Mapping Green and Public Spaces in Post-Soviet Tbilisi

• In Event: Legacies in Leaf: A Century of Making and Mapping Greenery in Soviet and Post-Soviet Contexts

Abstract

Green and public spaces, as they constituted essential parts of the city assemblage, have always played an important part in forming an open, livable, and resilient city. It is a place where cultures, different social groups, and individuals link within the city morphology. However, post-soviet Tbilisi struggles not only to increase the amount of green public spaces but also to retain the existing ones.
This study analyzes the transformation processes of green and public spaces in Tbilisi from the 1930s to the modern era. Looking at one specific area of the city in detail, it explores how and why, initially influenced by the Garden City concept, the area has sacrificed urban parks and open green spaces to buildings. The study uses archival material, as well as government documents, and interviews with architects and city planners, to understand the changes that have influenced Tbilisi’s green and public space transformation processes. The research question that the study attempts to answer is: how does the urban transformation process, as well as adaptation, impact the inclusiveness, quality, and comfort of the area?

Author

• Ia Kupatadze, Ilia State U (Georgia)