Warsaw is a city whose skyline is dominated by the Stalinist-era Palace of Culture and where a heated debate is under way on how to turn the vast space around it into a genuine human-scale city centre.

One change in the urban landscape in the Czech Republic in recent years has been a massive increase in the number of shopping malls. Rare a decade ago, large shopping centres are now part of the everyday lives of millions of Czechs. And while the number of malls keeps on growing, some major retailers are also making inroads into the corner shop market. Radio Prague’s Ian Willoughby reports.

There's a building boom going on across much of Central Europe. In capitals like Prague, Warsaw and Bratislava cranes dominate the skyline as builders try to keep up with demand created by rapid economic growth. That growth is creating jobs and wealth and new architectural gems. But it's also bringing problems including traffic chaos and fears for the urban environment. Our special program this week begins on a building site in Bratislava.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the death of its greatest architect, Slovenia has unleashed a flurry of exhibitions and symposiums abroad to try to bring more recognition to Jože Plečnik. With shows currently running in Belgium and Japan, Slovenian architects are also hoping to breathe new life into the so-called Slovenian School of Architecture.