gal Kirn, Gerald Raunig, Paul Stubbs
Moderator: Petar Milat
17:30-18:45 Panel 4: Neo-liberal Governmentality and Urban Development Panelists: Keller Easterling, Miran Gajšek, Vedran Mimica, Saša Poljanec-Borić
19:00-20:00 Keynote 3: Boris Buden 20:00-21:00 Keynote 4: Ines Weizman
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Saturday, 6.12.2008.
11:00-12:00 Keynote 5: Keller Easterling 12:00-14:15 Panel 5: Dissenting Architectural Practices Presenters: Dafne Berc, Ana Džokić / Marc Neelen, Emil Jurcan, Florina Jerliu, Dinko Peračić, Armina Pilav, Tanja Rajić, Dubravka Sekulić
Discussion: Srdjan Jovanović Weiss, Ivan Kucina, Arjen Oosterman, Andrej Prelovšek, Kai Vöckler
Moderator: Marko Sančanin14:15-16:00 Break 16:00-17:15 Panel 6: Semantics of Emerging Capitalisation Panelists: Sabine Bitter / Helmut Weber, Maroje Mrduljaš, Mirko Petrić, Ani Vaseva, Zoran Pantelić, Srdjan Jovanović Weiss
17:30-18:45 Panel 7: Struggles against Capital Unlimited Panelists: Teodor Celakoski, Blaž Križnik, Doina Petrescu, Dimitry Vorobyev
Moderator: Tomislav Medak19:00-20:00 Keynote 6: Brian Holmes 20:00-21:00 Keynote 7: Edi Rama
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Sunday, 7.12.2008.
12:00-14:15 Meetings / Workshops
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