Paper Short Abstract:

The presentation intend to give an account of what type of public places characterrized the socialist town, what functions were assigned to them in the plans, and how it was overridden in practice by the use of small gardens and garages.

Paper Abstract:

In Hungary, the construction of Leninváros (now Tiszaújváros) began in 1953. Built according to socialist urban planning concepts, the city, with its modern high-rise buildings, characteristic spatial organisation, airy structure and numerous green parks, was intended to be an ideal place for the socialist lifestyle, emphasising collectivism, the struggle for social equality and an active social life. However, the public spaces designed for recreation did not meet the needs of the residents. They preferred to spend their free time in small gardens and garages on the outskirts of the city. These quasi-private spaces made it possible to extend the small living space provided by the flats in the prefabricated buildings, to break out of the monotonous estate-like environment, and to provide space for activities that had not been taken into account by the city's designers, moreover they had a community building/creating effect. In my presentation, based on interviews, I describe how the small gardens and garages helped residents, often from rural backgrounds, to make the socialist city more liveable. I also analyse what functions they had other than growing vegetables and storing cars; the difference between their use by women and men; how their role changed after the regime change and how they are used today.