Metro disruptions affect passengers primarily through headway inflation, headway dispersion and temporary losses of spatial coverage. This paper proposes a headway-native, service-level resilience framework that directly links operational disruption responses to passenger-visible performance. Three complementary indicators are formalized: Mean Headway Deviation (MHD) for service regularity, Service Availability Ratio (SAR) for spatial–temporal coverage, and a System Redundancy Index (SRI) capturing alternative-mode provisioning and operational reserves. These indicators are integrated into a time-varying composite resilience function, summarized over the disruption horizon using a normalized area-under-the-curve metric. The framework is demonstrated on a conceptual Bucharest metro corridor under three response strategies: (A) metro-only short-turn operation, (B) standard segment bus bridging, and (C) integrated extended/parallel/customized bridging. Scenario C delivers consistently superior performance, reducing mean headway deviation from +4.0 min to +1.5 min (−63%), restoring availability from 0.82 to 0.95 (+16%), and increasing redundancy from 0.46 to 0.63 (+37%). The composite resilience score improves from 0.54 to 0.78. Sensitivity analysis confirms dominance invariance under all admissible policy weightings, supporting robust planning use. These findings highlight how disruption-response strategies influence dynamic urban accessibility by preserving station catchments and maintaining corridor-level connectivity, thereby supporting more resilient settlement-level mobility planning.
The dichotomy between urban and rural areas has been researched for many years. Crises and challenges have often exacerbated inequalities and development disparities in recent years. This article addresses the issue of developmental dualism and related concerns of local communities. The article aims to answer the question of whether urban or rural municipalities fear the uncertain future and related crises and whether (and to what extent) these concerns differ between these groups. This case study thematically fits within the discussions of the Core-Periphery theory, focusing on the dimension of unprosperous rural municipalities and prosperous urban municipalities, which represents a striking example of development dualism. Some 21 territorial units from Poland were selected – 10 urban municipalities characterised by favourable conditions (wealthy, active, innovative, centre, accessible space) and 11 rural municipalities defined by unfavourable conditions (poor, passive, imitative, periphery, hard-to-reach space). A survey conducted among 437 local leaders from these municipalities revealed that all eight analysed factors – key negative phenomena related to demographics, social and economic activity, and the effects of the pandemic – were perceived as highly alarming by the respondents in the context of their municipalities' development. The findings also indicate that rural communes expressed greater concern compared to their urban counterparts, with demographic issues emerging as the most significant challenge for both groups. Respondents are least concerned about a decline in both social activity (both groups) and economic activity (urban municipalities), as well as about a reduction in the availability of EU funds (rural municipalities). It can then be concluded that the phenomenon of development dualism will likely intensify in the coming years, which will force local authorities to take action to increase the resilience of municipalities and cities.
Ensuring sustainable prospects for young people is an essential condition for the national social and economic development, while education plays a central role in this process by forming the skills necessary for a dynamic and competitive society. The aim of the study is to assessn the impact of legislative changes and public policies on access to education by analysing the evolution of school network and school population in the mountainous and marginal area of Mureș County, during the period 1992–2023. Data series related to the number of educational units and the school population were extracted from National Institute of Statistics (NIS). Linear and polynomial regression models were used to highlight evolutionary trends, as well as ARIMA (Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average) models to make a forecast of the school population until 2030. A qualitative analysis of the relevant legislative framework and educational policies for the reference period was performed. Results indicate a sharp decrease in the number of educational units in rural areas, correlated with demographic decline and administrative restructuring processes, but also an increase in pressure on urban educational infrastructure, manifested by the overcrowding of schools. These trends contribute to the escalation of inequalities between rural and urban areas in terms of access to education. Statistical forecasts suggest that the downward trend in the number of school population will continue until 2030, with major implications for the school network planning. The comparative analysis with Romanian neighbouring countries shows that the national situation is closely related to the Bulgarian model, characterized by a high degree of school agglomeration, while Poland and Hungary have applied more balanced rationalization strategies. Conclusions emphasize the need to develop public policies that would advance the economic efficiency of school network reorganization, as well as the principle of equity in access to education, especially for rural communities, in order to strengthen social cohesion and the sustainable development of human capital.
Ethical issues are fundamental to professional urban planning, as planning decisions determine the distribution of resources, risks, and opportunities within urban environments. Despite increased scholarly attention, ethical concerns in planning remain fragmented and are frequently overlooked in practice. This study conducts a systematic literature review following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, analysing 47 peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2020 and 2025 across Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and supplementary citation tracking to examine how ethical challenges shape professional urban planning practice and spatial outcomes. The review systematically identifies recurring ethical challenges in professional urban planning. It assesses their influence on governance practices and spatial outcomes. Moreover, it further identifies six prevalent ethical challenges: ambiguous definitions of the public interest, persistent social and spatial injustice, limitations in participatory and procedural ethics, power imbalances and restricted professional autonomy, conflicts of interest undermining integrity, and inconsistent attention to environmental responsibility and climate justice. These challenges are embedded within governance systems rather than being solely attributable to individual shortcomings. Communicative planning theory demonstrates that inadequate participation can diminish legitimacy and decision quality. In contrast, justice-based theories indicate that planning practices may perpetuate inequality and displacement. Institutional perspectives further reveal that organisational and political constraints can impede planners’ capacity to act ethically. The review concludes that addressing these challenges requires integrating ethics into participation standards, governance structures, and professional safeguards. Institutionalising ethical reasoning within planning practice is essential for enhancing legitimacy, equity, and sustainable urban outcomes.
Implementation of regional policy has a long tradition in the European economic space. Since the beginning of European integration in the mid-20th century, a common regional policy based on cohesion, solidarity, and redistribution began to take shape. This paper is focused on the examination of the development of regional disparities in EU27 (27 European Union member states). This phenomenon is characterized by its 'inertial' nature, despite the implementation of a relatively generous system of instruments, particularly financial ones, in less developed countries and regions. However, it cannot be unequivocally proven that this is caused by inefficient, inappropriate, or misdirected redistribution within the EU27. The neoclassical concept of (3-convergence and sigma-convergence enables the identification of the RD's (Regional Disparities) tendency within more than 20 years. To prove the results as accurately as possible and compare the development of interregional disparities, the analysis was conducted on the crucial macroeconomic indicator "GDP" (Gross Domestic Product) expressed in PPP (Purchasing Power Parity), not only at the level of EU (European Union) member states, but also at the regional levels. The results of this research reveal that despite the long-term implementation of the common cohesion policy there is a continuous deepening of interregional disparities at all examined NUTS (Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics) levels.
