Spatial differentiation and local development: Divergent transition paths of three Serbian municipalities

Abstract

This article analyzes spatial differentiation within post-socialist transition using the examples of the economic developments of three small and medium-sized Serbian towns. The selection of smaller towns as objects of study fulfills a general research desideratum in geographical transition research. This study combines quantitative and qualitative methods and follows a historical-geographical approach. In order to shed light on the various characteristics of the disrupted post-socialist transition in Serbia, the period under investigation is defined as 1988 to 2011, which covers the two main phases of the Serbian transition: a period of disintegration (1991-2000) and a period of reorganization (2000/01-2011). By applying a novel mix of theories, it is possible to make statements be-yond an overly simplistic center-periphery paradigm and uncover the underlying path dependencies and economic legacies that lead to specific local transition paths. In addition, this theoretical approach also enables the identification of general patterns and typologies of local development in the transition process: centralization, peripherization and marginalization. The development trajectories of the three municipalities exemplify that the particular post-socialist transition in Serbia also produces particular spatial differentiations, namely strongly delayed centralization tendencies that nonetheless still reflect the specific Yugoslav economic and institutional legacies.