Exploring the 'in-between' in Nicosia's Buffer Zone: Local practices of de-bordering. Issue 3 (26th May 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Foka, Zinovia
• Is Part Of: Mediterranean politics. Volume 25:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 310
• Page End: 331
• Publication Date: 2020-05-26
• Subjects: Bordering -- urban partition -- common heritage -- reclaiming space -- power -- control; Mediterranean Region -- Politics and government -- 1945- -- Periodicals; 320.91822
• DOI: 10.1080/13629395.2019.1681731
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1362-9395

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Nicosia's Buffer Zone, the boundary dividing the Cypriot capital, has been for decades considered a 'no man's land', 'dead' and unchanging. This paper examines a prominent shift in local socio-spatial practices following the reinstatement of controlled mobility on the island in 2003. Since then, diverse local initiatives have reclaimed Buffer Zone space, offering pregnant analytical moments to problematize the historical relevance of bordering and de-bordering in Nicosia. Through this exploration, the boundary emerges as a dynamic social construct, accommodating multiple visions of and for the city, thus contributing to a reconceptualization of the notion of 'in-between' borders and boundaries.