ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION UNDER SOCIALISM: AN EXPRESSION OF NECESSITY, OPPOSITION OR CULTURAL NORMS?

Abstract

The paper focuses on different expressions of the subculture of illegal construction under socialism in the area of Ljubljana and its rural surroundings. Through this example, it tries to show the discrepancy between state-enforced rules, that is housing policy and people’s plans to achieve their particular interests within the socialist ideal of appropriate housing for everybody. The reasons for illegal construction were numerous, ranging from lengthy procedures and high costs for obtaining a building permit to inefficient spatial planning and insufficiency of state-built housing. However, it can also be considered as a cultural phenomenon. The authorities were aware of the multifaceted situation, both of illegal construction arising from necessity and of those arising from the pursuit of lower construction costs. They blamed the citizens for non-compliance with building regulations, but on the other hand, exercised ineffective control themselves.