The Geography of Demilitarisation: Do Regional Economic Disparities Affect the Spatial Distribution of Military Base Closures?

Very few researchers have focused on the question of: if and to what extent, regional economic disparities affect military base closures. In this paper, we aim to explain regional patterns of military base closures in the Czech Republic, a country that has experienced a sharp decline in military employment and expenditures since the beginning of 1990s. Three groups of predictors of closure were considered: local (size, age, location and hierarchical position of the military base); regional (wages, unemployment, city size, the initial level of militarisation of the district); and national-level predictors (geostrategic priorities and restructuring of the Czech Armed Forces). Our research is informed by the theory of public choice and its application to the decision-making processes concerning military base closures and realignments. We employed a combination of regression models to determine which group of the above-mentioned factors affected the spatial distribution of military bases in the period 1994–2005. While geostrategic factors (such as distance from the border with West Germany) and restructuring of the army (type of a military base) were the most important, regional economic disparities showed no significant correlation with the intensity of military base closures/downsizing. We did not demonstrate that military bases in economically lagging regions had been systematically protected in the Czech Republic.

Barriers Everyone: A New Method for Multiscale Analysis of Barriers Using the Barrier Index

The Barrier Index is presented in this contribution. The index shows the extent to which spatial units of different sizes are closed off by barriers, influencing society by the different “thickness” and “thinness” of boundaries. The article defines the Index and compares land units with barriers in various details. The calculations were made for spatial units from the scale of parcels to one-hectare areas in selected types of regions, selected geographic regions, and border barriers in selected countries. The Index is useful for crossscale analysis and for identifying the underlying causes and relationships within different cultural, social, and geographical contexts. The example of spatially persistent family structures was used to highlight the underpinning influencing factors that connect the building of barriers at different scales.

Central European Tourist Flows: Intraregional Patterns and Their Implications

Understanding tourist spatial behaviours is essential for strategic planning and sustainable development. Especially at the city-level, data provide implications for spatial planning and transport governance. Intraregional tourist flows to cities contributed significantly to the total volume of tourists within the Central European region before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Given the challenges that urban tourism is currently facing, intraregional tourist flows could be a strategic opportunity for future growth. As a comprehensive assessment of the tourist flows at this spatial level is lacking, the paper aims to evaluate the structure of these flows and discuss the factors that influence their spatial distribution. Statistical data analysis of tourist flows to selected cities in Central Europe is evaluated by multiple linear regression. The results show that the main factors affecting the distribution of tourist flows are air connection, the attractiveness of the destination, and the size of the source market. Tourist flows within Central Europe are fundamentally affected by Germany. This market can be considered the most important source of demand for inbound tourism. Germany's national ties with Austria and Switzerland generated 47% of all trips examined. In this case, the influences of historical ties and the broader socio-economic context are evident.

The Contribution of Spatial Interaction Modelling to Spatial History: The Case of Central Places and their Hinterlands in the Territory of the Austro-Hungarian Empire

Research on spatial history can be enriched by using approaches from quantitative geography. We analyse an historical regional system and highlight three basic assumptions, building upon Christaller’s central place theory: cities do not stand alone in space, they interact with their hinterlands, and they are hierarchically organised. We investigate the relative position of central places in space and define their hinterlands using a spatial interaction modelling approach. We present the example of functional regional taxonomy in past environments, which therefore has a higher degree of uncertainty in the results and in their interpretation. We use a variant of Reilly’s model to define the functional regions in Austria-Hungary at the beginning and at the end of the 20th century. We present a possible interpretation of the model results based on the identification of the major factors responsible for developments in the urban and regional systems of Austria-Hungary over 100 years. We conclude that the development of urban and regional systems in the territory of the former Austria-Hungary was not considerably affected by the role of political-economic systems, the administrative organisation of states, nor by the different stages in economic development of its formerly constituent territories.

Regional brands produced beyond the region: An analysis of beer brands from recently closed breweries in Europe

Global industry has been undergoing changes in the concentration of brand ownership and production, with acquisitions and closures being a major factor in this evolution. The impacts of such activities are commonly studied from an economic perspective and from the perspective of internal firm-level and deal-level factors, while the influence of external geographical factors is largely neglected. Our research focuses mainly on the importance of geographical cultural factors affecting beer brands whose production location was moved after the closure of the original breweries. The research includes a complete sample of 30 brands from recently closed breweries across Europe. Brands are divided into seven categories according to how their marketing strategy has (or has not) changed in terms of exploiting regional and national identity. The overall success of these brands is then measured in terms of the development of their share in the home countries’ markets. Differences in brands’ strategies and successes are explained through a wide range of country-level factors and the individual characteristics of the breweries. It is shown that the level of beer tradition or identity in the countries, as well as the country’s beer life-cycle position, plays a crucial role in the evolution of the studied brands.

The importance of historical maps for man-made pond research: From the past extent of ponds to issues of the present landscape. A case study from the Czech Republic

Historical maps are a valuable resource in landscape research. The information gathered from them facilitates the cognisance of landscapes and may assist current landscape planning. This study focuses on the historical occurrence and spatial extent of man-made ponds in the Czech Republic. Based on the 1st Military Survey maps (1764–1783) of the Habsburg Monarchy, we use Historical GIS to identify 7,676 man-made ponds in the historical landscape. Compared to the 2nd Military Survey maps (1836–1852), 56% of these man-made ponds had been drained. Such disappearances mostly affected large ponds in fertile agricultural areas, but also affected small reservoirs in less fertile areas at higher altitudes. As the current maps and spatial datasets (Water reservoirs, Landscape water regime, Farming areas) show, a number of these agricultural regions have been affected by climate changes and face water shortages. The historical map information of former ponds has the potential to contribute to their restoration in areas where water retention in the landscape needs to be increased.

How are allotment gardens managed? A comparative study of usage and development in contemporary urban space in Germany and Poland

This article aims to analyse the development and use of allotment gardens (AGs) and plots in Westphalia and Lippe (Germany) and Wielkopolska (Poland) to assess what functions are feasible in their current stage, thus, contributing to an ongoing discussion on the role of AGs in contemporary urban space. The analysis considered ecosystem services, green infrastructure and urban agriculture. Characteristic features of AGs were identified by means of a survey of plot-holders, in-depth interviews with representatives of allotment associations, and exploratory walks. The management and use of AGs differs in both regions in terms of accessibility, common areas, impact on the landscape and plots development. AGs in Westphalia and Lippe are accessible and developed in a way which meets needs of external users. They fit harmoniously into the surrounding landscape. However, AGs in Wielkopolska are not as accessible, prioritise internal users, and do not always blend in with their surroundings. In Westphalia and Lippe, in addition to recreational and edible plant-growing plots, there are also educational and integration ones, while in Wielkopolska main categories of plots were more numerous and varied; from recreational with a predominance of ornamental plants to fully-cultivated. However, the considerable freedom that Polish plot-holders enjoy gives rise to the gradual marginalisation of edible-plant growing.

Peripheral areas and their distinctive characteristics: The case of Hungary

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.

From the agricultural station to a luxury village? Changing and ambiguous everyday practices in the suburb of Vinnytsia (Ukraine)

The study of everyday practices, self-identities and perceptions seems to be a promising approach to understand the suburban spaces as not only static containers but socially constructed, dynamic and ambiguous entities. Our case study is represented by the suburban village of Ahronomichne, located in the peri-urban area of the second-order Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia. The research methods included survey of residents (67 long-term residents and 59 newcomers), observations of the everyday activities of the residents and appearance of the build environment at seven observation points within the village, and four semi-structured in-depth interviews. We found that everyday practices of the long-term residents and newcomers significantly differ in terms of their set, spatial configuration and actual exercitation. The other important factors contributing to the variety of everyday practices and lifestyles are type of housing, age and family status. Simultaneously, we observed not just a combination but rather intertwining, mixing and hybridisation of urban, suburban and rural everyday practices and lifestyles. Another finding of the research was the western-type suburban growth of the second-order Ukrainian city in contrast to the largest cities of the country where centrifugal migrations of rich people to peri-urban area combines with the centripetal stream of less affluent migrant from peripheral settlements, keeping transitory residential strategy.

General population perceptions of risk in the Covid-19 pandemic: A Romanian case study

The COVID-19 pandemic has created complex socio-political situations, as the health crisis was paralleled by the reshaping of lifestyle patterns and induced severe economic changes. By means of an online survey, this study aims to investigate the population perceptions of risk in Romania: it examines important psychological and social factors related to risk perception and behaviours, as well as attitudes toward quarantine and physical distancing. By means of statistical analysis, the data were analysed and a GIS environment was used to visualise data distributions. Our findings indicate that if the perceived risk associated to the epidemic is high, people will change their normal behaviours, adopt preventative measures, adhere to strict hygiene practices and are willing to self-isolate for the benefit of their peers, which they tend to see as running a greater risk than themselves. Women and people with higher educational status tend to be more worried about the current situation, but regarding the severity, almost all men believe they would risk a severe state if infected. In conclusion, the perception of high risk associated with COVID-19 can lead not only to positive behavioural changes (mainly physical distancing and improved hygiene), but also to a rapid mobilisation and active involvement of communities, which are vital for stopping transmission of the virus.