The value of uncertainty, temporality, indeterminacy and the post-socialist condition in Tallinn, Estonia. Three case studies

Kurik, Kaija-Luisa (2021) The value of uncertainty, temporality, indeterminacy and the post-socialist condition in Tallinn, Estonia. Three case studies. Doctoral thesis (PhD), Manchester Metropolitan University.

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Abstract

This dissertation is a longitudinal study of urban indeterminacy and the impacts of stalled projects on urban processes based on three complex development sites in Tallinn, Estonia. The study proposes that morphology, media representation, design aspiration and exploring everyday uses and rhythms of urban space should be viewed as relevant for understanding the process of urban change in post-1991 Tallinn. A context commonly explored through the lens of post-socialist urban studies is revealed through representations on multiple levels. The core focus here is on representations of three sites that have been in a long-term indeterminate condition and also a subject of several never realised urban visions. These are a modernist concert hall, Linnahall; a residential neighbourhood, KopliLines; and a coastal development site known as Kalarand. These sites have been contested locations in the middle of a developing planning framework and their use and disuse are seen as relevant for understanding stakeholder relationships in urban development as well as uncovering the process of value creation in post-socialist condition. These sites are unveiled through plans and never finished urban/architectural visions, media representation and site visit documentation between 2013 and 2020. It is argued that exploring indeterminacy, non-change and temporality of space enables us to challenge the relevance of the notion of post-socialism and uncovers a toolbox for understanding transitions on multiple levels–from physical space to ideology and perception. It is argued that there is value in the uncertainty that is characteristic of transitional contexts.