Neighbourhood at the crossroads: differentiation in residential change and gentrification in a post-socialist inner-city neighbourhood

The inner areas of post-socialist cities are experiencing dynamic transformation. However, changes are often selective and differ between capital, large and provincial cities, and their neighbourhoods. This article aims to analyze variations in residential change in individual localities within Holešovice, Prague’s inner-city district. The analysis is performed with reference to the concepts of contextual residential change and gentrification of neighbourhoods and uses quantitative data at the micro-level of census tracts to detect physical and social changes. Supplementary interviews with local stakeholders are used to understand the factors that affect the development of the neighbourhood. Gentrification influences Holešovice simultaneously with other types of residential change. The most common type of change is incumbent upgrading related to the privatization of the housing stock. At the same time, several stagnating areas were identified. The neighbourhood development indicates the concurrent presence of diversified neighbourhood trajectories with drivers at various spatial and temporal scales.