Metamorphoses of the Square in a Divided City: the Case of Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina
After the ethnic wars (1992-95) the city of Mostar experienced a radical transition: from a territory of celebrated ethnic urban cohabitation to a post-war divided city. The pivots of my talk are the changes of the everyday practices of “boundary making” in the use of public space in this city. My main question is: How do city dwellers in everyday practices on the city squares make use of public space and the built environment in the processes of “boundary making” in the post-war times?
“Boundary” implies that city dwellers and analysts alike perceive the practices and meanings of one territory of influence (such as the sitting areas of Croat teenagers in front Zrinjski Park in Rodno Square) as different from the practices and meanings of another territory. The paper, and the whole PhD project, are based on 15 months of field research conducted in the city of Mostar from April 2007 to June 2008.
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