The process of urban regeneration in Budapest: approaching 2030 challenges

During the last 20 years the large cities of Eastern Europe had to face the problems of the reindustrialisation of the territory and of economic restructuring, leading to migration flows and urban expansion into the surrounding countryside. These cities passed from an almost well-functioning planning structure to a system with no public coordination, where market forces could almost determine the plan of the city. The demise of the socialist state left an ideological vacuum, along with the adoption of Western ideas. In addition it is necessary to consider also the financial crisis and the structural adjustments for entering the EU. In this scenario the urban regeneration in Budapest, at first restricted to physical restoration and later involving social and environmental aspects, has regarded the revitalisation of the central area and is characterised by a strong interaction with housing policy. This paper describes the urban transformation underway in Budapest that just in ten years has assumed the characteristics of global society, with a new economy and major transformations concerning organisation, structure and urban space. The paper illustrates the phases of development - with attention to the housing policies and the case of Magdolna - and the transformation expected for Budapest 2030. The conclusions focus on the first results observed and on the challenges for 2030.