mateo.zonta

Architectural - Urban Study and Revitalization of the ‘Sušak Residential Zone’

The study examines converging urban contidions shaping the distinct socio-spatial synamics currently unfolding across the Sušak plateau. The restructuring of non-residential uses following the adoption of the free-market system, the overall urban culture developed during the period Rijeka and Sušak evolved as separate entities, and the contemporary development strategies of the city today. In relation to these conditions, while emphasizing formal and informal urban activity hubs as representations of the city as experienced by the majory, and inter-regionally significant institutions as critical urban catalysts, a strategy is proposed to revitalize the plateau and its associated residential zones.

By mapping and analyzing the spatial characteristics and studying the available literature and strategic documents of the city of Rijeka, inconsistencies between the fundamental strategic goals and the actual urban conditions in the area of the Sušak plateau are observed. As a result, the overall urban quality across the Sušak plateau is gradually declining, marked by informal appropriations of public spaces and residential facilities, alongside systematically substandard developments that fragment the urban and social landscape, thereby diminishing its environmental, ambiental and urban qualities.

To address these disparities, specific guidelines are proposed, encompassing the restructuring of the former UKOD factory, KBC Sušak, and the University campus into a city sub-center, a re-orientation of the University campus development from northeast-southwest to southeast-northwest, and a proposal of a network of neighborhood centers to revitalize the Sušak plateau and its associated residential zones. The primary aim of this research is to provide an in-depth analysis of the socio-spatial conditions across the Sušak plateau, identify inconsistencies between the spatial plan intentions and actual conditions, and present suggestions for improvement of the identified deficiencies.

The 13 000 words textual part of the thesis is comprised of a comprehensive analysis of these conditions through personal reconnaissance and an examination of visible processes, supplemented by at the time available literature and strategic documents associated with specific aspects of Sušak’s urban environment. The project affirms itself as an instrument for generating insights, using urban etnography and cartography as both techniques and tools to conceptualize contemporary urban phenomena while introducing topics or orientations that could afffect the observed challenges in a meaningful way.

The graphic material is printed on semi-transparent tracing paper, intentionally chosen to facilitate a thorough analysis of the urban conditions and dynamics across the Sušak plateau. This choice of media allows for the seamless overlay of diverse information, creating a visual dialogue that juxtaposes various elements influencing the urban environment. Through this nuanced and complex interplay of layered information, the graphic material remains open to investigation and interpretation, encouraging exploration amid the tensions inherent in the different layers.

Year: 2024
Type: Academic
Program: Urban revitalization
Location: Rijeka, Croatia

The project was developed under the supervision of mentor Dr. Maroje Mrduljaš and co-mentor Dr. Jana Čulek, as a part of the postgraduate program at the University of Rijeka’s Specialist Study Program in Urban Studies.