“I Am Living My Dream… For Now.” Reimagining Suburban Living in Slovakia

Date of Publication:

01.10.2025

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62800/NR.2025.3.02

Abstract:

People moving to the suburbs of Bratislava, the Slovak capital, often see this step as a route to personal and family security, social mobility, and a family-focused lifestyle. While some have successfully adapted to the suburban life, others have struggled to develop a sense of belonging, sometimes leading to a return to the city. Based on twenty ethnographic case studies, this paper examines how suburban placemaking, belonging, and homemaking connect and develop through individual trajectories, perceptions, and lived experiences. It emphasises how suburban stories are shaped by residents’ ongoing efforts to reimagine and renegotiate their homes regarding their daily life and how communication and care are organized within their families, both at present and in their envisioned futures.

Keywords:

belonging, Central Europe, home, placemaking, suburb

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References:

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