Perspektive umrežavanja glavnih gradova Gornjeg Podunavlja
Perspectives of networking of the capitals in upper Danube basin

Summary/Abstract: The role of European cities is approaching its peak importance in times of global crisis. The reasons for this are their financial, intellectual, institutional and political capacities and influence. This advantage of cities is combined with shortcomings of demographic hyper concentration, social segregation, financial blunders and security threats. Dynamic changes are increasing, and are accompanied by centripetal forces that direct the flow of population towards the town centers, finance and investment towards big cities, while smaller towns in many cases lag behind. The role of cities and towns is of particular importance in the European countries in transition, such as the countries of Central and South East Europe, with all their advantages and disadvantages. The complex network of still undiscovered links between large cities - especially capitals - with their functions as the basis of networking, along with the growing emergence of large metropolitan areas as economic regions and the lack of polycentrism as a national spatial policy, could emerge as a critical and challenging issue for the governments of the major cities of South East Europe (SEE). Functional pro¬file of a city and its economic structure, together with a system of public services, technical equipment and capacities, jointly contribute to the level of its competitiveness. Cooperation and networking of capitals in the SEE is a topic of importance not only for this part of Europe but also for Europe as a whole. The system of city management in SEE therefore requires modernization instead of politicization.

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