“The right to the post-Soviet city”: Analysing communication gaps in the public space

Abstract

The paper investigates the communication gaps in the public spaces of post-Soviet cities (from the perspective of business-government-society interaction) through the spatial paradigm lens of urban sociology coupled with the perspective of communications studies. The author analyzes the particularities of the spatial organization of post-Soviet cities; describes the main features of their urban public space; and examines their impact on the patterns of social interactions. The paper presents the results of empirical research into the government-business relationship, using the case of Minsk, the capital city of Belarus. The author specifically focuses on the instances of communicative dysfunction (i.e. communication gaps) as the manifestation of social distance, exploring its nature from the perspective of the concept of “a Stranger”. The findings point at a need to supplement the local communities with local public communication channels and content.

Keywords

• spatial paradigm
• post-soviet urban space
• “the right to the city”
• communication gaps
• stranger concept
• local communities
• business-government-society interaction