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- An analysis of key factors affecting New Town Planning with a
human-centred approach
Abstract: Since new towns are to meet the needs of the metropolitan population, it is required to acquaint the populations with the new scientific-technical methods and take one more step towards civilisation. Given that the New Town seeks to provide the latest facilities for citizens, a human-oriented approach can be proposed. New Urbanism with a humanistic approach requires coherent and dynamic planning. New structures and the various needs of the New Towns require comprehensive and integrated planning to utilise recent facilities to lead New Towns toward a human-centred attitude.Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to analyse the key factors affecting the planning of New Towns with a humanistic approach. The method in this research is a descriptive-analytical survey. In the first step of the research, a list of primary factors involved in planning new cities was identified as research variables, using documentary sources and previous research. Then the research variables were analysed based on the Delphi method. Accordingly, 34 variables were provided in five domains for 50 experts in urban planning issues in the form of questionnaires to be analysed in matrices.The findings of the study are demonstrated in five aspects: cultural-social, physical-spatial, economic, environmental, and governance topics, with 34 components. The results show that citizenship rights, social capital, transparency, accountability, law, participation, consensus, quality of performance and managerial effectiveness, efficiency, economic welfare, sustainable active economy, meeting economic needs, quality of texture, and spirituality have the highest impact and the lowest affectedness on the realisation of human-centred New Urbanism. The results can be useful and effective by establishing integrity and fundamental theoretical principles in planning, implementation and strategic control of New Towns.
PubDate: Thu, 30 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT
- CSR&COVID19 – How do they work together' Perceptions of Corporate
Social Responsibility transformation during a pandemic crisis. Towards
smart development
Abstract: Nowadays, enterprises that are looking to achieve market success and maximise profits must not only offer good products or provide superior quality services, but also pay close attention to the environment in which they operate. One of the manifestations of concern for the broadly understood environment (society, environment) is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). For a good number of years, we have been observing changes in CSR trends, but the situation today demands that organisations update the existing lines of action and meet a whole new level of challenges. This article aims to present the results of case studies of company activities in CSR, as well as a social perception of CSR activities. It also seeks to draw attention to the transformation of ideas during the socio-economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In order to reach the objective of the study, we used the Computer Assisted (Aided) Web Interviews (CAWI) method. This choice was dictated by the pandemic situation in the country. The research shows that there is a noticeable transformation of the focus of socially responsible activities from a global to a local approach centred around smart development. The study also concludes that the society expects that activities under this approach will be continued in the future. The outcomes also indicate that the pandemic situation has necessitated the introduction of entirely new solutions (among others, remote working) that were not previously perceived as feasible but now have a chance to develop further.
PubDate: Thu, 30 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT
- Zipf's Law for cities: estimation of regression function parameters based
on the weight of American urban areas and Polish towns
Abstract: The paper aims at presentation of a methodology where the classical linear regression model is modified to guarantee more realistic estimations and lower parameter oscillations for a specific urban system. That can be achieved by means of the weighted regression model which is based on weights ascribed to individual cities. The major shortcoming of the methods used so far – especially the classical simple linear regression – is the treatment of individual cities as points carrying the same weight, in consequence of which the linear regression poorly matches the empirical distribution of cities. The aim is reached in a several-stage process: demonstration of the drawbacks of the linear parameter estimation methods traditionally used for the purposes of urban system analyses; introduction of the weighted regression which to a large extent diminishes specific drawbacks; and empirical verification of the method with the use of the input data for the USA and Poland
PubDate: Thu, 30 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT
- Impact of the implementation of EU, national and local policies and
legislation on the transition towards eco-cities in Poland
Abstract: Transforming cities towards eco-cities constitutes a significant effort in mitigating and adapting to climate change. The implementation of legal acts and diverse environmentally oriented sectoral policies plays an important role in that process. The objective of this paper is to determine the antecedences and effects of the transformation of cities in accordance with the eco-city concept in Poland in the context of implemented policies, legislation and initiatives. The study reviews the normative acts and programme-strategic documents that provide the framework for the shift towards eco-city at the international and EU level, as well as identifying changes in legislation and policy initiatives resulting from their implementation at national and local level. A set of 24 original indices referring to six aspects of the eco-city (waste management, water and wastewater management, transport and urban mobility, application of RES in energy engineering, air quality, and urban green areas) were applied in multi-criterion analyses in selected case studies. This permitted us to identify the key factors that power the transition towards eco-city. The legal and policy measures are implemented in a top-down approach. Actions are usually initiated at national level and implemented by local authorities, who operate according to their assigned tasks and using dedicated tools (e.g. LEPs, SUMPs). Significant effect of the implementation of eco-city solutions were identified in waste management, sustainable transport, urban mobility, and air quality improvement. Recommendations for future measures include implementing plans and demonstrative projects of eco-cities or eco-districts, conducting complex pro-ecological measures, and increasing the role of bottom-up actions.
PubDate: Thu, 30 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT
- Evaluation of green space systems in small towns of Kyiv region
Abstract: We analysed the current state of greening of small towns in the Kyiv region; small towns constitute 80% of all towns and cities in the region. A difference is shown to exist between the classification of green plantings that is used in Ukraine and the world-wide approach of green infrastructure. This makes it incorrect to compare the indicators of landscaping of towns in Ukraine against those of other countries. Based on the data of Master Plans of towns, the generally accepted indicators of landscaping of urban areas were calculated: provision of greenery per capita and level of landscaping. These indicators of landscaping for small towns were analysed according to different approaches. It is found that, according to the traditional calculation, the provision of green plantations exceeds 300 m2 per capita for only 5% of small towns of the region, but for 70% according to the approach of green infrastructure. The provision of green areas for public use meets the established state standards (8–11 m2 per capita) for only 35% of small towns in the region. Small towns are grouped into four clusters according to the similarity of landscaping indicators, where only the difference in the availability of green plantings of public use was unreliable among the clusters.
PubDate: Sat, 18 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT
- Recycling of municipal waste in Slovak cities
Abstract: Among the most urgent topics within waste management policy is the gradual transition of the economy from a linear model towards a circular economy with a more sustainable way of using resources. The European Union has responded to these changes by passing new legislation and ambitious targets so that all member states can quickly work towards achieving a greener and more sustainable Europe. However, the starting position for achieving the desired goals differs significantly from one country to another. In this paper, we therefore looked at the position of Slovakia in relation to selected waste management indicators, and at the measures taken so far. Moreover, since waste management falls under one of the many public benefit services provided under the remit of local governments, we also monitored the specific contribution of Slovak cities to the newly established trend of waste management in the country.
PubDate: Sat, 18 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT
- The influence of transport offer on passenger traffic in the railway
transport system in a post-socialist country: case study of Poland
Abstract: The study examines factors influencing the number of rail passengers in Poland. The subjects of observation were 62 cities with poviat rights. The main factors influencing demand are the number of connections and the speed of trains. Therefore, we developed an original indicator – weighted number of connections, which takes into account the number of rail connections and the speed of trains. The article can be divided into two main parts: an assessment of the diversification of transport offer and transport demand in spatial terms, and an evaluation of the relationship between the variables. Poland has a large spatial diversity in terms of public rail transport offer and passenger traffic. There are three levels of city hierarchy according to the passenger number indicator: [1] Warsaw, [2] the largest agglomerations [3] other regional cities. Transport offer was found to have a statistically significant impact on transport demand.
PubDate: Sat, 18 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT
- Shrinking agricultural land and changing livelihoods after land
acquisition in Vietnam
Abstract: The phenomenon of agricultural land shrinkage is widespread in the world. This phenomenon has many causes, of which industrialisation is one. The industrialisation process is supported in most countries by the use of land acquisition as a tool to convert land use from agricultural to non-agricultural. This research surveyed 100 land-lost households to examine the impact of farmland shrinkage on their livelihoods in Vietnam. The study focuses on three factors: employment and income, how compensation money is used, and quality of life after land loss. The results show that revenue increased by USD 1,500 per household compared to before. The rate of employment depends on age and gender. There is a drop in employment among women over 35 years old and men over 40. The use of compensation money focuses on non-farm goals, with the bright spot being an investment in education for future generations. The environment and society tend to be worse according to the subjective assessment of households, but their ultimate choice is still to enjoy life after land acquisition.
PubDate: Sat, 18 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT
- Websites and social networks of communes in Slovakia: development and
current state
Abstract: One of the main features of today’s information society is the availability of data of various kinds provided by various companies and organisations. In the following paper, we focus on evaluating the dynamics of development and the current state of existence of websites of communes in Slovakia, which represent a database of their activities and serve as the main communication channel between citizens and self-government representatives. Another important channel is social networks, which are still enjoying huge popularity among Internet users. On the basis of the results of an online questionnaire that involved almost 60% of the addressed self-governments, we will point out the adaptation of self-governments to the use of social networks. One of the important tasks of such research is the distribution of the obtained results to end users. This is achieved through an example of a description of basic technical and functional specifications by using the website created by the authors. This website has the ambition of becoming a sort of central access point for all those interested in information about communes in Slovakia. By means of standard tabular, but also interactive graphic and map outputs, it gives an idea of selected indicators of self-governments in a user-friendly form, thus helping to increase client awareness of this specific issue.
PubDate: Sat, 18 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT
- Is there a relationship between the use of motorcycles and the level of
development of countries'
Abstract: Our paper aims to analyse the hypothesis that locations with a higher Human Development Index (HDI) present lower rates of motorcycle use. For this we use an econometric model for 117 countries on five continents for the years 2013, 2015 and 2018. We assume that when a country reaches a higher level of development, its population is more likely to experience improvements in the quality of life, which also affects the quality of individual transportation, public transport and roads. Increases in income discourage the use of motorcycles, mainly due to their low safety and comfort features. Our results indicate that rates of motorcycle use in countries increase as HDI rises, before reaching a maximum point and then declining. Therefore, this evidence suggests that a certain degree of development discourages the use of this means of transport in favour of others.
PubDate: Sat, 12 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT
- Living standards in North Ossetia-Alania through the prism of economic
processes
Abstract: The paper reflects the dynamics of changes in standard of living in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania during the post-Soviet period.BackgroundThe more than twenty years that have passed since perestroika failed to lead to the expected positive shifts in economy in RNO-Alania. In ratings of regions by population living standards, the republic was consistently among the last places.AimTo show the discrepancy between the modern level of economic development and the standard of life in the RNO-Alania.MethodThe work uses comparative analysis of indicators of living standard and indicators reflecting the structural and dynamic characteristics of economic processes.ResultsOfficial statistics show growth in almost all socio-economic indicators in RNO-Alania. This apparent increase in living standards does not correspond to the low ranking of RNO-Alania, which is consistently in the bottom ten of the rating of Russian regions. The analysis of other indicators determining the population's quality of life, such as: the ecological condition of the territory, the developmental level of health and education institutions, life expectancy, and availability of transport, information and communication networks all correlated weakly with the real socio-economic situation in the region. The study of the republic's districts showed a high unemployment rate due to the lack of industrial and agricultural production, the underdevelopment of small and medium-sized businesses, and low wages. There is an outflow of working-age population to the city of Vladikavkaz and from the districts to outside the republic.ConclusionsThe deficit in the republic's budget persisted during the research period, despite the apparent growth in the gross product and revenue part of the budget, but the volume of expenditures is growing at a faster rate. The main reason for this is the sharp decline in industrial production, and the influence of loss-making enterprises that do not generate income in the budget. Living standards are rising only thanks to grants from the federal centre.RecommendationIn order to remove the republic from its depressed state it is necessary to increase the fixed capital, to control the process of effective use of the available production capacities, and to invest in a recreational industry that uses natural resources and does not require significant investment.
PubDate: Sat, 12 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT
- Good governance in strategic planning of local development in rural and
urban-rural gminas of the eastern peripheral voivodeships of Poland
Abstract: The work aimed to determine the scope of the good governance approach in the local development planning of local governments of rural and urban-rural gminas in the eastern peripheral voivodeships of Poland (Lubelskie, Podlaskie and Świętokrzyskie Voivodeships) and how the implementation of good governance principles in the process of elaborating and implementing local development strategies correlates with assessments of the strategy's suitability as a development management tool. The research used methods of analysis and criticism of the literature, statistical analysis and a survey method using an interview questionnaire addressed to local government authorities. According to our research, especially at the stage of developing the strategy, actions were taken regarding local-community and local-authority participation and active communication between the two, but a lower level of community participation was found at the implementation stage. There was a statistically significant relationship between adopting the principle of participation and accountability in preparing and implementing the strategy and how suitable the strategy was assessed to be as a tool for development management. It seems reasonable to apply the principles of good governance more widely in planning local development, not only while developing the strategy, but also in its implementation.
PubDate: Sat, 12 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT
- The local community: an entity discriminated against in spatial
decision-making in Poland'
Abstract: The article concerns the legal dimension of local communities’ participation in selected aspects of shaping space in Poland. The results of the review of legal regulations are presented, including interpretations of regulations made by other authors. Examples taken from previous research were used to show the functioning of these regulations in practice and their consequences. The aim of the article is to assess the legal conditions for the participation of local communities in spatial planning, planning of protected areas and location of investments in Poland, in relation to selected theoretical concepts, as well as to assess the consequences of these conditions. In the legal dimension, the participation of the local community in shaping space is symbolic, in the terminology of the Arnstein ladder. The dominant model is a non-binding opinion on ready-made projects and plans, instead of collaboration in their creation.
PubDate: Sat, 12 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT
- How will new orbital motorways reshape accessibility in Bratislava
metropolitan area'
Abstract: Dynamic economic expansion of metropolitan regions in post-communist central Europe induces dynamic traffic growth, which calls for new transport network solutions and improvements to existing transport infrastructure within the regions. This is also the case of Bratislava as the capital city of post-communist Slovakia, which has recently been facing new economic and urban development challenges. A booming labour market, intensive suburbanisation processes, traffic expansion and urban (re-)development bring new conflicts and demand for grand-scale transport projects. An ongoing upgrade of the motorway system in the region of Bratislava will result in the construction of a substantial part of an orbital motorway surrounding the southern and eastern parts of the city. The potential effects of the motorway network-upgrade projects on the city urbanism are probably immense. This paper attempts to evaluate the possible changes in accessibility within the road network after completion of motorway upgrading project D4/R7 in the metropolitan area of Bratislava. The interaction potential of both population and jobs was applied here to assess possible impacts of road network enhancement on accessibility of places of residence and of work.
PubDate: Sat, 12 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT
- Potential and cumulative accessibility of workplaces by public transport
in Szczecin
Abstract: The article presents the accessibility of workplaces in Szczecin using the method of potential and cumulative accessibility for commuting by public transport. The public transport commuting times used in the study were generated using the public transport model, which was developed based on data in the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) format. The results of potential accessibility by public transport were calculated for several selected time thresholds in the morning rush hours between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m.. On the other hand, cumulative accessibility is characterised by variability of travel times for 8 a.m., which is calculated in 10- to 60-minute intervals of travel time. The aim of this study is to identify workplaces in Szczecin that are situated in areas where accessibility is more dependent on the parameters of the public-transport timetable. In addition, a possibility to define the optimal journey length was assumed so that it would regard the largest number of jobs. The use of the two indicated research methods for the accessibility of workplaces in Szczecin provides a result in the form of better- and less-accessible areas of the city as regards the labour market. The results regarding the accessibility of workplaces using the two methods identify places of increased demand for commuting by public transport during the morning rush hours.
PubDate: Sat, 12 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT
- Local initiatives for green space using Poland's Village Fund: evidence
from Lodzkie voivodeship
Abstract: Poland's Village Fund (Fundusz Sołecki) is an instrument operating at the level of the so-called sołectwo, into which local-administration units known as gminas may be further sub-divided. These are therefore auxiliary administrative units in rural areas whose receipt of means from the Fund in question allows for the activation of local communities. Against that background, the research detailed here sought to examine Village Fund by reference to the greenspace-related projects pursued using it in the rural gminas of Łódzkie Voivodeship. Additional aspects are the classification of the tasks carried out, presentation of the statistical analysis applied, and consideration of the breakdown obtained for indicators relating to the share of funds allocated to green areas – by reference to the properties of the normal distribution curve.
PubDate: Fri, 06 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT
- Development of crop production in the Slovakia and Czechia after the year
2004 in comparison with V4 countries
Abstract: The V4 countries went through a transformation of their entire economies, including the agricultural sector, in the 1990s. Each of these countries approached the transformation of agriculture differently, but later the V4 countries’ approach to agricultural development was unified by the EU's common agricultural policy. The aim of the paper was to compare the development of the production (sown area and hectare yield) of selected most commonly cultivated crops in Slovak and Czech regions (NUTS 3) in the period between 2004 and 2017. The development of production in these two countries was also evaluated against the trends of V4 countries. Based on these analyses, common and specific agriculture development trends in V4 countries were revealed. A chronological average was used to evaluate the average values of the monitored indicators in the period from 2004 to 2017 in Slovak and Czech regions. To express the development of the given indicators between 2004 and 2017, the change index was used and visualised cartographically. Regression analysis was used to show the development trends of agricultural production in the V4 countries. In general, the agricultural sectors in the V4 countries show similar characteristics with similar trends, and the average hectare yield has a modest growing trend. In terms of the structure of the cultivated plants, the size of the cultivated areas, the volume of production and the average hectare yields, there have been considerable changes to crop farming in Slovak and Czech regions. The study showed that the changes in the agrarian sector after the year 2004 conditioned by the entry of Czechia and Slovakia into the European Union were reflected in a decrease in crop production and an increase in regional disparities. From the point of view of the production indicator expressing the hectare yield of crops, Czechia achieves better indicator values than does Slovakia.
PubDate: Sat, 24 Oct 2020 00:00:00 GMT
- National business cultures: the influence of religion, and their role in
the economic development of countries
Abstract: The paper clarifies the conditions and factors of the development of the institutional environment through modern interdisciplinary analysis. The authors revise the studies of the problem under consideration in the history of science and reveal the decisive role of religion in the development of national business cultures. The study highlights the fundamental postulates, i.e. the canons of theology, and argues for the need to consider them in the context of the analysis of national business cultures. The authors put forward and prove theoretical and methodological principles of the determinant influence of national business cultures and religion on the development of countries (the socio-economic phenomenon of the “economic miracle”). The content of the category “Polish economic miracle” is revealed through analysis of the influence of Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism on other “economic miracles” known from history. The authors conclude that Catholicism currently encourages entrepreneurial initiative of both individuals and organisations, which contributes to the sustainable economic development of countries.
PubDate: Sat, 24 Oct 2020 00:00:00 GMT
- Slovakia and the Czech Republic on the path towards Sustainable
Development
Abstract: The objective of this contribution is to identify, on the basis of an empirical content analysis of documents, the results of fulfilling the 2030 Agenda in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in terms of their global responsibility for fulfilling development goals, by identifying indicators for each of the 17 goals of the 2030 Agenda. This was based on selective research in terms of the selected pilot indicator for each goal of Agenda 2030. These selected indicators were chosen because they best represented the social, economic and territorial problems of the countries surveyed. Their fulfilment is therefore the most important part of fulfilling the complex Sustainable Development Goals. Then a selective and complex relational comparison of the analysed countries in terms of their performance in implementation will be performed on the basis of data obtained using the SDG index. The outcome of the paper is a specification of the surveyed countries’ prospects for meeting all the examined aspects of the SDG by 2030 by an arithmetic expression of their potential to reach 100% in the surveyed indicators. This paper is part of the solution of Project VEGA no. 1/0302/18 “Smart Cities as a possibility for implementation of the concept of Sustainable Urban Development in the Slovak Republic”.
PubDate: Wed, 25 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT
- Demographic implications of transiting from segregation to integration: a
focus on education issues in Buffalo City, South Africa
Abstract: The study aims at interrogating the transformation of education in Buffalo City following integration of East London with its black townships. This paper is largely framed from a quantitative paradigm that draws from statistical data in linking population changes with educational patterns in the study area. Census data was used to trace population changes in post-apartheid South Africa, while performance in education was informed by matriculation results. Quantitative data were complemented with key informants’ qualitative opinions. The results indicate that the quality of education in former “white” schools is better than that of “township” schools. There are several pull factors that attract township learners to former white schools, albeit with integration challenges. The study concludes that if these challenges are masked to education planners and policy makers, they militate against the envisioned liberalisation of the democratic education system.
PubDate: Wed, 25 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT
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