Large cities are generally considered more liberal than small settlements regarding parental gender division of childcare. We questioned this paradigm in a post-socialist environment where working mothers of preschoolers are perceived as the norm. The study aims to examine the gender differences among parents when transporting children to preschool, car-sharing within a household, and whether they vary across municipality size categories in Slovakia. The data were collected during the nationally representative survey via face-to-face personal enquiries in households of heterosexual cohabiting parents (n = 844). Results showed that car-sharing within households did not depend on the municipality size category; however, it depended on the number of cars in a household. In families with only one car, the car was mostly used by the father. In all municipality size categories, mothers were primarily responsible for bringing children in and picking them up from kindergarten. Yet, the proportion of responsible persons varied significantly across municipality size categories. The fathers’ involvement in accompanying children was the lowest in the smallest municipalities. On one hand, mothers in medium-sized municipalities (10,000–19,999 inhabitants) faced the least burden due to the combination of fathers’ involvement and help from other relatives. On the other hand, help from other relatives was absent in the largest cities, where mothers accompanied their children to a similar extent as in the smallest settlements. The progressive values of parents in the largest cities are not sufficient to relieve mothers of parental responsibilities.

Suburban mothers are a vulnerable group in transport since they experience especially great spatiotemporal constraints due to their gender roles and are facing transport barriers typical for suburban areas. Locations of home, work, and kindergarten are essential factors influencing the everyday travel experience of mothers of preschool children. This paper examines spatial patterns of the home-work-kindergarten spatial separation of mothers (the extent to which a mother’s residence, workplace, and childcare facility are geographically distributed, manifesting in different spatial configurations) along with its causes and circumstances. Together, 136 middle-class mothers residing in the post-socialist Bratislava suburban region (Slovakia) participated in the research. Most mothers preferred and had their children’s kindergartens near their home locations. There was no significant correlation between the gender beliefs of mothers (in areas of work and childcare) and the home-work-kindergarten separation. Mothers primarily responsible for bringing and picking up a child in/from a kindergarten had significantly smaller home-work-kindergarten separation than others. However, when distinguishing the time of the day, such results were only valid for the morning periods. There was no significant difference in the degree of the home-work-kindergarten separation between the mothers who receive help with child care from another adult in their household and others.

By commonly requiring smaller walking distances, elderly have been considered more vulnerable when accessing urban facilities, and thereby have fewer urban opportunities than an "average adult". Yet is not clear if this disadvantage remains significant after considering the different needs of the elderly. The main aim of this study was to provide an analysis of the spatial distribution of urban facilities, while considering differences in preferences for facility types of the elderly (over 65 years of age) and adults (under 65 years of age). Participants residing Fi ľakovo (Slovakia) were asked to state a visitation frequency of urban facilities. All the facility types mentioned by the residents were then mapped. Accessibility to opportunities was calculated in a trigonometric model of fictitious public space users, with the differences between the age groups being tested with a Mann-Whitney U test. Areas of interest for adults and the elderly were calculated using Kernel density analyses. The results showed that even after considering the different needs and preferences of the elderly, there were still significant differences in opportunities within their walking distance compared to adults. The spatial patterns of the areas of interest were similar, but with higher values of the kernel density in the case of adults. Inequalities emerged particularly in areas where facilities catering to daily needs were absent. Indeed, to mitigate the socio-spatial injustice, it would be beneficial to deconcentrate the municipality-controlled facilities.

Considering the Preferences of Adults and Elderly While Examining Spatial Justice of Urban Facilities Distribution: A Case Study of a Small Town Fiľakovo (Slovakia). By commonly requiring smaller walking distances, elderly have been considered more vulnerable when accessing urban facilities, and thereby have fewer urban opportunities than an “average adult”. Yet is not clear if this disadvantage remains significant after considering the different needs of the elderly. The main aim of this study was to provide an analysis of the spatial distribution of urban facilities, while considering differences in preferences for facility types of the elderly (over 65 years of age) and adults (under 65 years of age). Participants residing Fiľakovo (Slovakia) were asked to state a visitation frequency of urban facilities. All the facility types mentioned by the residents were then mapped. Accessibility to opportunities was calculated in a trigonometric model of fictitious public space users, with the differences between the age groups being tested with a Mann-Whitney U test. Areas of interest for adults and the elderly were calculated using Kernel density analyses. The results showed that even after considering the different needs and preferences of the elderly, there were still significant differences in opportunities within their walking distance compared to adults. The spatial patterns of the areas of interest were similar, but with higher values of the kernel density in the case of adults. Inequalities emerged particularly in areas where facilities catering to daily needs were absent. Indeed, to mitigate the socio-spatial injustice, it would be beneficial to deconcentrate the municipality-controlled facilities. Sociológia 2023, Vol. 55 (

Safety perception research on small remote peripheral towns is lacking. In the present study, the spatio-temporal patterns of unsafety perceptions in the town of Želiezovce (Slovakia), a town with less than 7,000 inhabitants, was examined. The study is based on the emotional mapping of 98 young adolescents (between the ages of 10 to 16). Fear-related areas were identified using the kernel density method. The day- and night-time spatio-temporal patterns of perceived threats and fear-related areas were analysed. Regardless of the time of the day, the most frequently mentioned threats perceived by the participants were people-related. The spatial pattern of fear-related areas was not stable in time, with more fear-related areas appearing after dark.

The aim of this study is to question gender stereotypes regarding differences in the unsafety perceptions and perceived threats of adolescents, with a special emphasis on their precautionary behaviour. This research was based on emotional mapping in the very small peripheral town of Fiľakovo (Slovakia). Altogether, 151 adolescents in the age of 10–16 years were asked to mark places where did not feel safe, along with perceived threats, as well as information on precautionary strategies they use there. Regardless of the time of day, neither girls nor boys felt significantly less safe, with residential location and age playing a more important role in unsafety perception differences than gender. Girls perceived significantly more people-related threats than boys (regardless of daylight), while boys were aware of significantly more risk in buildings, streets, and places with negative associations (after dark). Avoidance, dependence, and self-reliant precautionary behaviours were identified. Regardless of daylight, girls chose dependence (e.g. calling someone, having a companion) among other types of precautionary behaviour significantly more often than boys. Avoidance and self-reliance were gender neutral. The perception of girls as perceiving more risks and being more avoidant is showed to be a form of gender stereotype and should not be considered a generally valid paradigm.

Research on adolescents' favourite places has received limited attention and only a small number of studies have focused on the preference for greenery among all urban areas, or considered a nature orientation of individuals in this regard. The aim of this paper is to present an analysis of adolescents' `favourite place' selection in relation to their environmentally responsible behaviour (ERB), gender, and residential location. A total of 272 participants (13 - 16 years of age) completed mapping activities, during which data on favourite places, as well as ERBs were collected. The research was located in the oldest ward of Banska Bystrica (central Slovakia). The measurement of ERB was based on Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour. The results showed that ERB has no effect on the choice of parks as favourite places in the town. It means that individuals with higher ERB scores mark parks as their favourite places to a similar extent compared to other urban areas. Yet, the parks themselves were more popular among adolescents with a higher ERB score. Residents of the studied ward had a greater preference for parks than other public space users. The same was observed for girls compared to boys. A closer look at adolescents' behavioural aspects of favourite place selection and motives for labelling green sites requires more in-depth future research.

The Role of Residence Location in the Spatio-Temporal Walking Patterns of Adolescents: A Case Study in the Post-Socialist Town of Banská Bystrica (Central Slovakia).Most walking-related research focuses on the spatial behaviour of the adults living in the studied areas and omits other pedestrians.The aim of this study was to uncover possible differences in the spatio-temporal patterns of adolescents' walking activities, according to the location of their residence.The research was carried out in an electoral ward in the post-socialist town of Banská Bystrica (Central Slovakia).A total of 295 participants aged 13 to 16 years (103 of whom were residents of the ward) recorded their walking activity at hourly intervals.The residents of the ward were only more active than other pedestrians during a few afternoon and evening periods, with differences up to 13:00 not being significant at all.The lowest dispersion of walking activity space was recorded for participants residing other municipalities.The lesser walking activity by non-residents is in line with current knowledge of the spatio-temporal constraints of commuting individuals, and the time-budget theory.

Background: There has been a lack of research on the gender differences in spatial attributes of adolescents' walking activity space (WAS). Moreover, while other literature shows girls walking less through city centres than boys, there are limitations concerning the absence of its precise definition and spatial delimitation. Additionally, the morphological structure of city centres, and differences in their constituent parts have not been considered. Aims: In this study, the extent to which the area is used for walking by girls and boys, as well as gender differences in spatio-temporal walking patterns during weekdays were investigated, with a special emphasis on the city centre and its constituent parts. Methods: Using a mapping activity, self-reported spatio-temporal walking data from 304 adolescents (168 girls) aged 13-16 years were collected. To fill the gap in existing research, the study was conducted in the central ward of the small medieval historic city of Banska Bystrica (Slovakia). Attributes of WAS were calculated using Standard deviational ellipse analysis and Kernel density method. Gender differences in walking were tested by non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test for the city centre (defined by a pedestrian zone), its constituent parts (streets and squares) and for the whole ward separately. In all the cases, time of the day was considered. Results: Despite the distinction between streets and squares in the city centre, no significant gender differences in walking were found, which is in contrast to the prevailing body of literature. Yet, a slight predominance of girls in the squares (regardless of the time of day) and boys in adjacent streets and alleys (after dark) was present. The WAS of girls was more compact compared to that of boys, with the biggest difference after dark. Conclusions: The compact WAS of girls is in line with existing research on adults, despite the absence of traditional gender roles of wife and mother during adolescence. In addition, there is a subtle indication that a pedestrianized historic centre with a high degree of open space in squares and visually enclosed adjacent alleys may create different conditions for gender differences compared to other types of urban cores. In the future, a more in-depth examination of the degree of enclosure in public space and its influence on walking patterns is necessary.

Background: A safe environment has been widely accepted as one of the most important walkability predictors. However, the relation between perceived safety and walkability has not been well established. Aims: This paper focuses on quantitative aspects of the relation between perceived safety and walkability, as well as examining spatio-temporal patterns of fear-related areas, with a special emphasis on gender differences among adolescents. Data and methods: Data regarding walkability perception and safety perception was collected during a mapping exercise in primary and grammar schools in Banska Bystrica city (central Slovakia), with a final sample of 303 adolescents (13-16 years old, 54% girls). In the experiment, pre-prepared reply forms and maps divided into a square fishnet were used. Results: Regardless of the time of day, girls felt less safe in public spaces than boys did, especially in the city centre. In general, fear-related spaces for boys were more dispersed than for girls, whose perceived risky areas were more compact and spatially concentrated. Girls' perception of walkability was more affected by feeling safe than that of boys, with fewer gender differences at night. Conclusions: By mitigating and even eliminating threats observed by girls, gender differences in the perception of barriers to walking can be reduced.

Walkability research: concept, methods and a critical review of post-socialist studies The history during which a post-socialist urban environment was shaped was not pedestrian-friendly but focused on automobilization primarily.Therefore, it is important to study, measure and improve urban pedestrian areas.The main aim of this paper is to open the discussion regarding selected theories and approaches to measuring and quantifying this phenomenon, as well as to provide a bibliometric analysis and critical review of scientific records from the post-socialist countries, where the walkability concept has not yet been well-established.In conclusion, a future research agenda based on the post-socialist research limitations is proposed.The results of walkability studies can be the basis for municipal representatives to create a healthy transport environment.

The presented paper deals with the quality of urban life (QoUL), looking at urban facilities. The main goal of this study was the QoUL comparison of selected basic settlement units (BSU) in the city of Banska Bystrica (Central Slovakia). For this purpose, the mean spacing method, method of availability of facility per 1,000 inhabitants, as well as multi-criteria statistical analysis techniques were implemented. For micro-level analysis of disparities, the coefficient of variation was used. In all cases, the BSUs with the highest functional variability reached the most favourable results. Al-though most studies using objective indicators usually rely on secondary data sources, this paper provides us with primary data thanks to the field research. In the future, such studies may be used for urban planning, as well as for a housing search based on rational choice.

The presented paper deals with connection between vegetation and slope stability.It looks for possibilities of landslide sanation by means of approximately selected vegetation.The objects of the research are selected phytocenoses located on the Ľubietová landslide.The results include identification of phytocenoses, their environmental analysis and comparison of their effectiveness of landslide sanation.Effectiveness of the landslide sanation is compared on the basis of criteria which are succession-level, representation of vegetation layers and properties of the roots.