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In this article, we identify the spatial mobility of the populations of selected urban centres in Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary. In total, 1,616 interviews were conducted. Additionally also interviews with the employees responsible for crisis management were conducted. Based on the analyses, five different clusters were identified, with different patterns of inhabitants in terms of their spatial mobility in the event of war. The most significant factors influencing their mobility in crisis situations are country of residence, age, number of people in the household and sex. This research can help develop evacuation strategies at different levels of governance.

Our article investigates the utilisation of EU support from the EFARD Axes 3 and 4 in the 2007–2013 period in North Hungary, with a special emphasis on the role of the LEADER local action groups (LAGs) and their forms of governance. A brief study ofthe results of the 2014–2020 period was also included. The distribution of resources was examined by a spatial inequality indicator, the Gini coefficient. Additionally, a questionnaire survey was conducted to explore the level and forms of governance in the case of LAGs. Our research results suggest that the distribution of Axis 3 resources within local action groups shows greater inequality in fewer LAGs. The Axis 4 denotes higher inequality. The level of governance of LAGs is relatively low as it is achieved through strong local leaders. This may explain high spatial inequalities of fund distribution.

Current investigation analyses the processes of internal migration in Hungary following the regime change, which is divided into three stages: 1) the period of suburbanization that developed in the 1990s and then receded in the mid-2000s; 2) for a decade from the mid-2000s, the balance of migration tipped towards the towns again; (3) from the mid-2010s, the migration gain of villages has become decisive. Budapest became again a destination for migration in the second stage, while the population its agglomeration - with varying extent - gradually increased its proportion within the country. In the examined periods, several urban areas represented significant migration surplus (mainly in Northwestern Transdanubia), while the county seats of Northern Hungary, hit by the industrial crisis, were characterized by emigration even at the level of their catchment areas. Settlement groups struggling with almost continuous migration losses appeared especially on the periphery along the northeastern border. In addition to 'welfare' suburbanization, however, many settlements also experienced the migration of poor people induced by financial problems of population. Migration processes were affected by the 2008-2009 crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the government's family and housing policy. The relationship between the level of development expressed in terms of income and the internal migration balance is on the one hand contingent, on the other hand changing over time and not clear. After the grouping of settlements according to their income level, emigration seems to be more frequent among the most backward settlements, but the migration gains of the more developed settlement groups are significantly fluctuating. During the first suburbanization period, differences in the migration balance decreased, however, according to the levels of development, the gap opened both during the crisis and during the second suburbanization that unfolded again in the last decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The delimitation and classification of peripheral settlements using multivariate statistical methods is presented in this article, with a case study of Hungary. A combination of four different methods provided the basis for the delimitation of settlements defined as peripheral. As significant overlapping was detected between the results of the different methods, peripheries – more than one-fifth of the Hungarian settlements – were identified in a common set of the results. The independence of the results from the applied methods points to the fact that peripherisation is multi-faceted, and the peripheries of Hungary are stable and well-discernible from other regions. After the identification of peripheral areas, we classified these settlements into groups based on their specific features. Multiple steps specifying the relevant variables resulted in selecting the most appropriate 10 indicators and these served as the basis for a hierarchical cluster analysis, through which 7 clusters (types of peripheries) were identified. Five of them comprised enough cases to detect the most important dimensions and specific features of the backwardness of these groups. These clusters demonstrated a spatial pattern and their socioeconomic and infrastructural features highlighted considerable disparities. These differences should be taken into consideration when development policies are applied at regional levels or below.

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The aim of the article was the assessment of the spatial matching of existing shelters (supply) to the distribution of residents in Suwałki (demand), considering their declared transport behaviours while evacuating during war. The analysis was conducted based on the locations of existing emergency shelters using data on population distribution (registration data with building accuracy). Spatial alignment was determined using the P-Median problem and E2SFCA. In terms of establishing vehicular or pedestrian travel time, the Manhattan metric based on the urban road network model was utilised. A model of vehicle movement speed was then constructed, while a constant speed was assumed for pedestrian movement. Additionally, survey data on the transport behaviour of inhabitants of Suwałki in the case of war were conducted in 2023. The study concluded that the population residing within the city limits should evacuate on foot, and that prior training on the evacuation process is especially necessary for those who reside in less populated areas of the city. The analyses also showed that existing emergency shelters are overly dispersed, making management difficult for emergency services. Since the current capacity of emergency shelters is not sufficient for the number and distribution of inhabitants of Suwałki, the most practical significance of this article in this respect is to indicate to the authorities the optimal number and location for emergency shelters (to improve the evacuation process). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iran has increased its CO2 emissions significantly during the past few decades. The household sector in Iran contributes one of the largest sectors of CO2 emissions. Despite this significant contribution, the existing policies have predominantly concentrated on large-scale initiatives while overlooking the regional role in shaping and implementing these plans. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship between CO2 emissions and the efficient factors in three major groups including energy, climate, and household socio-economic factors. This study aims to address regional carbon emissions and develop CO2 reduction policies tailored to each region's specific circumstances. It focuses on planning strategies at the regional level to effectively tackle CO2 emissions. Household panel data of 28 provinces of Iran are employed by using both static and dynamic panel models for the years 2001 to 2019. Static estimation includes Fixed Effect (FE), Random Effect (RE) and pooled Partial least squares (PLS), Dynamic estimation includes difference Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) and system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM). The empirical result of the static method showed positive dependence of household CO2 emissions on Heating Degree Days (HDD), Cooling Degree Days (CDD), precipitation level, oil consumption, gas consumption, household income, size of household, and also building stocks. In more detail, educational rate, dummy variable (removal of energy subsidy), and oil price reveal the greatest negative impact on the emissions with elasticities of − 0.428, − 0.31, and − 0.15; It represents 1% increase causes − 0.428, − 0.31, − 0.15, decrease CO2 emissions, respectively. however, household size, gas consumption, and oil consumption show the most significant positive effects on CO2 emissions with 1 percent increase causes CO2 emissions increases by 0.1, 0.044, and 0.026, respectively. Regarding the impact of climate factors, a 1% increase in Heating Degree Days, Cooling Degree Days, and precipitation level causes CO2 emissions increase by 0.024%, 0.004%, and 0.011% respectively, due to an increase in fossil energy demand. Results of the dynamic method of the system Generalized Method of Moments are similar to the static estimation results, except for that household size and urbanization are not significant. Also, removing the energy subsidy for fossil fuels due to substantial subsidy in fossil fuels in Iran or implementing a re-pricing energy policy can be a beneficial way to control carbon emissions from households within the provinces of the country. However, it is important to consider that this shift could potentially transfer subsidies to investments in the private sector for renewable energies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigates the demographic processes and challenges of the Hungarian developmentally peripheral settlements. Demographic challenges can be regarded as important consequences of the social and economic disadvantages in spatial terms. However, the interrelating negative demographic tendencies cause even more backward situation blocking or hindering the development. The objective of the current analysis is to discover the demographic characteristics of the peripheral settlements, to detect the spatial disparities and to point out the correlation between backwardness and the investigated demographic phenomena with the help of the census databases 1980-2011 and local datasets on Roma population. Using methods of multivariate statistical analysis, seven indicators were selected in order to achieve the goals of the paper. Backward areas are primarily characterized by population decrease with significant disparities, but there were growing communities among them as well. Some small villages in Northern and Southwestern Hungary will foreseeably face complete depopulation within few years. Primarily small sized villages faced intense decrease in rate of natural change, but dynamic population growth was also detected. Migration loss tends to correlate with the extent of peripherality, as increasing values of migration balance accompany decreasing ratio of peripheral settlements in the area. The ratio of elderly population shows an expressively two-faced character, with the extremely aging and very juvenile settlements. The ratios of Roma population reflect the scale of peripherality. Extended ethnic change could be predicted in Northeastern and Southwestern Hungary and near the Middle Tisza valley. Presented demographic processes will make the backwardness of most of the peripheral settlements stable.

The issues of intra-urban suburbanization tend to be received increasing attention during the last decades. The rapidly growing possibilities through the GIS-based methods provide new ways to analyse the processes. In the current research, a new methodology of dataset building was implemented in order to cover different types of resources (topographic maps, orthophotos, satellite images) and to create basis for a longitudinal analysis by the example of Debrecen. The resulted parcel level point layers ensured detailed grid-based analyses to discover changes between the early 1980s and 2000 and after the millennium until nowadays. The investigation drew the attention to the different tendencies of intra-urban suburbanization in which some areas proved to be continuously dynamic (some parts of the urban fringe or the external part of the inner areas), some garden zones’ role changed and unambiguous decrease was represented by some agricultural territories. The most dynamic territories were characterised by quick densification and by extension of the built-up areas at the fringes. The rapid suburbanization process slowed down after the 1990s, but it has not stopped in Debrecen. These findings tend to be regarded as spatial concentration process within the frame of relative deconcentration of the population (as part of intra-urban suburbanization). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tanulmányunkban Eger vonzáskörzetének vizsgálatával foglalkozunk, igyekszünk dinamikai összehasonlítást is végezni egy 1980-as átfogó felmérés eredményeivel. Elemzésünk célja az, hogy Eger négy ágazatra – kiskereskedelem, foglalkoztatás, egészségügy és oktatás – vonatkozó, valamint komplex vonzáskörzetét feltárjuk, és bemutassuk az elmúlt három évtizedben lezajlott változásokat, továbbá ezek magyarázatára is kitérjünk. Eger kiskereskedelmi vonzáskörzete megváltozott, mivel az ágazat egésze is jelentősen átalakult. A vásárlások száma nőtt, azonban a vidéki vásárlók aránya csökkent. A legnagyobb áruházak nagyobb vonzásövvel rendelkeznek, mint a belvárosi üzletek, ugyanakkor összességében véve Eger vonzáskörzete mégis csökkent. A megyeszékhely foglalkoztatási szerepe nőtt, vonzáskörzete kiterjedt, ez azonban kevesebb Egerbe ingázó munkavállalót jelentett a foglalkoztatás jelentős rendszerváltás utáni leépülése miatt. Az egészségügyi vonzáskörzet adminisztratív úton szabályozott, és nem változott meg érdemben 1980-hoz képest. A középfokú oktatási vonzáskörzet a tankötelezettség korhatárának emelése miatt minden tekintetben kiterjedt. Tanulmányunk legfontosabb következtetései a következők. Ágazatonként eltérő tendenciák érvényesültek, amelyek hátterében különböző társadalmi, gazdasági és politikai okok húzódtak meg. A lezajlott változások kettős képet mutatnak, mivel Eger komplex vonzáskörzetének abszolút kiterjedése csökkent, valamint az erősebben vonzott települések köre is szűkült. Ugyanakkor a megyeszékhely közelében fekvő – szuburbanizációs célterületnek számító – települések esetében mégis jellemzően erősödött a vonzás intenzitása.

An increasing amount of CO2 emissions from the household sector of Iran led us to analyze the inequality and understand the possible driving force behind the CO2 emissions. The study of inequality provides information to policy-makers to point policies in the right direction. By considering the differences in the socio-economic factors of provinces, the study aims to analyze the inequality in CO2 emissions and different kinds of energy consumption, including oil, gas and electricity, for the household sector of Iran's provinces between 2000 and 2017. For this aim, the Theil index and Kaya factor, as a simple and common method, were considered to evaluate the inequality in both CO2 emissions and energy consumption, and determine the driving factor behind CO2 emissions. According to the results, inequality in oil and natural gas consumption were increasing, electricity was almost constant; however, CO2 emissions experienced a decreasing trend for the study period. The Theil index changed from 0.4 to 0.65 for oil, from 0.18 to 0.22 for natural gas, from 0.17 to 0.15 for electricity, and from 0.2 to 0.14 for CO2 emissions between 2001 and 2017. In addition, the results of the inequality study indicated that most of the inequalities belong to within-group inequalities in energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The results of the Kaya factor indicate that the second factor, energy efficiency, with a 0.21 value was the main driving factor of inequalities in CO2 emissions; however, the first factor, energy consumption, can be a potential factor for inequality in the following years, as it increased from 0.00 to 0.11 between 2001 and 2017. It seems that by removing the energy subsidy policy in 2010 and 2013, low-standard and energy-wasting old vehicles were the most effective factors of energy inefficiency in the household sector, which need more accurate policy-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this review article, we intend to initiate a discussion on the possibilities of implementing the 15-minute city concept (FMC) in Slovak cities. Our research motivation is the relatively high potential of the idea to contribute to solving current problems of sustainable urban development to strengthen cities' resilience. It is not only about coping with the impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic but also about the need for synergy of mitigation and adaptation measures in the context of climate change and the transition to a low- to the zero-carbon development paradigm. Last but not least, it can be pointed out that the 15-minute city model will also contribute to reducing inequalities between different parts of cities, which is one of the consequences of poorly regulated suburbanization processes. The paper is structured in several parts. In the introductory section, we look for common features of the concept and its theoretical framework within various traditions and paradigms of geographical thought. We then analyse its basic functions and dimensions that are considered when planning this concept in the current conditions of urban life. We also address specific applications in world metropolises while pointing out that the concept is not rigid and can still be adapted to local natural, historical, socio-economic conditions and intraurban structures. In the last section, we present the first examples of implementing the 15-minute city ideas in Slovak cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study highlights the economic importance and role of the European and Hungarian SMEs (micro, small and medium-sized enterprises) in reducing territorial inequalities, and in contributing to regional development and gives an overview of their basic features and characteristics. In the preparation of this paper, we have relied on specialist literature and the data available on the website of Hungarian Central Statistical Office. During the 2008 crisis, real estate, real estate renting, computer and business and business support services, trade, construction and manufacturing, and automotive were the big losers. The economic sectors most exposed to the effects of the 2020 health crisis were the so-called IRS sector. The districts most affected by the health crisis were the Hungarian districts most visited by domestic and foreign tourists, namely Lake Balaton, Bük-Sárvár, Sopron-Fertő, Győr-Pannonhalma, Mátra-Bükk, Debrecen and its region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deciduous tree leaf and grass samples were collected in Debrecen, the second largest city in Hungary. The aim of the study was to determine the rate of fossil fuel-derived carbon in urban vegetation. At the locations sampled, C3 and C4 plants close to roads were collected in September 2017. In total, 82 tree and grass leaf samples were gathered at 36 different sampling points all over the city of Debrecen. The radiocarbon (14C) results of the samples were compared to the local urban background atmospheric 14CO2 data to determine the percentage of the fossil fuel-derived carbon in the plants. Based on our results, the average fossil carbon content in the tree and grass leaf samples were 0.9 ± 1.2% and 2.5 ± 2.5%, respectively. The highest fossil carbon content was 9.6 ± 0.6% in a grass and 4.7 ± 0.7% in a tree leaf sample. It appears that the negative fossil carbon content results obtained at urban sampling areas reflect modern carbon emission, where radiocarbon content is higher than the corresponding local background, presumably due burning of recent wood containing bomb 14C in the suburbs as well as other possible sources such as litter decomposition or soil CO2 emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Centre-periphery dichotomy can be regarded as one of the crucial issues in human geography and regional science. The definition of periphery is far from unambiguous due to its relative expression and its content. This is the reason why can significant number of studies be found focusing on the delimitation of central and peripheral areas. The revolution of computer technology and the rapid development of GIS cause the more and more extended usage of these techniques in the human geography as well. These related studies were categorised by their approaches – namely the locational or developmental centreperiphery concepts – and their GIS tools. Application of spatial parameters with extended datasets and complex GIS based calculations mean the most precise and complicated use of GIS and computer tools in the delimitation of peripheral (and central) areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism began to play an important role as a tool of development regarding cross-border cooperations after the change of the regime. A more efficient cooperation is needed to employ the potentials in tourism-related development of environmental endowments as well as the significant improvement in standards of other factors. The aim of the paper is to reflect the importance of tourism in cross border cooperation through the example of two border regions. The methodology is based on a quality and quantity analysis of a specific database and programs. We are experiencing more and more common tourism activities in both cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism is considered as one of the most important economic sectors, providing opportunities both for economy and development as it accounts for 5% of the GDPs in countries worldwide. This fact emphasizes the significance of the sector in Romania, as well, although tourism makes up only 1.9% of the Romanian GDP. The importance of tourism in regional development is also vital, which can be analysed by different statistical methods. During the research, our objectives were to examine the correlation between the economic development indicators and tourism; their spatial relationship, and, in close relation with these, we have also studied the characteristics of the spatial trends of tourism. To answer these questions, the method of weighted centroids statistical methods was used and it was supported by GIS tools. The results revealed that despite the increasing number of tourist arrivals, one of the biggest problems of Romanian tourism was the decreasing number of guest nights during the investigated period between 2000 and 2012. In our opinion, this phenomenon seriously threatens the sustainability of capacities, which can be a key issue of future tourism development policies. The results of our statistical research suggested a moderate correlation between tourism indicators and the examined development indicators. Nevertheless, it is clear that tourism indicators are definitely separated from most development indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research puts the issue of functional urban regions (or districts) into the focus delimited by the commuting network of employees. The local labour system (LLS) provided a specific dimension of this complex approach however it is one of the most adequate possibilities to delineate these areas of commuting. The delimitation process consisted of two steps with the separation of employment centres and with the assignment of settlements to these cores. The alteration of the LLS pattern was also analysed as the investigation was carried out by the census data from 2001 and 2011. The results provided a comprehensive overview about the process of territorial concentration and the instability of peripheral areas. Significant regional disparities of commuting came to light as the consequence of the body of settlement network. The territorial division of the country provided by LLS pattern is fitting to the new and integrated European approach of cities and their hinterlands but it is not alternative against other administrative or statistical divisions of Hungary. However this territorial point of view is in closer relation to the issues of analysing the local labour market processes or the developments targeting the increase in employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]