Creative Economy in a Postsocialist Transitional Context

Creative economy is a broad concept which became popular among scholars and policy makers around the world since the 1990s as a response to contemporary economic and social trajectories. Post-industrial circumstances which have befallen traditional industrial urban regions supported the rise of the creative economy.

This dissertation pays attention to the spatial configuration and distribution of creative economy, its socio-economic significance and urban manifestations, as well as the interrelation between creative economy and urban environment. Historical and socio-economic changes in former Yugoslavia in the last decades imply that the development path of creative activities in the Serbian urban environment differs from the rest of Europe. This research should contribute to the discussion about the influence of creativity, of cultural and creative industries, as well as creative economy on urban developments and urban geographies.

The research focuses on the development of creative economy in Belgrade because of its socio-geographic and cultural centrality within the region of South-Eastern Europe. In addition, a delayed post-socialist transition with social, political, and economic manifestations has led to a unique urban development in Belgrade.