Transformation of public spaces as tendency of overcoming fragmentation in divided cities: Case study of Kosovska Mitrovica

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of public spaces, their transformation in the Kosovska Mitrovica city divided to the southern and northern part and their importance in order to overcome this fragmentation. It is important that the development and transformation of public spaces in this divided city contribute to the materialization of accessible spaces which promote the social integration and tolerance through an inclusive processes. The applied spatial-functional analysis of the mapped public spaces in the city as well as the observation of the social interaction in common public spaces constitute the framework of this paper. Concluding remarks provide an answer to the question of whether and to what extent the transformation of public spaces in the years after the war in Northern and Southern Kosovska Mitrovica affect the interaction of different ethnic groups, as well as the tendency to overcome fragmentation in this divided city.