Urban System Hierarchies and Social Housing Accessibility in Post Socialist Serbia
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: In post-socialist cities, the location of social housing represents an important yet insufficiently examined factor contributing to socio-spatial inequality. This study investigates the treatment of social housing locations in Serbia, as a representative post-socialist context, by comparing cities with different positions in the urban system, ranging from the capital city to regional centers and smaller towns, in order to assess how urban hierarchy influences access to everyday services. The study adopts the 15-minute city framework as a comparative analytical tool and operationalizes it through a set of quantitative accessibility indicators. GIS-based spatial analysis is used to measure walkingdistance access from social housing locations to key daily amenities, including schools, healthcare facilities, retail, green and public spaces. These indicators are analyzed across selected Serbian cities representing different urban-system positions. This study specifically investigates whether social housing locations in higher-ranked cities benefit from denser service networks and greater functional integration compared to those in lower-tier cities. It also examines the persistence of intra-urban disparities within higher-ranked cities despite their overall advantages. Furthermore, the research analyzes how limited service provision and a city’s position within the urban system affect accessibility outcomes for social housing in peripheral and lower-tier urban areas. By integrating the 15-minute city concept with an urban-systems perspective, this study seeks to contribute to debates on urban polarization and transformational change.
Language: English
Subfield: Transportation
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7205538583