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War, peace & the city : Urban conflicts over peace(s) in the postwar cities of Belfast, Mitrovica, and Mostar

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Author

  • Ivan Gusic

Summary, in English

Postwar cities demonstrate the most persistent continuities of war in peace. This effectively forces people into divided and politicised lives, undermines city-wide urban dynamics, and hampers wider peace processes that these cities are part of. It, however, also goes against what can be and historically is expected of the city – namely to transcend divides, bridge communities, and foster co-existence. This thesis asks the question of how it is so that continuities of war in peace are reinforced rather than transcended in the postwar city. To this end it uses extensive fieldwork in the postwar cities Belfast (Northern Ireland), Mitrovica (Kosovo), and Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina) as well as engages in novel theorising on the postwar city and the urban conflicts over peace(s) that permeate it. The ensuing argument is that the continuities of war in peace in the postwar city are reinforced rather than transcended for two mutually enhancing reasons. On the one hand, because urban conflicts over peace(s) undermine the defining aspects of the city that give it transcending potential while reinforcing the defining aspects of the city with destructive potential. On the other hand, because the postwar city as a city reinforces the urban conflicts over peace(s) that in turn undermine its transcending and reinforce its destructive potential.

Publishing year

2017

Language

English

Publication/Series

Lund Political Studies

Issue

187

Document type

Dissertation

Publisher

Lund University

Topic

  • Political Science

Keywords

  • conflict
  • peace
  • war
  • urban
  • cities
  • Mostar
  • Bosnia-Herzegovina
  • Belfast
  • Northern Ireland
  • Mitrovica
  • Kosovo
  • Serbia
  • peacebuilding
  • postwar

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0460-0037
  • ISBN: 978-91-7753-391-7
  • ISBN: 978-91-7753-392-4

Defence date

29 September 2017

Defence time

10:15

Defence place

Eden auditorium, Paradisgatan 5, Lund

Opponent

  • Oliver Richmond (Professor)