Modernist housing estates continue to constitute a significant portion of the housing stock in the Czech Republic. The proportion of flats in housing-estate neighborhoods (data limited to panel construction) stands at 28%, rising notably to around 40% in so-called "Structurally Affected Regions." This term pertains to areas sharing commonalities in social and economic attributes such as depopulation, urban shrinkage, elevated poverty rates, and the pervasive stigmatization of the entire landscape. As these regions also undergo transition away from coal mining, which forms a significant part of their economic base, towards the pursuit of climate neutrality, their economic and social circumstances are anticipated to deteriorate. When considering the advancement of structurally affected regions, the discourse surrounding housing, its competitiveness, and attractiveness is predominantly confined to the technical and energy aspects of buildings. The blind spot in the housing discourse is also conspicuous in the distinct strategies adopted by these regions, resulting in a paradoxical situation where the regions boasting the highest concentration of modernist estates exhibit the lowest count of urban renewal initiatives. This paper aims to delineate the role played by housing estates in the developmental dynamics of structurally affected regions and to draft the trajectory of prospective research that could facilitate the comprehension of direct correlations among the physical, social, and economic milieu, thereby enabling evidence-based policymaking.
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