Lessons of the Regeneration of Former Soviet Military Sites in Hungary

In the final phase of World War II Hungary was occupied by the Soviet troops who remained in the country until June 1991. After the withdrawal of the Soviet army most of their former barracks and other military sites were abandoned, became dilapidated and were considered as brownfields. Using a complex methodology this study aims to capture the location and actual use of former Soviet military sites in Hungary with special attention to the level and circumstances of regeneration of such sites. Our findings confirmed that, on the one hand, next to the size of the settlement (i.e. population number) and its position in the urban hierarchy, the socio-economic dynamism of the municipality has an impact on the level of regeneration and the reuse of these sites. On the other hand, local conditions also matter, like the relative location of the site within the city (distance to the centre), its accessibility, quality of the building stock, heritage preservation, ownership situation and the attitude of the municipality regarding regeneration. Centrally located sites, in cities with higher position in the urban hierarchy, with relatively good accessibility and in good economic conditions have higher chances for complete regeneration, especially if they are owned by a single owner (preferably by the state), the local government is pro-active in the field of urban regeneration and it has the power (through ownership) to attract investors.