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Az írásban a fenntartható fejlődéssel foglalkozunk, kiemelten a pénzügyi kockázat perspektívájából, olyan mérési és módszertani kérdésekre is fókuszálva, mint a fenntartható fejlődési célok (FFC) térbeli lokalizációja. Pontosabban a tanulmány célja az Egyesült Nemzetek Szervezete (ENSZ) által meghatározott 17 fenntartható fejlődési cél („Sustainable Development Goals”) európai recepciójának és alkalmazásának bemutatása, valamint az egyes célok térbeli lokalizációjának meghatározása helyi szinten. Foglalkozunk továbbá a fenntartható fejlődés céljainak mérésével, tekintettel arra, hogy jól működő, méréseken alapuló kockázatfelmérés nélkül megvalósíthatatlanok a fenntartható fejlődésre épülő gazdasági politika célkitűzései. A mérések és az FFC-k térbeli lokalizációjának helyi szintjét Románia példáján mutatjuk be egy összetett, 90 mutatóból álló indikátorrendszer segítségével, sajátos adatforrás- és módszerkombinációval, ahol fontos szerepet kap a földmegfigyelési módszerek és a földrajzi információs rendszerek (GIS) alkalmazása. Az eredmények azt mutatják, hogy a vizsgálatainkban használt módszertan jól alkalmazható az FFC-k térbeli lokalizációjára és a fenntarthatósági indexek kiszámítására. Az utóbbiak legmagasabb értékei, tehát a legalacsonyabb banki kockázatok – néhány városközeli községtől eltekintve – nagy és közepes méretű városokban jelentkeznek.

This study examines sustainable development from the perspective of financial risks, focusing on measurement issues, like the spatial localization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). More exactly, the goal of the study is to present the European reception and implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations, and to determine the spatial localization of the SDGs at local level. Furthermore, it addresses the measurement of the sustainable development goals, because a measurement-based risk assessment plays a key role in the successful implementation of sustainable development based economic policy. As a case study for the measurement and localization of the SDGs, we will use the case of Romania, deploying a set of 90 indicators with a data source and method-mix, where Earth Observations and Geographical Information Systems play an important role. The results show that the methodology used in our studies can be applied with good results in the spatial localisation and the measurement of the sustainability indices. The latter register the highest scores, and therefore the lowest associated banking risks – with the exception of a few peri-urban communities – in large and medium sized cities.

In order to measure progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, 169 targets have been approved globally. Even though interest in implementing these goals is high, many states have not yet established a set of subnational indicators to measure the implementation of the SDGs and have not completed their own assessment of progress in achieving these global goals. This study aims to measure the progress toward achieving the SDG at local and regional level in Romania by calculating the SDG Index. For the calculation of the SDG Index at subnational level, we propose an integrated approach based on 90 indicators, stored and processed in a PostgreSQL object‐relational database. The results show the concentration of the highest performances of sustainable development in some specific geographical areas. The rural areas and the extended peripheral regions in the eastern and southern part of the country are the poorest performers.

A tanulmányban a fenntartható fejlődés témakörével foglalkozunk, kiemelten területfejlesztési perspektívából, ugyanakkor mérési és módszertani kérdésekre is fókuszálva. A tanulmány célja bemutatni a fenntartható fejlődés fogalmának útját egy romantikus-derűs és naivnak tűnő metaforától – némileg meglepő módon – az európai kontinens meghatározó területfejlesztési paradigmájáig. A szintézis jellegű írásunk nemzetközi, globális szintről halad az európai-, majd a nemzeti-, és lokális szint irányába, Románia példáján. A jórészt ismert nemzetközi irodalom mellett, fölhasználjuk azokat a személyes tapasztalatokat, amelyek az elmúlt időszakban gyűltek össze a szerző különböző szakmai szerepvállalásából adódóan: a téma empirikus vizsgálatával foglalkozó komplex kutatás szakmai koordinátoraként, a fenntartható fejlődési képzések szakmai mentoraként, valamint a Romániai Fenntartható Fejlődési Tanács tagjaként. A tanulmányban részletesen kitérünk a fenntartható fejlődés céljainak mérési részleteire, tekintettel arra, hogy meggyőződésünk szerint, jól működő, méréseken alapuló monitoring rendszer nélkül a fenntartható fejlődés programjai alkalmazhatatlanok

Currently, land cover changes occur in wood-pastures all over Europe driven by abandonment of traditional farming, as well as by management and policy changes. Based on reviewing of official docume...

In recent decades, innovation research has played an important role in exploring the drivers of local and regional economic development. Nowadays, it is part of the generally accepted scientific canon that various forms of innovation (technological, business and social innovation) play a defining role in the economic development and competitiveness of cities, regions and countries. The context above points out that innovation is an important factor in the spatiality of society, but at the same time geography, more precisely geographical distance or proximity, is a determining element of innovation. In the present study, we provide an overview of the latest theoretical and empirical research developments in the “geography of innovation”, more precisely in the “geography of social innovation”, with application in Hungary. Keywords: social innovation, social innovation geography, regional development, geographical proximity

Measuring development is a long-standing challenge in the social sciences. Although multidimensional and multivariate approaches to development present several conceptual and/or methodological problems, some studies have pointed out that the unidimensional view of economic progress has failed on a large scale. The main purpose of our article is to elaborate a multidimensional composite index called the PEESH (population, economic, education, social, and health) Development Index, for measuring socio-economic development in Romania with a territorial profile. The PEESH DI index presented in this paper contains five sub-dimensions: population dynamics, economy and labor force, education, social conditions and housing, and health and life conditions, including 22 core indicators. The components of the resulting multidimensional index were weighted using factor analysis and then aggregated transversely into a composite index. Our results show that the differentiated increase of the indicators composing the PEESH DI resulted in a certain restructuring of the development hierarchy of Romania’s counties between 2000 and 2019. These empirical facts strengthen the idea that development cannot be reduced to only economic growth, it comprises an important social dimension as well. Finally, we have strongly argued in this paper that it is time to switch from a single-sided and reductionist perspective of the measurement of regional disparities, within the framework of the Cohesion Policy in the European Union, to a wider and multidimensional perspective, reflecting the complex character of the development process.

Over the last two decades, Romania has undergone strong economic growth, catching up to advanced economies and producing one of the best economic performances in the world. Along with these positive changes, industrial product diversification has increased through expanded foreign economic relations, with all of these supporting the complexity of economic activities. Even though there is a world ranking of countries showing the highest level of economic complexity, there is no information about regional contributions to the overall score in Romania. This paper fills this gap by measuring the economic complexity of Romania’s subnational areas (counties) in the last ten years. To calculate the Economic Complexity Index (ECI) at a regional level, 615 economic activities (four-digit classes according to the NACE classification) were taken into consideration, grouped into 68 cluster categories. The results show that significant changes in economic complexity have mainly occurred in less developed areas, the upper- and middle-ranked counties’ positions being relatively stable. Furthermore, we examined the impact of complexity on growth and convergence, finding that the ECI index is a good predictor both for future economic growth as well as for the evolution of income inequalities.

This paper critically analysis the definition of smart specialisation priority areas of Romanian less developed regions, aiming to identify weaknesses in policy design that according to existing theories characterise such regions. Besides an empirical contribution to the literature, findings also have a practical relevance. They can be used by regions to redesign strategies in their preparation for the absorption of Cohesion Policy funds between 2021 and 2027. While in the definition of priority areas we could depict resemblance with the general practice presented in the literature, there are also shortcomings reported to the evaluation framework proposed in this paper based on official methodological and original theoretical aspects. These mainly refer to a less targeted approach within priorities, overlapping between priorities and horizontal character of vertically defined priorities. However, under these aspects, regional strategies present a high level of heterogeneity; thus, responsible institutions will need to invest different time and effort to revise policy documents.

The context and background of this study are based on the growing role of policy-driven renewable energy sources in improving energy security, protecting the climate, and encouraging economic development. In many cases, these high expectations are undermined by the lack of an integrated methodology for the measurement of renewable energy potential. Therefore, we assumed as the main hypothesis, the possibility of developing a complex and integrated evaluation methodology for renewable energy potential. Accordingly, we employed evaluation methods based on mapping techniques, simulation software for wind farms, and the analytical tools offered by the Geographical Information System. The main novelty of this study is related to the integration of three renewable energy sources (biomass, solar, and wind) and the respective measurement of their total renewable energy potential. The main results of the study consist of the estimation of three main renewable energy sources—solar, wind, and biomass energy—and the generation of maps showing the potential for solar, wind, and integrated biomass energy at a high spatial resolution. In addition, we have measured and mapped the total renewable energy potential available for supplying the local energy demand. The renewable energy potential maps, combined with a multidimensional index expressing the development level of localities, are good predictors of appropriate locations for the development of renewable energy source-based facilities. The study concludes with recommendations towards the use of the renewable energy potential maps as criteria for project allocation in future for renewable-based rural development, in order to achieve a more balanced regional development.

The analysis of pedestrian&ndash, vehicle crashes makes a significant contribution to sustainable pedestrian safety. Existing research is based mainly on the statistical analysis of traffic crashes involving pedestrians and their causes, without the identification of areas vulnerable to traffic crashes that involve pedestrians. The main aim of this paper is to identify areas vulnerable to school-aged pedestrian&ndash, vehicle crashes at a local level to support the local authorities in implementing new urban traffic safety measures. The vulnerable areas were determined by computing the severity index (SI) based on the number of fatal, serious, and slight casualties throughout the 2011&ndash, 2016 period in a large urban agglomeration (Bucharest). As well as the vulnerable areas, the triggering factors and the time intervals related to school-aged pedestrian&ndash, vehicle crashes were identified. The outcomes of the study showed that the vulnerable areas were concentrated only in districts 2 and 4 of Bucharest, and they were associated with high vehicle speed and pedestrians&rsquo, unsafe crossing behavior. The findings revealed that speed and age are triggering factors in generating school-aged pedestrian&ndash, vehicle crashes. The identified time peaks with a high number of traffic crashes correspond to the afternoon time intervals, when scholars go home from school. The identification of the areas vulnerable to school-aged pedestrian crashes may help local authorities in identifying and implementing measures to improve traffic safety in large urban agglomerations.

As part of a broader Europeanisation process, the general guidelines and principles of European spatial planning documents have been uncritically adopted in the Romanian spatial development system during the last two decades. One of them is related to the concept of polycentric development, translated in the Romanian planning system through the selection and development of growth poles. The main aim of this chapter is to evaluate the process and outcome of establishing urban growth poles as key elements of the new regional policy in Romania. In particular, the chapter addresses the question whether the high prioritisation of urban growth poles has reduced the level of regional disparities in Romania, or, in contrast, whether it has contributed to an increase of regional disparities. The chapter highlights the failure of regional policy in achieving its essential objective: the reduction of internal regional disparities in the long term. Even though the capital city, Bucharest, was excluded from the analysis and thus the level of disparities is underestimated, the authors found that disparities among cities and counties reduced during the programming period 2007–2013 and started to increase again as soon as the programme ended.

The study examines the spatial and economic characteristics of commuting to work in one of the most dynamic areas of Romania, Cluj County. Based on the 2011 census data, the study reveals a strong connection between accessibility and commuting intensity, while the urban network determines the spatial orientation of the dominant commuting flows. However, we found no significant relation between dynamic economic performance and commuting intensity

Metropolitan areas became the breeding ground for economic, political, and cultural concentration as well as for creativity and innovation. Therefore, sustainability within the urban dimension plays a crucial role in the overall success to attain the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and their targets under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015. Nevertheless, for cities, regions, or countries to monitor and measure their progress, there is a need for harmonized and reliable indicators. Consequently, the current study addresses sustainability on a local level by measuring the extent to which a Romanian metropolitan area achieves the SDGs agreed to in 2015 by the 193-member states of the United Nations. The paper analyses 16 out of the 17 SD (Sustainable Development) goals as the goal titled &ldquo, Life below water&rdquo, was not applicable. Relying on mainly quantitative data, we used the method of normalization and aggregation based on the arithmetic mean, which helped us to calculate the scores attained by each of the component localities of the metropolitan area within the SDGs and their overall SDG index. Next to this, the study combines the quantitative data analysis with a GIS (Geographic Information System) computer mapping technique. The results show that the municipality achieved the best results in the metropolitan area and a vertical development process from west to the east prevails. Measuring progress through a well-defined set of indicators and an optimization technique proved to be crucial in defining attainments&rsquo, levels within the metropolitan area.

Night-time lights satellite images provide a new opportunity to measure regional inequality in real-time by developing the Night Light Development Index (NLDI). The NLDI was extracted using the Gini coefficient approach based on population and night light spatial distribution in Romania. Night-time light data were calculated using a grid with a 0.15 km2 area, based on Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) /Operational Linescan System (OLS satellite imagery for the 1992–2013 period and based on the National Polar-orbiting Partnership–Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (NPP-VIIRS) satellite imagery for the 2014–2018 period. Two population density grids were created at the level of equal cells (0.15 km2) using ArcGIS and PostgreSQL software, and census data from 1992 and 2011. Subsequently, based on this data and using the Gini index approach, the Night Light Development Index (NLDI) was calculated within the MATLAB software. The NLDI was obtained for 42 administrative counties (nomenclature of territorial units for statistics level 3 (NUTS-3 units)) for the 1992–2018 period. The statistical relationship between the NLDI and the socio-economic, demographic, and geographic variables highlighted a strong indirect relationship with local tax income and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. The polynomial model proved to be better in estimating income based on the NLDI and R2 coefficients showed a significant improvement in total variation explained compared to the linear regression model. The NLDI calculated on the basis of night-time lights satellite images proved to be a good proxy for measuring regional inequalities. Therefore, it can play a crucial role in monitoring the progress made in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 10 (reduced inequalities).

This chapter deals with globalized urban space and focuses on processes of post-socialist urban transformation in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). It presents a general geographical perspective on urban processes and transformations on a global scale. The chapter shows that both world cities and capital cities have played a key role in the post-socialist transformation in CEE. It addresses the special case of CEE cities and follows the same thematic sequence as the first: the role of capital cities in the post-socialist transition, the economic and social transformation of cities with a focus on suburbanization and urban sprawl, and the features of urban policy in CEE. Generally, there are two ways to design local responses to the changing economic, social and political environment. The first is represented by urban policy developed by local government authorities, and the second is represented by national policies designed for urban areas.

Certain features of imported second-hand cars (e.g., age, degree of wear and tear, technical design) can increase their likelihood for traffic crashes. Three official datasets which cover an eight year period (2008–2015) are used to test the connection between importation of second-hand cars and different types of traffic crashes. The traffic crashes database was provided by the Traffic Department of the General Inspectorate of Romanian Police (GIRPTD). The car registration database was provided by Driving-License and Vehicles-Registration Direction (DLVRD). Right-hand driving (RHD) cars database was provided by the Romanian Automotive Registry (RAR). A spatio-temporal visualization of data was performed using Geographic Information System (GIS) while for the statistical analysis we use regression models and Pearson-Correlation-coefficient. The analysis suggests that a significant part of the variation in the volume of traffic accidents can be explained by the volume of imported second-hand cars at the county level. Moreover, an even stronger direct relation exists between the number of imported second-hand cars and Severe Traffic Accidents but also in the case of RHD imported second-hand cars. The overall impact of imported second-hand cars on the traffic safety in Romania is significant but small in comparison to other types of car registration. Study results belong to the category of empirical evidence production which can improve the quality of existing traffic regulations focused both on organizing and ensuring traffic safety, and on the policy of sustainable transport infrastructure development.

The current increase of regional inequalities in Europe, and in particular in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has led to the reconsideration and revival of the concepts of "polarisation" and "convergence" in academic fields like regional economics, economic geography and spatial planning as well. In contrast to the classical view on these concepts determined by functionalism and topology, the new theoretical and empirical perspectives are emphasising a multidimensional perspective. In addition, there is an important debate about the relation between economic inequalities and growth. This article provides a critical overview and assessment of the theoretical and empirical work on regional inequalities with special emphasis on theories of economic and social polarisation, regional economic growth, convergence, and social inequalities. We attempt to combine two powerful concepts of polarisation and convergence, emphasising their relational and multi-scalar nature. Building on this basis, we propose a multidimensional concept of socio-economic polarisation, which comprises processes of convergence and divergence, growth and mobility in economic and social dimensions.

Renewable energy projects (REPs) are viewed as a resource for the development of rural, peripheral communities. Going beyond the simplistic understanding of renewable energy technology as an independent variable, the current study looks into what the interaction between renewables and host communities brings in terms of innovation and development. Relying on a combination of primary and secondary data, both qualitative and quantitative, we observed that for the case of northwest Romania the fast development of REPs had no impact on classic economic indicators such as employment or revenue to the local budget. Looking closely at the impact on innovation as an important explanatory factor of peripheralization, in the majority of researched cases we saw no technical nor policy-related innovation associated with REPs. The presence of a privately-owned project in the territory of the community acted as a possible catalyst for considering developing their own REPs however. Owning a renewable energy project at the same time proved to have a positive impact on policy-related innovation. Moreover, communities that developed and manage their own REPs seem also to be more interested in changing the existing technological arrangements as well.