Regional inequalities within the Visegrad group over the years 2000–2018

Regional inequalities within the Visegrad group over the years 2000–2018

Author(s): Gyorgy Ivan Neszmelyi,Sergey Vinogradov,Henrietta Nagy / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: regional inequality;national-level inequality;Visegrad group;Theil-index

In the present study the authors examined the spatial disparities of the Visegrad four countries to see whether the lasting cooperation of the four countries resulted in harmonious economic development or increasing gaps between the years 2000 and 2018. Based on the research results it can be concluded that regional disparities between core and periphery regions of V4 countries still have not been eliminated to a significant extent. Despite the fact that the Visegrad Group has been in the EU for 18 years, the catching-up of its regions occurred with various speed, and no harmonised development can be observed within the Group.

German immigrants in central Poland in the late 18th and early 19th centuries

German immigrants in central Poland in the late 18th and early 19th centuries

Author(s): Tadeusz Marszał / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: German settlement in Poland;Central Poland;Łódź province;geography and history of migration

The aim of this article is to provide a holistic presentation of the genesis, intensity, and directions of movement, as well as the spatial and temporal distribution of the German national group which settled in Central Poland from the end of the 18th century to the 1820–1830 period. This paper analyses the determinants of the inflow of German immigrants, and their geographical origin, as well as the social and occupational structure. The settlers from German lands were a very diverse social group. In the case of first and second-generation immigrants who came to Central Poland, the social integration process was still quite slow. The colonists and settlers living in the diaspora developed a certain pattern of existence that focused on their immediate environment separating them from the outside world, while the retention of their mother tongue and religious tradition was more an expression of traditionalist consciousness than national identity.

Governance of Ecosystem Services: A Plea for a New Perspective on Ecosystem Services for Land-use Planners

Governance of Ecosystem Services: A Plea for a New Perspective on Ecosystem Services for Land-use Planners

Author(s): Konrad Gray,Günden Savaşçı,Sonja Deppisch / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: urban ecosystem services;land use planning;urban and regional planning;ecosystem service integration;science-policy interface

Integrating the ecosystem services (ES) concept into land-use planning has been the focus of researchers in recent years. Forwarding this objective in order to foster human well-being, urban and regional planning became the focus of research efforts. Furthermore, governance research has been beneficial in studying the coupling of ecosystem services and planning processes. Thus, in this explorative case study we have analysed the governance of urban and regional planning in two case studies – Rostock and Munich – in order to gain insights about the role and value of ecosystem services among planning actors. We conducted semi-structured interviews to identify relevant parameters to facilitate integrational approaches of ecosystem services into decision-making in the context of cross-sectoral urban and regional planning. Based on our results, we argue for a change of the perspective of ES within planning practice. Instead of ecological or economic endeavours, the contribution of ES to human well-being should be in the centre of attention. Human well-being as an overarching aspiration may have the potential to shift ecosystem services from sectoral to cross-sectoral planning.

Basic models of protection and functioning of the Ukrainian border in modern geopolitical realities: a view from Ukraine

Basic models of protection and functioning of the Ukrainian border in modern geopolitical realities: a view from Ukraine

Author(s): Natalia Kotsan,Galina Kopachinska,Yevheniia Vozniuk,Roman Kotsan / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: state border;Ukraine;Poland;EU;Russia;Belarus;Moldova;border protection;border functioning;model

In the article, the authors summarised the concept of state border security. They have suggested a wider interpretation of the border security model. They discussed modern models of border security in a theoretical context. They presented progressive models of security and functioning of Ukraine’s borders and described their features. They emphasised that the modern Ukrainian-Polish boundary represents a partially liberal model of security and functioning and it can be characterised by the operational security model. Different models of the functioning of the Ukrainian-Polish boundary (asymmetrical, selectively simplified, and symmetrical) were identified and connected with the transformational processes of the Ukrainian-Polish relations.

The elderly and urban mobility: cost sensitivity of elderly people in the “oldest” Italian city

The elderly and urban mobility: cost sensitivity of elderly people in the “oldest” Italian city

Author(s): Claudia Burlando,Enrico Musso,Luca Persico / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: the elderly;urban mobility;cost sensitivity of elderly people

The world is facing a series of changes that will modify the way we envisage transport planning in our cities. Demographic ageing as a consequence of higher life expectancy and lower fertility rates is a world-wide phenomenon. While ageing is indeed a triumph of scientific progress and increasing longevity is perceived as one of humanity’s greatest achievements, the transition in society needs to be managed. In the urban context, any increase in age, health, and economic conditions determines one’s ability to enjoy the urban milieu and the so-called economies of urbanisation (advantages gained from an urban location, e.g., proximity to a market, labour supply, good communications, and financial and commercial services) longer. As there are more and more elderly people in cities, urban mobility becomes crucial in making the urban environment more inclusive. In order to provide suitable policy guidelines, it is, therefore, necessary to investigate and understand senior traveller behaviour. In this study, we investigate urban travel characteristics of people aged 65 years and over living in the city of Genoa (one of the cities with the largest population of the elderly in the EU). By utilising a structured questionnaire, the paper explores the satisfaction and motivations of approx. 600 elderly public transport users in the city. In particular, exploratory factor analysis has been used to determine the key dimensions of the satisfaction and mobility motivations, and subsequently to use them to investigate the cost sensitivity of elderly people.

Urban regeneration and urban resilience planning through connectivity: the importance of this principle of new urbanism

Urban regeneration and urban resilience planning through connectivity: the importance of this principle of new urbanism

Author(s): Monika Maria Cysek-Pawlak,Sylwia Krzysztofik,Andrzej Makowski / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: Lodz;New Urbanism;resilience;urban regeneration

Urban regeneration, which is increasingly having to include methods of adapting urban areas to escalating climate change, is one of the main challenges for the contemporary development of European cities, especially in densely built-up central areas. This multi-level process requires major financial outlays, which is why it is so important to identify the factors that ensure the effectiveness of implemented projects. This article attempts to define the meaning of the New Urbanism principle of connectivity, ensuring freedom of movement in the urban regeneration process. The conducted research has been intended to verify the hypothesis that improving connectivity is critical for the success of the processes of regenerating and improving resilience in degraded urban fabric. The research was conducted using the area regeneration of the centre of Lodz as an example, being the largest project of this type in Poland. The analyses were made by comparing the current status, based on an inventory of the existing situation, and the planned status on the basis of design documentation. The research demonstrates that increasing connectivity will improve the accessibility of properties located within municipal quarters and will help obtain more attractive public spaces. The planned activities will also help bolster climate change in the location by increasing green areas, improving the use of wasteland, and by developing a network of green infrastructure. The execution of the revitalisation project in the centre of Lodz will not only improve the quality of space, but will also increase the resilience of the intensively urbanised inner-city areas to climate change.

Universities and smart specialisation in less developed European regions: an evidence-based overview

Universities and smart specialisation in less developed European regions: an evidence-based overview

Author(s): Eristian Wibisono / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: universities;Smart Specialization;regional development;less developed region;Europe

This paper aims to review the evidence demonstrating the role of universities in the knowledge diffusion function for Smart Specialisation strategies. It is not new if many experts question whether Smart Specialisation will apply equally in all regions, plus the reason that the study of the role of universities in Smart Specialisation still needs much attention. Through this evidence-based literature review, I have identified three main points that support the role of universities for Smart Specialisation in less developed regions of Europe, including resources in regional innovation systems, public sector investment support for RandD, and strong bonds of the Triple Helix actors.

Book Reviews

Book Reviews

Author(s): Edyta Masierek,Iwona Pielesiak / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Modelling the regional variability of building activity in Greece: A multi-level multinomial logistic regression approach

Modelling the regional variability of building activity in Greece: A multi-level multinomial logistic regression approach

Author(s): Dimitrios Kantianis,Serafeim Polyzos,Dimitrios Tsiotas / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2023

Keywords: spatial planning;regional development;building activity;multinomial logistic regression

This paper studies spatial differences in the fluctuations of the regional building activity in Greece, by developing a composite multinomial logistic regression model expressing the building activity’s variability in socio-economic terms. The results show that the variability in building activity is related to economies of scale within the construction sector, along with the performance of two other Greek economy’s major sectors, i.e., tourism and tertiary, in highlighting a dependence on the prime drivers of economic and regional development. Overall, the research provides empirical evidence on the macro-economic modelling of spatial demand, based on a proxy incorporating all aspects of human activity in the geographical space.

Centres and peripheries reflected in distribution patterns of EU cohesion policy funding on the example of the Baranya county, Hungary

Centres and peripheries reflected in distribution patterns of EU cohesion policy funding on the example of the Baranya county, Hungary

Author(s): Zoltán Pámer / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2023

Keywords: multi-level governance;cohesion policy;place-based policy;peripheral areas

The cohesion policy of the EU plays a key role in overcoming territorial disparities. The emergence of the policy was accompanied by a debate on a place-neutral or place-based approach. In the case of Hungary, the first fully implemented programming period of 2007−2013 and the still ongoing 2014−2020 period provide a good tool for comparison. Overall, the aim of the research was to provide an in-depth look into the change of territorial patterns of EU-funding distribution, on the example of the Baranya county, being part of one of the 20 least developed regions of the EU; how territorial patterns of EU funding changed between the two periods and how the county-level territorial objectives were reflected in the funding patters. The introduction of the paper provides a review of relevant literature on EU cohesion policy, then the selection of the Baranya county as a case study is justified. The following part shortly presents the framework of regional development in Hungary, highlighting the relevant documents for the case study county. The presentation of the empirical study is divided into two parts. First, as quali­tative research perceptions of the stakeholders of the key levels of regional policy decision-making are analysed. Second, a quantitative analysis of the territorial funding patterns of the two periods is presented, in light of established territorial objectives.

The mapping of forms of spatial planning: An instrument-oriented tool for the international comparison of spatial planning activities

The mapping of forms of spatial planning: An instrument-oriented tool for the international comparison of spatial planning activities

Author(s): Géza Salamin / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2023

Keywords: spatial planning;urban planning;European Union;territorial governance;comparative studies

The paper makes a contribution to European comparative research on spatial planning by providing an instrument-oriented methodological framework for forms of planning. Based on the main efforts to date, the main challenges of comparative research on European planning systems are identified. The author’s comparative four-dimensional model and related visual tool can be used to bridge different national languages of planning and compare various spatial forms of planning. With the tool, the nature of planning regimes, specific plans, and other planning-related activities can be identified in accordance with the dimensions of Motivation, Geography, Scope, and Instruments, making them comparable.

The role of social movements in transformative tourism development: Lessons learnt from a case study in Lithuania

The role of social movements in transformative tourism development: Lessons learnt from a case study in Lithuania

Author(s): Dalia Vidickienė,Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė,Vitalija Simonaitytė,Rita Lankauskiene / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2023

Keywords: business model;collaborative relationships;social movements;transformative tourism;value co-creation

This study responds to the need for theoretical and empirical research on value co-creation in tourism. Previous research has mainly adopted a perspective centred on the collaborative relationships between tourists and service providers, i.e., has been focused on a relationship called ‘one-to-one’. According to the emerging trends in value co-creation theory, value co-creation activities, however, are more complex. The research provides empirical support to previous general conceptualisations of value-creation and brings some new insights to value co-creation involving multiple actors from a perspective called ‘many-to-one’. The research is focused on the role of the most active stakeholder in transformative tourism that represents ‘many’ actors as a whole – the social movement. The paper describes a case on a transformative tourism initiative that is a particularly rich setting for expanding value-cocreation in a network of activities’ research for a more complex understanding of value networks in the tourism sector. The case study examines extensively the role of social movements in transformative tourism development through value co-creation. The findings develop a more complex value co-creation mechanism and enable the conceptualisation of the value co-creation process by identifying drivers of collaboration, value co-creation activities, and outcomes. The research demonstrates the potential of social movements for the development of transformative tourism in value co-creation and has implications for both entrepreneurs and policymakers seeking to develop transformative tourism and leaders of a new generation of social movements aiming to transform society.

The future of wellness tourism after COVID-19

The future of wellness tourism after COVID-19

Author(s): Andressa Piatto Clerici,Catriona Murphy,Nuno Miguel Castanheira Almeida / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2023

Keywords: wellness;wellness tourism;trends;COVID-19 pandemic

The tourism industry has drastically reduced its activity since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet there has been an undeniable rise in demand for wellness tourism which now represents one of the fastest growing tourism market segments globally. Admittedly, while the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the forecasted wellness tourism growth trend, this segment has stood fast at USD 4.4 trillion in 2020 while global GDP declined by 2.8%. In 2020, the wellness tourism market was valued at USD 436 billion, projected to rise to USD 816 billion by 2022 with more than 1.2 billion trips being realised and anticipated growth estimated at USD 1.0 trillion by 2025. The main purpose of this study is to ascertain the future trends of wellness tourism, and to investigate the extent to which this upward growth trend can be sustainably maintained post COVID-19. A qualitative structured interview methodology was employed using email interviews comprising six pre-determined questions with three expert wellness tourism participants. These expert interviewees were based in countries that were severely impacted by COVID-19, namely Brazil, USA, and Portugal. NVivo Nudist was used to analyse the primary data collected. In validating previous research findings, this study indicates that despite the challenges facing the sector, upward growth patterns in wellness tourism will continue beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Competing landscapes of commerce and tourism: Critical relations and possible strategies in Venice’s historical city

Competing landscapes of commerce and tourism: Critical relations and possible strategies in Venice’s historical city

Author(s): Cristina Catalanotti / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2023

Keywords: Venice;commerce;neighbourhood shops;quality of urban spaces;urban regeneration

This article investigates the relationship between tourism-related economic activities and neighbourhood shops in the historical centre of Venice, in terms of both their spatial distribution and the conflictual uses of the city. In questioning how to inhabit and revitalise the city through commercial activities, the paper wishes to contribute to the discussion proposed in the special number, by presenting a specific yet paradigmatic context and by reflecting on urban regeneration and revitalisation bottom-up practices. The research first unfolds the landscapes of commerce in the city and identifies polarised geographies of tourism-related activities focusing on retail and catering businesses; secondly, it interrogates spatialised strategies that local actors are developing to reflect on their relation with urban planning and policy design processes.

AHP and TOPSIS as methods assessing the attractiveness of urban parks: The case of Lodz, Poland

AHP and TOPSIS as methods assessing the attractiveness of urban parks: The case of Lodz, Poland

Author(s): Marcin Feltynowski,Agnieszka Rzeńca,Piotr Rzeńca,Wiktor Wróblewski / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2023

Keywords: urban parks;park attractiveness;urban amenities;the AHP and TOPSIS methods

Urban parks are significant elements that improve the quality of life in built-up areas. This research aims to identify the most attractive park in Lodz, Poland, using a set of assessment indicators. In our opinion, the decision-making process in assessing the attractiveness of urban parks may be assisted by Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). Two methods were chosen from the MCDA group, namely the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The research shows that the proposed methods reveal which park needs support and calls for investment.

Stadt, Land, Klima: A review of recent German contributions to urban studies with a review of: Uwe PRELL, Die Stadt, Sascha HENNINGER and Stephan WEBER, Stadtklima, and Freerk BAUMANN, Und jetzt aufs Land. Wie die Natur unsere Gesundheit fördert

Stadt, Land, Klima: A review of recent German contributions to urban studies with a review of: Uwe PRELL, Die Stadt, Sascha HENNINGER and Stephan WEBER, Stadtklima, and Freerk BAUMANN, Und jetzt aufs Land. Wie die Natur unsere Gesundheit fördert

Author(s): Gert-Jan Hospers / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2023

THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGIES ON LEADERSHIP STYLES IN SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN COUNTIES

THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGIES ON LEADERSHIP STYLES IN SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN COUNTIES

Author(s): Duško Knezević / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2023

Keywords: leadership style; technology; transformation; South-Eastern Europe (SEE) countries;

This paper focuses on analyzing the range of factors that influence the transformation of leadership styles by technologies. The aim is to evaluate the level of transformation achieved by influence of technologies in certain post-socialist countries in Southeastern Europe (SEE). The theoretical part of the research identifies two sets of factors (endogenous and exogenous) that are important in understanding the influence of technologies on leadership transformation. Key factors were identified, including readiness of organization, perceived-easy of use, customer pressure, law regulations, and leader’s attitude. In the quantitative section of the research, the impact of these factors on the transformation of leadership styles was evaluated. The hypothesis is that these factors significantly impact leadership style transformation in the selected countries, and by understanding their advantages, leaders can improve their performance. The multiple linear regression method was used to research the perception of the impact of selected factors. A mathematical model based on multiple linear regression analysis was created to explain the relationship between the dependent variable (the level of transformation of leadership style) and the selected independent variables. The results have confirmed the validity of the hypothesis and, consequently, the selected factors have the high influence to the transformation of leadership styles in the analyzed countries. The study concludes that the evaluation of the current status of selected factors presents opportunities that leaders should consider to survive the effects of globalization and open markets. The selected factors explain the situation in leadership to a great extent in the observed countries.

THE IMPACT OF MILITARY EXPENDITURE ON EXTERNAL DEBT IN ARMENIA

THE IMPACT OF MILITARY EXPENDITURE ON EXTERNAL DEBT IN ARMENIA

Author(s): Gayane Harutyunyan / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2023

Keywords: military expenditure; external debt; defense industry; Johansen’s cointegration test; Granger’s causality test; Armenia;

The paper explores the impact of military expenditure on external debt in Armenia using time series for 1994-2020. The purpose of this study was to verify the initial hypothesis that the main factor in the rise of Armenia’s external debt is the increase in military spending directed at paying for the import of military products. The study was conducted using Johansen’s cointegration and Granger’s causality tests. The results of Johansen’s cointegration test showed that there are long-term interdependencies between military expenditure and external debt, as well as between trade balance and external debt; meanwhile the long-term interdependence between non-military expenditures and external debt was not found. The results of Granger’s causality test showed that the military expenditure caused an increase in external debt with a two-year time lag, and a similar causal relationship was also found between the current account balance and external debt. But more remarkable is the fact that the current account balance also caused a change in military expenditure, while the reverse causality has not been established.

FROM OVERTOURISM TO NO-TOURISM – COSTS AND BENEFITS OF EXTREME VOLUME OF TOURISM TRAFFIC AS PERCEIVED BY INHABITANTS OF TWO POLISH DESTINATIONS

FROM OVERTOURISM TO NO-TOURISM – COSTS AND BENEFITS OF EXTREME VOLUME OF TOURISM TRAFFIC AS PERCEIVED BY INHABITANTS OF TWO POLISH DESTINATIONS

Author(s): Michał Żemła,Adam R. SZROMEK / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2023

Keywords: overtourism; no-tourism; COVID-19 pandemics; tourism impact; destination residents;

Overtourism might be one of the most characteristic trends and phenomena of tourism in the 2010s. However, after a rapid transformation caused by overtourism, an even faster and more unexpected change appeared in 2020: due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism temporarily disappeared from cities and other destinations worldwide. These two opposite and extreme phenomena were so close in time that they can be compared and their perception by different tourism stakeholders can be analyzed. Host communities were often major victims of overtourism, which led to the development of anti-tourism attitudes in many destinations. However, many inhabitants were also severely affected by the recent decline in tourism, as plenty of them depended economically on tourist arrivals and tourism revenues. This research is conducted for two of the most important destinations in Poland: Kraków and Białka Tatrzańska. The study aims to compare how the transformations to and from overtourism are perceived by inhabitants of these two typical and important tourism destinations. The results show that the impact of tourism was not perceived as crucial by the residents of either destination and that this remains true for both overtourism and no-tourism. However, the economic importance of tourism was strongly emphasized. Additionally, the indicated impact of tourism on their lives and their destination was much stronger for the residents of Białka Tatrzańska than those of Kraków. The study aims to fill the knowledge gap regarding how tourism development (including overtourism and no-tourism) is perceived by inhabitants of cities and tourism resorts, particularly in terms of experiencing the benefits and costs of both extreme situations.

Backwoods of Language. The Modernist Prose of Djuna Barnes in Polish Translation

Backwoods of Language. The Modernist Prose of Djuna Barnes in Polish Translation

Author(s): Izabela Sobczak / Language(s): English / Issue: Sp. Iss./2023

Keywords: Nightwood; translation criticism; Djuna Barnes; body; text;

Only eighty years after the original publication of Djuna Barnes’s Nightwood was the Polish literary market enriched by a translation of one of the strangest novels of Euro- American modernism. Marcin Szuster’s translation, with the Polish title Ostępy nocy, has already garnered praise as well as prizes, leading to the first Polish discussion concerning the work of the eccentric American writer. The focus of this article is to analyze the Polish translation of Nightwood with a special interest in Barnes’s style, which itself becomes a central character in the novel and which connects, according to feminist critics (K. Kaivola, S. Benstock), to its emancipatory potential. In this article I discuss the claim that the complex style of such prose is the (conscious) manifestation of a woman’s voice (as an affect), behind which one can discover a body – one that experiences and is experienced (J. Taylor). The body, both a structural and a rhetorical category in feminist criticism, can be seen in Barnes’s prose as an element which organizes both time and space – therefore, the ambiguity of her terms and the complexity of style make for a real translation challenge. Marcin Szuster as a translator needs to follow Barnes’s “distinctive point of view,” which is a “feminine” one, distanced by gender, experience and time.