Obnova zagrebačkog Donjeg grada nakon potresa iz perspektive stanara

Abstract

After the earthquakes that hit Zagreb and Petrinja, the post-earthquake reconstruction and renewal of apartments and buildings became a key topic in the City of Zagreb and in the area of central Croatia. In the process of planning the post-earthquake rehabilitation and renewal, the involvement of residents is emphasized as one of the key factors of its success. Bearing that in mind, the research was conducted using the qualitative method of semi-structured interviews on a sample of apartment owners and representatives of co-owners in Zagreb’s Donji grad (N = 27). The paper presents the respondents’ opinions on the type of sustained damage and difficulties they encounter regarding the efficiency of the city and state government institu-tions. The research further indicates the problems within the buildings, including insufficient maintenance fees and (dis)satisfaction with the representatives of co-owners and managers of the buildings. The results show that the rehabilitation of buildings is slow and the whole renovation process is not in line with the expectations of respondents. Despite subsidies and the adoption of the Reconstruction Act, tenants will have to rely significantly on their own finances, despite the co-financing opportunities. Regarding the project of the complete city centre renewal after the earthquake, residents expect careful planning that combines residential and commercial development, balances the old and the new and preserves the city identity. They also expect the renewal that contributes to sustainable living conditions in the city centre, meets the citizens’ needs and raises the quality of living, avoiding the increasingly radical processes of touristification, apartmanisation and emigration from the city core.