The Remaking of Kopli : Gentrification, displacement and redevelopment in a post-industrial neighbourhood in Tallinn, Estonia

Sammanfattning

This thesis examines how the process of gentrification has unfolded in Kopli, a post-industrial neighbourhood in Tallinn, Estonia. Historically an important industrial district, Kopli experienced socioeconomic decline and disinvestment following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the closure of crucial industries. When as recently as 10 years ago, Kopli was characterised by criminality and abandoned buildings, then today the area is increasingly known for a vibrant culture hub and a quiet middle-class residential neighbourhood. Making use of key concepts from gentrification theory, the research aims to map the processes of urban transformation in a post-socialist context and the social and economic effects that had on the local residents. By conducting 12 semi-structured interviews and analysing local policy documents it was possible to conclude that with the collaboration of the state and the private sector, Kopli has experienced rapid urban change, going from industrial to criminal to an attractive inner-city neighbourhood within a few decades. Consequently, local residents experienced an improvement in neighbourhood safety and reputation but also increase in cost of living and use of physical and symbolic displacement affecting long-term residents. In the field of urban geography, especially in the context of gentrification, it is rare to draw binary conclusions, so instead this research contributes to the broader discussion of post-socialist urban development.