engleski

Changes in Features of Housing Units: Croatia 2001 – 2011

The paper analyses functional and physiognomic changes of housing units on city and municipality level in the Republic of Croatia from 2001 up to 2011. Functional changes are analysed according to statistical categories of housing units, while for analysis of physiognomic changes the authors used data on number and sizes of the units. During the past few decades the total number of housing units in Croatia is continuously growing as well as the number of units within specific statistical categories. The same trend exists when analysing the size of the units – in addition to absolute growth, records show increase in average size of housing units as well. The analysis of last inter- census period, when the total number of housing units increased by 19.7%, shows that the change in total number of housing units, as well as change in the number of lower level statistical categories is spatially differentiated. While coastal region and the capital city register a relatively strong increase in the number of housing units, central Croatia stands out at the other end with the lowest increase rate. Among changes that affected lower category housing units, increase in apartments for secondary housing stands out. Between 2001 and 2011 their number increased by 36.6%, with highest rate recorded in coastal cities and municipalities. Census data also indicate the expansion of number of temporarily vacant housing units during the analysed period, which is also a continued trend from earlier periods. The significant increase in temporarily vacant housing units during previous decade can be in one part associated with the economical crisis and recession that created an excess of units on the market. On the other hand, the reasons can also be found in the fact that registered changes are not following the rate of demographic development of Croatia. Increase in the number of developed units does not reflect real needs for housing, but can instead be interpreted as a sort of preservation of value when considering citizen’s savings. This, however, represents the “occupation” of space and its permanent dilapidation.

housing units; space; functional characteristics; physiognomic characteristics; Croatia

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