Abstract
Starting from the assumption that the core/periphery relations are fractal assemblages of scale of varying intensity, this paper explores and maps at a finely-grained scale the alignment between the socioeconomic and relational attributes of place in a context of peripheralitysquared whereby further peripheralization occurs within a ‘periphery’. To illustrate this context we focus on the Danube region of Romania. Building on two relatively disparate dimensions of peripherality and mobilizing a range of micro-scale data, we construct the socioeconomic and relational indexes, separately and combined, in order to identify the fractal spatiality of the region through micro-scale maps. Examining the spatial (mis)match between varying levels of development and connectivity helps identify territorial assets whose development may enable a more even spatiality that reduces spatial exclusion. Our paper invites scholars to question binary core/periphery or dominant/dominated understandings of peripherality. The fact that our indexes were only slightly correlated raises questions on how peripherality should be interpreted and operationalized; further research on the relationship between its socioeconomic and relational dimensions in other regions of the world would be welcomed.
Highlights
The European Union (EU) enlargement prompted renewed inquiry on the core-periphery relations between ‘the West’ and the newlyadmitted Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries (Ballinger, 2017; Schweiger, 2018; Agh, 2016)
In terms of intensity, zooming in for instance within the EU’s periphery of the CEE, and further on to the periphery of Romania and Bulgaria, one can see that post-communist regional policies have produced more not less territorial discrepancies (Benedek, 2015; Lang, 2015; Raagmaa et al, 2019) between some ‘successful’ cities and vast peripheral regions disengaged from development, such as the Danube region of Romania, which we take as our case study
Data confirm our conceptual metaphor of peripheralitysquared. In these average terms and looking at the observed differences be tween the sample means at various geographical scales, we note the significance of our indicators for quality of life, human capital and labour-market, all pointing to structural weaknesses of the region
Summary
The European Union (EU) enlargement prompted renewed inquiry on the core-periphery relations between ‘the West’ and the newlyadmitted Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries (Ballinger, 2017; Schweiger, 2018; Agh, 2016). In terms of spatial expression and employing a second metaphor, we propose that peripherality displays ‘fractal’ spatiality, i.e. notwithstanding the scale one zooms into - conti nents, countries, regions, cities and even neighbourhoods - the binary core/periphery unpacks in multiple growth poles-fringes relations, dis playing continuous heterogeneity rather than homogeneity across places, which can be identified by finely-grained analyses. To substantiate these conceptual metaphors, this paper aims to explore and map at the finely grained scale of towns and communes the spatial alignment of the socioeconomic and relational dimensions of peripherality within the Romanian Danube region, whose GDP (nomi nal)/capita of $7110 (2017) matches countries such as Gabon ($7230) and the Dominican Republic ($7609) rather than the $10808 of Romania as a whole (World Bank, 2017)
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