ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with globalized urban space and focuses on processes of post-socialist urban transformation in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). It presents a general geographical perspective on urban processes and transformations on a global scale. The chapter shows that both world cities and capital cities have played a key role in the post-socialist transformation in CEE. It addresses the special case of CEE cities and follows the same thematic sequence as the first: the role of capital cities in the post-socialist transition, the economic and social transformation of cities with a focus on suburbanization and urban sprawl, and the features of urban policy in CEE. Generally, there are two ways to design local responses to the changing economic, social and political environment. The first is represented by urban policy developed by local government authorities, and the second is represented by national policies designed for urban areas.
