This study was conducted in Wedomartani village, Ngemplak District of Sleman Regency, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta. The objectives of this study are: (1) to assess the responses of Wedomartani villagers about the development of Maguwoharjo Stadium area; (2) to assess the significance of the development in Maguwoharjo Stadium area toward the land use in Wedomartani village; (3) to assess the socio-economic livelihood changes of Wedomartani villagers after the development of Maguwoharjo Stadium area. The methodology used in this study was based on the survey method. The data collection techniques included in-depth interviews and field observations. There were 50 key informants consisting of five village heads, 20 heads of Rukun Tetangga (neighborhood associations), and 25 respected figures for in-depth interviews by using purposive sampling method. Research findings and data analysis were drawn by using descriptive and qualitative approach by applying these stages: (1) data reduction; (2) categorization; (3) data synthesis; (4) conclusion. The research findings showed that according to the community’s opinions, the development of Maguwoharjo Stadium area can make the socio-economic livelihood change into a better condition possible. This study also showed that the development of Maguwoharjo Stadium area affected the purposes of land use, particularly in the neighborhood of Maguwoharjo Stadium and along the road leading to Maguwoharjo Stadium area with a widespread pattern. Lastly, this study found out that the changes of how people make a living were characterized by the choice of jobs they choose and their house building’ structure. The way they make a living in general was by having more various jobs available as the number of non-agricultural jobs increased. This way of living obviously resulted in the increased income and a better construction of their house buildings.
Croatia is recently one of the most popular tourist destinations of the Mediterranean world, attracting millions of tourists each year with its crystal-clear sea. At the end of the last century, the country, by its secession from Yugoslavia, placed its tourism marketing activity on strategic basis, and the number of guest arrivals began to increase leaving the war-years behind – in 2013, the 28th member state of the European Union was visited by three times more tourists than the number of Croatian inhabitants at that time. Attracting tourists is one of the main goals of country branding, thus marketing activity related to tourism could play an important role in the development of the country image as well. The present study focuses on tourism development and tourism-related image development of Croatia and, with the help of questionnaire surveys carried out among the young intellectuals in Hungary and Croatia, investigates the role of this tourism feature in the country image at a date especially important for the country, the year of its EU-accession The results of the investigations prove the fact known from the literature that there is always a difference between the image felt within the borders of a country and the one perceived outside, although in the case of Croatia, in all the studied dimensions of images, tourism will receive an outstanding role.
In the recent years, the problems of food security are found more in the urban areas of the developing countries where agricultural land is at the faster rate of conversion with high population influx. Peri-urban agriculture is one of the urban activities providing a short food supply chain to the urbanites and creating jobs among the locals. However, lack of recognition of the peri-urban agriculture has led to generalize it as a rural activity despite being close to the urban centre and the consumers. This paper presents the case study approach used for peri-urban farmers producing perishable vegetables in the Kathmandu Valley and the impact on their livelihood. The individual cases of peri-urban farmers are classified into five different units of analysis under the case study research method. The ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions of the case study in this paper are answered using the qualitative tools such as observation and in-depth interviews among the focused groups of farmers. Further analyses are comparison of cases of farmers under case study method amongst the measure of sustainable livelihood. The paper discusses about the livelihood peri-urban agriculture has generated to the local farmers for centuries and also recognizes the agricultural community that has long been known in the Kathmandu Valley’s literature on agriculture. Now, with the changing settings, it is important to classify the current peri-urban farmers and their socioeconomic conditions. The local farmers along the peri-urban areas of the valley, idyllically termed as ‘traditional farmers’, are now converting to other types of farmers such as ‘business farmers’. Therefore, this study demonstrates different types of peri-urban farmers and their livelihood. Simultaneously, it also highlights the problems faced by farmers and their prospective future. It also emphasizes the need of a new paradigm incorporating agriculture potential, research as a good strategic linkage between urban land use policy and agriculture to march towards the path of sustainable development.
This study is focused on the necessity of the development and the formation of “net-bag” type local food systems and presents partial results of my surveys analyzing the consumer attitudes to local Hungarian foods, as well as the reputation of consumer communities. The enhancement of the conscious food consumer needs, simultaneously with the dilemmas of the sustainability of the current food supply systems and the fact that retailers are pushed into the background have aroused my research interest. During the survey, I conducted a questionnaire with the consumers in four towns where consumer communities had already existed, namely Kecskemét, Esztergom, Érd, and Csömör by involving 54 students (sophomores of BA in Rural Development and Agribusiness at Szent István University in Gödöllő, Hungary). The aim of the research was to demonstrate how the consumers in the urban and rural places with different territorial and demographic characteristics are related to locally made food products and how important it is for them to consume and to access these goods. In the above-mentioned consumer communities, the high value-added products of local producers (as well as those living around) are available; consequently, regarding the exploitation of spreading/developing possibilities, it is essential to know whether there is a need/demand for these food products among consumers. Two of the above-mentioned sample locations, Érd and Csömör, belong to the agglomeration of Budapest that is a key regarding the examination. The main issue is whether consumer communities in these special places have a reason for existence or not.
The economic globalization is a comprehensive process which has almost fully re-arranged the map of our world’s economy by the 21st century. China successfully took this opportunity as in the course of the recent three decades, since the beginning of its opening policy, its economy has gone through incredible changes. The relationship between China and the sub-Saharan African countries - based principally on mutual economic benefits - can be considered perhaps as one of the most peculiar nowadays. Therefore, the authors have examined the characteristics of this relationship in depth.
Most of the settlements are interested in increasing employment, incomes, standards and quality of living, which usually coincides with the aims of the European Union, the aims of the Hungarian National Territorial Development programme, and coincides with the local interests. While conducting research on this topic, we studied the urban development practice of local governments in Hungary. We examined the external and internal conditions, the actual possibilities that affect the efficiency of urban development and the limiting factors. We determined the dominant players, as well as the means and limits of the current Hungarian territorial development. Joining the European Union in 2004 opened new possibilities for the Hungarian settlements; we assessed the effects of this new situation on the development planning. During my research, I analysed publicly available data of the municipal planning activity of 2009. The time passed since the data collection for this research has proven that the new possibilities have not changed significantly the living standards of the Hungarian citizens and the competitiveness of the Hungarian settlements. This study tries to reveal the reasons and basis of this apparent lack of prosperity at the level of development and economic planning.
Space is not a concrete physical element of reality but it is an interpreted social construction. It is a condition of possibility, which can only be observed in the multiple forms of appearance of beings. Space, time, the medium that makes them observable and the observer always “go together”. The representation of space that we live in and experience indirectly is very similar to external reality and, thus, provides ontological certainty and a sense of feeling at home in the routine of our everyday life. Space (structure) is not an external cause but the functioning mode of the relations that connect those who exist together; it is a zeitgeist and context. In the final section, the author provides examples of the possible applications of the socio-spatial perspective presented in this paper.
The Regional Geography papers, especially those dedicated to the “land”-type studies sequentially mention certain historical aspects, because historical evolution is treated largely as having a supportive role, far from becoming a component of interaction. This research aims to address the historical evolution of the Land of Hațeg in the light of the specific territorial elements and to provide evidence for using the built heritage as a tool for decision-makers. Methodologically, the research has implied the completion of three stages, each with its specific work methods (direct observation, mapping, chorematic analysis). The findings highlight the applicative and utilitarian character of historical studies in the land use planning documents.
The article is discussing both challenges and problems that emerge from the transformation of the regional structure in the border region between Italy and Slovenia in the period 1991-2015. In this period, Slovenia became first an independent state and a member of the EU and the Schengen space. All these political geographical changes have deeply influenced regional development trends on both sides of the studied border region, providing new opportunities for cross-border cooperation and integration, but have also created new forms of territorial disparities and challenges to common spatial and social planning. The paper will provide an analysis of the statistical data and the related socio-economic transformation processes, discussing thus the various territorial variations and trends within the studied area. It will also present some comparative results of the recent author’s field research related to the people’s attitude towards border perception and cross-border functional co-dependence. As the studied case is showing, cross-border regionalism is not only a system of government, but also a system of ‘grass-rooted’ social and spatial (re)integration of borderlands. This process is closely related to the question of chancing territoriality, preserving on the one hand the regional control and on the other hand re-acting societal and territorial co-dependence and integration.
The landscape is a sensitive component of the environment, an indicator of its state. At the same time, it is an important component of the natural and cultural heritage, so that the protection and preservation of the landscape are essential elements of planning development at local and regional level. The Cerna basin landscape has experienced an intense anthropogenic pressure, causing change and even degradation. This study aims to identify the factors modifying the landscape, to assess its quality, as well as to identify the actions required for adequate protection, managing and planning of the landscape.
The paper provides an affirmative answer to a question frequently asked in place branding circles – whether or not a single place brand slogan can target multiple audiences at once. After reviewing the literature on the topic and some best practices at international level, the paper focuses on a case study – that of the Maramureș County’s slogan. The analysis explains the slogan, points out why it is relevant to all targeted markets and underlines how it can be used both to derive further messages, more adapted to the selected audiences, and to identify project ideas, that would make the place brand more operational. The paper integrates the results of a consultancy project into the mainstream academic research and offers an example of how theoretical dilemmas can be successfully answered on the ground.
The research is conducted in the village of Kepuharjo, Sleman regency, located in the north of the Yogyakarta Special Administrative Region, Indonesia. The purpose of this research is to determine the livelihood strategies, patterns and phases of activity, as well as a determinant factor in the livelihood strategies of dairy cattle farmers before and after the 2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi. This research is based on the application of a single case study method. The single case study consists of several cases of household units in the village of Kepuharjo. The instruments used for data collection are direct observation, in-depth interview and document research. Informants are dairy cattle farmers in the hamlets of Kaliadem, Jambu, and Petung in Kepuharjo Village, Cangkringan sub-district, selected through snowball sampling. The results of this study indicate that there are three household livelihood strategies of dairy cattle farmers in the pre-eruptive stage: accumulation, consolidation, and survival strategies Base dominant strategy is livestock breeding. After the eruption, besides the three existing strategies, there is a new one, which is an option of compensation strategy. Base dominant strategy remains the same, namely dairy farming. Household activity patterns and stages of dairy cattle farmers between pre- and post-eruption have changed among other things in terms of the use of farming land, the use of water for household needs and livestock, forage utilization, return to livestock breeding activities and activities carried out in an effort to meet the needs of the household. Determinant factors in the choice of household livelihood strategies are the socio-economic situation of the household (household income and expenditure), resource utilisation (condition of the assets owned, utilisation of materials from the eruption of Merapi, employed household members of working age), and occupational diversification.
Today it has been proven that creating job opportunity to support the increase in income level is an important factor for rural development. This study investigates the socioeconomic dimensions of rural infrastructure and rural development in Iran. The study was conducted based on a descriptive surveying method that uses field and documentary data. The target population was N= 2800 and by the sampling population is estimated n=250 rural resident in Behbahan Township, located in Khozestan Province, Southwest Iran. The reliability of the questionnaire was calculated using a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (alpha >0.7) for different sections after conducting a pilot study. The result of research showed that although the rural areas of Iran have been provided with infrastructure such as schools, health centres, market places, etc., today it has been proven that creating job opportunities is an important factor for rural development.
In 2002, John Friedmann concluded that “Almost everyone will coexist in a single global urban network, which will operate on the basis of global competition.” These challenges were mentioned in the EU 2020 Strategy (EC, 2010), where European policy is focused on competitive and inclusive metropolitan development. One of the main problems that emerge when adopting functional urban areas (or metropolitan areas) as territorial units of analysis and policy development in European countries is the lack of generally accepted standards for their identification. This problem prevents comparative research between European countries using functional urban areas or metropolitan areas as territorial units of analysis. This article presents an original methodology for assessing the functional policentricity of county seat in Romania, based on ESPON 1.1.1. programme criteria, particularly the classification of various categories of cities in the European Union.
The present study relies on the outcomes of a complex rural research programme based on the cooperation between the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Hungarian National Rural Network. A specific part of the research has been designated to study the state of Hungarian rural areas within the European context, to analyse processes of divergence of Hungarian rural areas and to define potential types of rural areas with their specific needs. In this paper, a new typology of Hungarian rural regions is presented together with the outcomes of relating case studies. The territorial basis for the delimitation and typology of rural areas was composed on LAU 2 level, “járás” (i.e. districts, new units of public administration established in 2013), supported by current statistic data and GIS methods. The identification of the characteristics of our eight newly defined region types and the verification of the preconceptions regarding these types were assisted by fact-finding case studies. The case studies relied mostly on local data, documents, field surveys, focus group discussions and technical workshops. All research activities and methods were focusing to one principal question: how are rural areas in an East-Central European country reshaping and fragmenting today?
Our study deals with the characteristics of government regulation limiting the opening hours of retail units. We have outlined the most important international literature on the topic, while focusing on the peculiarities of limiting opening hours, mainly on its effects that influence the economic sector, competition and buying habits. In the empirical part of our research, we carried out a questionnaire survey to find out how the new law – which entered into force on March 15, 2015 and restricts the trading hours on Sundays and at nights – affects customer behavior. In our research, we compared the situation before and after the act came into force. Special emphasis was placed on the time and place of purchases (type of retail unit) and on spending. We found out that customer behavior of the Hungarian shoppers had remarkably changed after the law came into force: although the time available for shopping had been considerably shortened, the amount spent on purchases had not changed. However, the types of retail outlets where this money is spent had. Besides the supermarkets and discount stores, the role of small corner shops significantly increased (the law allows them to trade freely). The society’s attitude to the new system is rather negative – as our research points out. The majority of the population rejects the new, restricted trading hours and would like to re-establish the more liberal opening hours, which were in effect before March 15, 2015.
This study will investigate Yozgat’s agricultural potential for rural development. There are many emigrants from Yozgat. The elderly population here is increasing, and although the agricultural potential is strong, it is not used effectively. The method used in this study includes a combination of two approaches. The first approach includes the critical factors of rural development: physical systems, social systems, creative systems, local systems and economic systems. The second approach includes the accelerators of rural population, in addition to the opportunities and limiters. The most important problem related to the analysis of rural development is the selection of a perspective on the province in question. This study will guide future studies of provinces and regions. The study concluded that Yozgat’s social life should be as lively and strong as its agricultural production and animal husbandry potential. Moreover, Yozgat has important ecotourism destinations, and this potential should be used. The greatest necessity of Yozgat is agro-industry that will serve for the processing of agricultural and animal husbandry products.
Since the beginning of the economic crisis, nearby feeder markets have become increasingly important for Hungary’s tourism sector with cross-border cooperation schemes playing an ever increasing role. This also holds true for Hungary’s Southern Great Plain Region when viewed in its relationship with neighbouring Serbia. This paper examines tourism flow changes in the Southern Hungarian Great Plain Region during the period of the economic crisis especially as far as tourism flows from Serbia are concerned. The analysis is based on official statistical data available in respect of commercial accommodation facilities, analyses on tourism trends carried out at the European level, and regional development documents drawn up for the Hungarian–Serbian cross border region. The economic crisis caused a significant downturn in tourism flows in the Southern Great Plain Region. However, the number of tourists arriving from Serbia to the Southern Great Plain and the number of nights they spent there increased even during the crisis partly because of the favourable geographical location of the region, partly because of the intensive cooperation schemes implemented in the tourism sector, and partly because of organised marketing campaigns.
The economic downturn triggered by the economic crisis was installed in Romania in 2008, stopping the economic growth process. However, the impact of the financial turbulence presented asymmetrical effects on regional level, both in terms of GDP per capita and in terms of employment rate. The aim of present article is to analyze how regional economies reacted in this context and to assess the impact of the crisis on intra-regional disparities in Romania. From the methodological point of view, the research involves using panel data analysis tools that can provide evidence amongst the degree to which the crisis has induced a process of economic convergence between regions or increased regional disparities, according to Williamson’s hypothesis.
Urban system is the special manifestation of political economy and the land management method of a country. The manner of distribution and the level of balance of the cities’ population get clearer by examining the urban system. The urban system of Iran tended to change from the traditional pattern before 1921 because of the centralization of facilities and services in big cities. This pattern distracted the logical relationships among small, medium and big cities and led to disorder in the urban system. The research purpose is to assess the Iranian urban hierarchy based on population during the period of 1956-2012. To measure the urban hierarchy, the Entropy coefficient, the rank-size rule, the primate city- Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient were employed. The statistical data cover all cities of Iran in six census periods. The findings of the current study show that the urban system is becoming more balanced with regard to the indices of concentration coefficient, rank-size, primate city, and entropy index; but with regard to Gini Coefficient and population distribution in urban classes, there has been an imbalance compared to the situation in 1956. In fact, according to the Lorenz curve, the Iranian cities have been near the normal line in 1956 but got away from this line in 2012. This is because of the increase in number of small cities with little population and the increase in population of big cities. To reach a balance in urban system of Iran, strategies to decentralize metropolises and boost small and medium-sized cities are suggested.
