A tacit feedback – reflections of work in Africa on the architectural and planning practices of socialist Croatia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 17587296 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mojca Smode Cvitanović (0000-0002-3229-6147, University of Zagreb, corresponding author), Melita Čavlović (0000-0002-1438-3677, University of Zagreb) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-22 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-18 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Planning Perspectives (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0266-5433 • E-ISSN: 1466-4518 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02665433.2026.2630401 |
| OpenAlex | W7130323233 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 5 |
Socialist Yugoslavian, and subsequently Croatian, architects' experiences of practicing in African countries has been generally viewed as a one-way, southwards oriented process. However, a feedback loop developed latently by expanding the professional experience of architects. This enriched their profile either as authors or managers. Paralleling processes which have been observed to have occurred in international relations over the period in question, those architects acquired the status of 'experts,' and companies gained firm positions on the international market. Relevant international experience was thus transferred northwards, enabling new professional trajectories to evolve. Instead of being oriented exclusively at foreign territories, their intertwining contributed to the establishment of international projects in Yugoslavia as well. The UN funded projects, implemented in Yugoslavia at the time can be seen here as a key example. This article therefore addresses the professional development acquired in West Africa at the beginning of the 1960s, that would later habilitate Croatian architects for placement in the field of their further international expertise. In doing so, two case studies about bilateral technical cooperation in Ghana and Guinea are examined. Finally, the article reveals the tacit layers of effects prompted by work in Africa, within the architectural practices in socialist Croatia
Tacit knowledge · Balkans: History, Politics, Society · Central European national history · Urbanization and City Planning
| Highly cited | No |
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