Contenu du sommaire : Croissance et structures urbaines dans les pays socialistes européens

Among the socialist countries, the dominion of the state reveale itself an incomparably keen instrument in the analysis of the urban network. The evolution of the distribution of the rumanian cities since the Second World War, is characterised by an improved spatial arrangement of the urban centers rather than, by transformations of the urban hierarchies. Thus in Rumania, in spite of the peculiarities of the rumanian population (demographic vitality, maintenance of a strong rural character), it is kept and affirmed the accordance in respect to the policy common to the east european countries, according to which, a regional equilibrium of the services related with a city is sought.

The study of migratory movements reveals itself as a very sensitive instrument for measuring the effects of economic and spatial policies. In Hungary, during the last two decades, in proportion of the rise of economic growth, a decrease in geographical mobility, an attenuation of regional disparities, and a certain reversal in the trends of the cities' power of attraction have been observed .

The G.D.R. (German Democratic Republic) is an extensively urbanised country. During the last two decades the urban population tends to grow slowly, while the total national population continues to decrease. Also, because of the youth of the population in the new cities, many of the urban districts have a birth rate higher than the national mean. Two big kinds of structure differentiate the urban habitat of G.D.R. : the slightly industrialised regions of the north as opposed to the big connurbations of the south.

In eastern Europe, Vtarsaw illustrates the example of the coexistance of a strong industrial concentration and a big urban centre. In spite of the peculiarities in the evolution of the structure of the established institutions and the transformation of the localisations since the last war, there are still conflicts between the economic necessities and the environmental protection. Could one avoid here, better than in the western world, the formation of privileged peripheral neighbourhoods and/or the monopolising of the city centre by privileged residents ?

In spite of the equal importance of their population, Brno and Bratislava appear to be two very different agglomerations. On the one hand, Brno remains marked by the influence of the industrial capitalism of the 19th century. Bratislava on the other hand, cannot be viewed separately from its recent political affirmation of the national slovac cause. The functions of the two cities, their spatial organisation and their future, should be considered under the light of this distinction.

The production of housing in Yougoslavie meets with numerous difficulties and contradictions. It is a question of bringing out the institutions with the appropriate economical, financial and technical capabilities in order to realise the set projects. Above all, the appropriate land resources to be urbanised should be found. If, in the frame of self-management, a commune has been endowed with a bigger scope, that does not resolve all problems, notably that of the planning and the rural diffusion of low quality housing.

As all big cities in socialist Europe, Budapest is confronted with a housing crisis, both qualitative and quantitative . The human and technical insufficiencies in the construction sector, result in the proliferation of parallel economies and private initiative. To the deficiencies in the production of urban housing, are added the lack of services, especially in the peripheral communities.

For the socialist countries of Europe, the study of the attraction areas of the cities, meets with numerous difficulties. In Poland, especially after the Administrative Reform of 1975, a strong tendency is exercised towards the decentralisation of services and their accessibility to all people. But, the consummers' behaviour as well as the supply inequalities could introduce significant bias in respect to the pursued objectives.

Albania presents us with an exemple of a paradoxical situation of an under-urbanised country, where, however, a socialised and industrialised way of life are primary objectives. A strict control of the in-migration, and mainly, a real equalisation of the living conditions between the cities and the country-side explain the fact. But, will Albania be able to maintain its peculiarity without risking its development and/or having to deal with growing rural under-employement ?