Recognising the Development Potential of Housing Estate in-between Spaces: Typology, Scenarios and Regeneration Strategies

Abstract Late-modernist housing estates represent a dominant residential typology in Central European cities; however, their standardized and technocratic planning often resulted in the formation of undefined and functionally ambiguous open spaces. These in-between spaces, created as byproducts of post-war mass housing construction, frequently remain underused despite their strategic position within the residential structure. This paper investigates the development potential of housing estate gaps and explores their transformation into active and meaningful public environments. The research combines field mapping, spatial analysis, and typological classification with the creation of a working database documenting spatial characteristics, current uses, and external interventions. Based on this framework, a set of development scenarios and a catalogue of regeneration solutions are proposed. The concept of inward-oriented development, which understands the intensification and structuring of open space as a means of improving spatial quality rather than its simple preservation is central to the approach. The methodology is demonstrated through a case study of the Jahodníky – Ľadoveň housing estate in the city of Martin, Slovakia. The results show that in-between spaces can accommodate a wide range of community, recreational, ecological, and identity-forming functions. Small-scale, context-sensitive interventions are capable of transforming residual areas into legible, multifunctional, and socially embedded public spaces. The paper argues that systematic recognition and activation of these micro-spaces represents an effective tool for enhancing the everyday living environment and strengthening the identity of housing estates without the need for large-scale redevelopment.