This paper examines the urban development process in post-socialist cities
of Budapest, Prague and Warsaw in the context of economic globalisation and
societal transformation. Several factors have helped to shape the post-soc
ialist cities of central Europe since the end of the 1980s. These include p
olitical transformation, economic change, restitution, privatisation, price
liberalisation and decentralisation of local government. It is argued that
local government administrative and planning structures have been ill prep
ared in meeting the requirements of international investment capital in a c
o-ordinated and effective manner. Institutional constraints has promoted an
organic form of urban development primarily determined through the interna
tional demand for, and supply of, commercial and retail space.