Characteristics of the area
The city quarter of Bratislava-Raca, historically a vineyard village, became a part of Bratislava in 1946. Its eastern part Východné was suburb of Bratislava-Raca. Východné first became urbanised in the nineteen thirties, primarily as a railway colony connected to the railway track, station and depot. In the seventies and eighties the railway colony was
enlarged by the development of monofunctional blocks of flats, basic facilities, manufacturing and warehouse complexes.
Today, the area features a system of railway tracks and a cargo railway depot. Both create a massive barrier. Another important factor is the border of the cadastre area of the municipality. It creates an unsuitable segmentation of the functional bodies for the municipalities of Raca and its neighbour Vajnory
The case study area Východné/Žabi Majer is situated on the border of the city’s Raca district. Východné is divided into different urban segments (Stanica Raca, Mäsokombinát, Pri Šajbách, Dopravná ulica, Zriadovacia stanica, Horné šajby). This is the most functionally accomplished structure with prevalent monofunctional residential buildings and warehouse complexes. It’s mostly characterised by manufacturing industries. Žabí majer is an amorphous and diverse area including manufacturing industries, warehouses and commercial activities. Both urban parts Východné and Žabí Majer consist of structures without any integrational linkage to each other.
The landscape of Východné/Žabi Majer is influenced by anthropogenic factors which threaten the natural environment, such as waste dumping grounds and a high concentration pollution from industry processes (e.g. ammonia) and transport. However, the area also has a potentially valueable natural asset - the lake Kalná.

Problems
Urban rehabilitation is a new phenomenon in Slovakia. The processes of socio-economical transformation, which caused a reduction in industry, ended in physical and social decline.
The privatisation of the public sector caused, in many cases, the fragmentation and expiration of large industrial complexes, the poaching of property and had a detrimental effect on important investment tendencies. At the same time, inadequate state intervention, in the form of legislative policy, lead to diminished interest in creating a legislative framework for planning and revitalisation. Resulting from the national situation, five main problems can be identified: the inefficiency of functional land use, poor quality mass transportation, the barriers presented by the railway tracks, low incomes and a lack of social cohesion.
Another problem lies in the negative image of the area, the result of waste land areas, rundown and derelict industrial estates, monofunctional sites, insufficient quality of each functional part and an apparent lack of ordered organisation.
These negative factors of the area block the further development of the whole city.

Potential
Východné is in a good position with regard to developing manufacturing, trade and commercial activities and service provision. In connection with these sectors, there is potential for the development of housing and mixed-use areas in centre. Východné also has the potential to provide education across different levels of the industrial sectors in addition to creating job opportunities and an employment network. The lake Kalná area bears also a potential for new uses. However, this area has to be protected through nature conservation and connected with the whole urban system in Raca.

Visions, chances for development and drivers for change
The strategic vision encompasses the development of local communities and urban areas into attractive places for living and the development of services and commercial facilities.
This includes connecting to natural sites in the main part of the area and developing manufacturing, trade and commercial facilities on the periphery. In the interests of viability and sustainability, the Master Plan should be progressed in a wider context than the existing and proposed initiatives.
In cooperation with stakeholders, the Urban Study and the Development Strategy, at local level, will be the main documents for the take-off period. Both documents will be coordinated with the Master Plan and the Development Strategy of Bratislava.
Furthermore, long-term plans include the creation of an effective management system, the strengthening of stakeholder co-operation, a balanced policy of stakeholder involvement in the decision-making process and the creation of public-private partnerships.
The important aspect of this strategy is to create a good balance among political and economic tendencies and create conditions for mutual cooperation, networking and competitiveness.

Projects
In general, the exploratory use of GIS should help with the process of monitoring and assessing problems relating to unclear land ownership, and the potential of, and requirements for, the development of new facilities. This will be considered as background information for the aforementioned projects.
In assumption with the profit conception discussions will take place with investors on undertaking a survey of their interests, focusing on the invested minimums, eventual economic development of the smaller areas and buildings rather than on large profitable concepts.
One prevailing activity is the preparation of the Bratislava-Shopping Centre project which will serve as production and retailing area. As a requirement stipulated by local citizens, a project is being prepared on the reconstruction of the Raca- Východné primary school. The local council has approved the proposal to convert the school into a mixed-use facility. Land ownership in the area of Žabí Majer is currently unclear. The Master Plan designates the area for a mixed-use development. The preparation of a transport by-pass across the area of Žabí Majer is an important strategic project. This will finalise the connection to Vajnory in the north part of the case study area. Other important activities include the road connection from Pánty to Šajby, which will enable access to the surrounding neighbourhoods, and the reconstruction of the railway and depot areas.