Territorial Identity Research Articles

Revaluating CUNA Places (CUltural Place of High Relevance for NAture): Rome as a Multifaced Example of Outstanding Values and Potentials

The Global Frameworks for Enhancing Natural and Cultural Capital, as expressed in the Charter of Rome (2014), have relevant importance in the broader context of sustainable development goals (SDGs). The intricate connection between cultural and natural heritage emerges in various documents from UNESCO, IUCN, and ICOMOS; however, the categories and methods for their assessment are not completely defined. Evolving from the concept of “mixed properties” used in the UNESCO definitions, we introduce the concept of CUNA places: cultural places of high relevance for nature. It provides a methodological tool for identifying and typifying these places based on their values, attributes, and significance. Then, we propose definitions and categories for three different CUNA typologies, comprising 16 categories, considering both tangible and intangible heritage. We also provide a preliminary application to the city of Rome, where a rich historical heritage intersects with outstanding natural values. All the typologies and categories of CUNA places are present in Rome, and further analysis could show the multifaced aspects represented here. On a broader scale, such an application offers the opportunity to enhance the heritages that could be valorized, strengthening the territorial identity, promoting sustainable development, and generating income for conservation efforts.

A Methodological Approach for Assessing the Interaction Between Rural Landscapes and Built Structures: A Case Study of Winery Architecture in Tuscany, Italy

This research aims to investigate the dynamics of interaction and interdependence between winery architecture and the rural landscape, with a particular focus on the Tuscany region in Italy. The primary objective is to analyze a selection of wineries deemed iconic and exemplary for the topic, assessing their relationship with the surrounding territory and landscape. To this end, specifically designed analytical frameworks are employed, grounded in experimental methodologies and criteria well-established in the relevant scientific literature. This methodology integrates a wide range of qualitative and quantitative indicators from scientific literature, organizing them within various taxonomic frameworks. Through tailored analytical forms, the research examines how design choices impact the agrarian context, highlighting the pivotal role of winery architecture in strengthening territorial identity and fostering a model of sustainable tourism. This paper introduces an adaptable interpretive method applicable across contexts, suitable for professionals and decision-makers. The findings present a framework for evaluating landscape systems, demonstrating how passive and advanced strategies enhance eco-efficiency and landscape perception, and adding ethical, aesthetic, and functional value. Moreover, the research contributes to rural landscape discourse, highlighting winery architecture’s role in balancing sustainability, driving economic development, and preserving rural environments.

Communicative Type “Municipal Employee” in the Media Space: Development of an Automatic Information and Analytical Assessment System

The article examines the issue of representing municipal government in the media space, followed by the proposed solution for automatically identifying signs of destructive and constructive positioning of communicative types of municipal employees in the public information space. The definition of the concept of the communicative type “municipal employee” with verification features is introduced. The results of the analysis of the organization of local self-government on the example of the Moscow region allowed us to conclude that the communicative type “municipal employee” reflects a diversified system of territorial communicative position within the regional government. The information obtained during the analysis of public information space attitudes regarding the activities of municipal employees can be automated with the method of identifying linguistic markers of emotivity to determine the communicative position of territorial authorities. The suggested methodology for effective automation of the studied subject area in the humanities has been verified as possessing a high scientific potential for further research. It is concluded that the development of technology for monitoring and forecasting public threats based on “soft power” methods through automatic and expert work to identify markers of evaluative presentation of communicative types of municipal employees is designed to help regional authorities achieve the desired results in ensuring territorial identity.

Symbolic Capital of a Place as a Constellation of Social Meanings (The Сase of the Кaliningrad Region)

The article reveals the possibilities of applying P. Bourdieu’s symbolic capital concept to the analysis of places and territory. The initial foundations of the concept are analyzed in the context of his double structuring theory of social reality. Objective characteristics and resources of the territory are classified as first-order structuring, and associated assessments and perceptions are classified as second-order structuring. Based on the proposition that the approaches of social agents vary depending on their inherent habitus, it is concluded that it is more productive to view symbolic capital not as a sum, but as a constellation of social meanings. The ability to control these meanings becomes one of the key factors in the struggle for power, with its outspoken spatial aspect. In the context of understanding symbolic capital as distinction, the influence of symbolization practices on territorial identity is growing. It is argued that the proposed approach allows to take a deeper look at such current problems of place branding as the spread of “empty” brands, lack of attention to the needs of the local population, and the growth of social inequality. Using the example of the Kaliningrad region, it is shown that Bourdieu’s views on the essence of symbolic capital and the nature of symbolic power open up new opportunities for critical analysis of social problems associated with symbolization practices, and also allow explicating the hidden interests of political and economic actors in the field of territorial administration.

Northern “Mosaic”: Territorial Identity in Toponyms of Northern Cities in Ural Federal District

Northern “Mosaic”: Territorial Identity in Toponyms of Northern Cities in Ural Federal District

O planejamento territorial no estado da Bahia pela perspectiva dos atores do território

Bahia is recognized by its territorial development policy, called Territories of Identity (TI). Thus, the objective of this study is to highlight the relevance and effects of this policy from the perspective of local actors. The theoretical framework is based on the Actor-Oriented Perspective, using data collection and semi-structured interviews. The results indicate that the territorial policy is valued for promoting the multidimensional development of rural Bahia, strengthening social empowerment through participatory governance. Its institutional arrangement was successful in building social cohesion, political will and integrating territorial planning with the state's Multi-Year Plan, Public Consortia and actions of the Regional Action and Development Company. However, the policy faces challenges, especially regarding the consideration of the heterogeneity of territories and power struggles in social arenas, leading to unequal effects among TIs.

Insular Perspectives of the State: Territorial Policy and Management as Seen From Guaitecas

State intervention in island areas often focuses on their shortcomings and limitations, defining them in terms of backwardness. This approach legitimises top-down territorial integration initiatives that disregard the expectations and knowledge of local residents. One consequence of this approach is centre-periphery dynamics increasing gaps in island contexts, reducing its relevance in political, economic, and social terms. The prevalence of state interventions decided from the continent reinforces a sense of distance and difference. In this paper, we propose a definition of islandness based on three interrelated arguments: identity, political, and territorial. From there, we highlight their impact on the political sentiments that develop in these contexts, which are often marked by a sense of territorial identity, dissatisfaction with experiences involving the state, and a struggle to control the local agenda. In a case study of the Guaitecas Archipelago in southern Chile, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 39 local people between September 2021 and October 2022. Respondents shared their characterisations of the state, their expectations in terms of its role, the relationship between the public sector and local politics, and the informal practices that emerge through adaptation of standardised mechanisms devised on the mainland.

Education, propaganda, and visual discourse in socialist Romania (1948–1989)

ABSTRACT The official discourse during the communist regime in Romania (1948–1989) has not been paid much attention by researchers and the official visual discourse, addressing adults and children, even less so. My study aims to address this research gap and identify the identity markers of the Romanian territory during socialism by exploring spatial representations and the territorial identity that were produced through official visual imagery. Using qualitative discourse analysis and critical visual methodology, I analyse the visual construction, through discourse, of themes and places created starting with the 1950s and were featured repeatedly during the 1970s and 1980s Romania (the period of national communism), and which constructed and highlighted traits of the country’s territorial identity. To achieve the research aim, I explore three types of research materials and ways of realising spatial education and socialisation through (propaganda) images or a visual pedagogy of space: (1) photographs in three textbooks about the Geography of Romania – a tool in educating people’s representations of their homeland, (2) official (state-produced and distributed) picture postcards reflecting progress during socialist Romania, and (3) comics about work and class identities in Cutezătorii [The Daring Ones] youth magazine – a tool in the edutainment of Romanian communist pioneers. These three official visual discourses were part of a coherent cultural visual discourse about the socialist nation, pervading representations about Romania, about its urban area, and about who the Romanians were meant to have been. This plural discourse was constructed through the visual intertextuality of these three widely distributed media.

Who are we, where are we from, where are we going to?": Territorial identity in the urbanonymy of Kurgan City

Who are we, where are we from, where are we going to?": Territorial identity in the urbanonymy of Kurgan City

National identification weakens, and territorial identification strengthens, the relationship between masculine honor values and the justification of practices of connivance with the mafia

AbstractOrganized crime's governance raises questions about mechanisms facilitating the exercise of illegal authority in society. The present research tested the association between masculine honor ideology and the justification of connivance practices facilitating criminal groups' activities. We examined the novel idea that national identification would attenuate and territorial identification would strengthen such a relationship, reflecting different sources of authority at the national and territorial levels. In Studies 1a and b (N = 398 and N = 399), we measured individuals' endorsement of masculine honor, justification of connivance practices, and national and territorial identifications. In Study 2 (N = 390), we experimentally manipulated the salience of these identities. Results supported the hypotheses that the link between masculine honor and justification of connivance was weaker at higher levels of national identification and stronger at higher levels of territorial identification. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Цифровизация местного самоуправления — «новая» демократия?

The article presents the author’s opinions on the impact of digital transformation of public administration in general and local government in particular on citizen participation in local community affairs. It is proposed to distinguish between “electronic democracy” and “electronic participation”, and the position is expressed that traditional and digital democracy have a common constitutional and legal nature, characterized by target and functional unity, but differ in technological methods of expressing will and communication. One of the key factors influencing the conditions for using digital technologies in the process of formation and activities of local government bodies is trust. Based on sociological research data, it was revealed that at the local level, ensuring trust has certain specifics, which are proposed to be interpreted through territorial identity.

Показатели и алгоритмы оценивания качества результатов идентификации состояния прилегающих территорий

Machine learning methods for identification of territories near railway infrastructure facilities are considered. The main sources of initial data are presented, as well as algorithms for assessing the quality of the results for landscape elements automated identification using the forest vegetation example. Forest vegetation state identification is carried out based on spectral-brightness characteristics determined using multispectral aerospace imaging materials. Quality indicators for the results of survey materials automated processing and algorithms for calculating the considered indicators are proposed. Examples are given to assess the results quality of using machine learning methods.

Issues of Agglomeration Identity Policy in Statements of Russian Regional Politicians: Discourse Analysis of the Social Network “Vkontakte” Materials

The article examines how issues of identity construction in Russian urban agglomerations are reflected in the Russian regional politicians’ discourse in mass media. The study concerns theoretical problems of identity construction and the role of regional government bodies in shaping the territorial identity of the population. The specificity of the Russian situation is the absence of governing bodies related to the agglomeration level in most urban agglomerations. The empirical basis of the study is the texts of subnational politicians posted on the official websites of regional government bodies: websites of governors and regional governments, official pages in the mass media. The empirical information on identity policy were collected from the Internet sources (official portals of regional executive authorities, media reports). Discourse analysis was carried out after monitoring social media materials (VKontakte web-pages of regional leaders). The article reflects five cases out of sixteen Russian ones related to the Ural and Siberian agglomerations with a megalopolis core. The empirical data cover the period from December 2022 to the end of 2023. The choice of the time period for analysis is determined by the fact that by this period the most significant factors influencing the policy of our state at present (the pandemic and the Special military operation) have already manifested themselves in full. It has been confirmed that the problems of agglomeration development in the public official subfederal discourse in most cases are reduced to economic problems; first of all, it concerns the development of industry, science (high technology), transport, and waste disposal. In all analyzed cases, insufficient attention was found out, paid to the role of the implemented socio-cultural projects of subfederal identity policy, and also distancing from the discussion of the problems of integration of labor migrants in the public space. Insignificant number of messages from representatives of the regional political and administrative elite about the socio-cultural meanings of the formed agglomerations can become a significant limitation of information support for the agglomeration development of modern contemporary Russia.

Guimerà: la persistència d’un mite popular i els debats al voltant del cinquantenari de la seva mort (1909–1974)

Few authors are able to represent and exemplify in life the continuity between national literary canon and territorial identity as well as Àngel Guimerà i Jorge (1845–1924). This article sets out to trace the continuities and permanence in Catalan culture of the figure of Guimerà, but at the same to highlight the contrasting or contradictory elements that have characterized public evaluations of his legacy. Beginning with brief consideration of the monumentalization of Guimerà in the early 20th century and immediately following his death in 1924, we will go on to focus on debates around his significance towards the end of the Franco dictatorship, as it was then that new generations of intellectuals and artists who had not directly experienced the civil war would consider the continuing relevance or validity of his writings. This process culminated in 1974 on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of his death: when there was open debate in the press about the place of Guimerà in Catalan culture, and, more specifically, on the Catalan stage. Here we aim to contextualise these debates, elucidating both the challenges presented by different aspects of his figure and work for recovery in the Catalan society of the period and the light they shed on the ways in which literary figures are resignified over time.

Bounded Spaces – The Enduring Allure of Territorial Identities and the Lasting Value of Paasi's Conceptualisation of the Institutionalisation of Regions

AbstractThis commentary revisits the main elements of Paasi's ideas about the institutionalisation of regions and bounded spaces. It reviews his analysis of the identity of a region and the regional identity of its residents (as addressed in his TESG 2002 article). Next, it discusses how his work on bounded spaces contributed to the reinvention of border studies in political geography and how his innovative conceptual work grounded in and written from Finland, was inspiring for a whole generation of researchers working at the margins of the Anglo‐American academic world. Finally, it reasserts the enduring value of his heuristic framework in a time where the complexity of social spatialisation and of spatial socialisation has greatly increased.

Territorial Images of Yorùbáland Cartographic Styles and Symbolic Representation in the Mid-Nineteenth Century

In the nineteenth century, Euro-American maps of Africa in the cultural contact of Europeans and Africans were also rhetorical devices, which articulated the politics of territorial conceptions of the geographical space. I contend that cartographic styles visually prompt alternative territorial perspectives with insights into past geographies. The paper examines three nineteenth-century maps of Yorùbáland in West-Central Africa highlighting cartographic styles, symbolic representations and territorial politics. Through a historical-stylistic analysis, I explore the cultural motivation of map production, their composition and the semiotic evaluation of their representations to stress alternative map appearances. These maps worked in territorial power relations, which highlight map styles as a persuasive element in the social construction of territorial identities and interests. Overall, the paper stresses maps are vital devices in the nineteenth century territorialisation of Yorùbáland, which exemplify the cultural interdependence of Europeans, Americans and Africans.

Agroecological Yards, Food Sovereignty and Production of Ecosystem Services in South Bahia, Brazil

Objective: This study aims to characterize productive backyards, in the identity territory of the Far South of Bahia, highlighting the challenges, potential, characteristics, productive arrangements and ecosystem services perceived by families. Theoretical Framework: In this article, we will discuss the concepts of ecosystem services, productive backyards and agroecosystems. Method: The study was carried out in 18 agrarian reform settlement lots in the municipalities of Teixeira de Freitas and Prado/BA. Data were collected through interviews, semi-structured questionnaires, transversal walks, soil collection for chemical analysis and plant collection for identification. Results and Discussion: Productive backyards stood out for being a biodiverse space, important in generating income, especially non-financial income, promoting food sovereignty, improving soils and promoting quality of life for the families surveyed. The backyards ranged from 0.54 to 3.1 hectares and 94.4% have predominantly agroecological management. 230 special species were found, such as fruit, native, medicinal, horticultural and spiritual, and 15 ecosystem services were evaluated. We conclude that backyards are a powerful tool in promoting food sovereignty, generating income, environmental and biodiversity restoration and promoting of ecosystem services. Research Implications: Assess whether ecosystem services resulting from productive backyards are important for the construction of public policies and socio-biodiverse productive strategies for the family farming segment. Originality/Value: It is unprecedented research on settlement projects, presenting a research method, data and important information for evaluating productive backyards.

TOWARDS AN ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF CULTURE-DRIVEN INTERVENTIONS ON INTEGRATED LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING: INSIGHTS FROM THE CASE STUDY OF PIRAEUS AVENUE IN ATHENS, GREECE

In recent years, culture has been addressed as a key component of integrated approaches to local development planning. In this context, it has been systematically combined with institutional and social aspects of local planning strategies and in support of local innovation/creativity systems. However, the articulation of these integrated approaches inhibits a wide typology of context-specific actions in European cities adopting different patterns of promoting culture as an innovative dimension of spatial planning. At the same time, recent discussion in the field suggests the adoption of more holistic frameworks that equally address the role of culture with differentiated aspects such as physical renewal, social relations and governance networks, hence recognising the integrated character of culture-driven interventions and explaining hindering development factors. The present paper aims to elaborate on the importance of such a holistic framework by testing its aspects in the context of the Piraeus Avenue area in Athens (Greece) and the (short-term and fragmented) emanating of developmental policies in support of the creativity and innovation that exist in this locality. The research focuses on the impact of cultural interventions in the Piraeus Avenue area in terms of the building of territorial efficiency, territorial quality, territorial identity and territorial capacity. In parallel, the research addresses the role of demographic and socio-economic parameters in this regard. To address these research aim issues, desktop research together with ten (10) semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders were conducted. Results indicate several positive impacts in the area mostly regarding spatial quality. However, in relation to territorial capacity building, a key finding is the need for activation towards building complementary uses and activities with other types of local stakeholders with accentuated decision-making powers. The research findings can serve to inform policy-making by identifying best practices and key challenges in the formulation of a holistic impact assessment framework towards culture-based spatial development planning in the European space.

The Study of National Identities at World Fairs – from Methodological Nationalism to Transnational Approaches and Cultural Isomorphism

The study of national representations at world fairs could provide a strong incentive to the field of nationalism studies, since it enables the construction of national identities to be studied as a global process. This way, it can be shown that the process of national identity construction during the heyday of the world fairs between 1851 and the 1930s demonstrated many converging tendencies. This introductory article is divided into five sections. First, I will show how national and other territorial identities have been shaped at world fairs during the second half of the nineteenth and early decades of the twentieth century. The second section will provide a brief overview of developments in the field of nationalism studies, where scholars have recently placed more emphasis on transnational and bottom-up approaches, while trying to overcome the dichotomy between nation-states and empires. The third section assesses the contributions on nationalism at world fairs published in this and the previous issue of Studies on National Movements, showing how they already integrate many fresh perspectives. In the fourth part, I argue that more attention should be given to the construction of national identities as a global process, showing that world fairs actually had a strong isomorphic effect, as countries increasingly adopted common elements and templates in order to give shape to their national identities. The final section shows that world fairs reflected the existing international order, developed a common taxonomy to categorize human productivity, created a global conceptual framework, defined the main components of a national identity and created successful templates in order to display them for an international audience. World fairs as a consequence had a lasting and homogenizing effect on national identities around the globe.

Methodological Proposal for Sustainable Territorial Communication—The Case of Castilla y León

The proximity television model adopted by Castilla y León since 1999 is based on promoting territorial identity and closeness to citizens, in line with the principles of identity and proximity in regional television, albeit with the particularity in the Spanish context of being a regional television system managed by a private concessionaire. In response to the current challenges of the television sector, a consultancy project is implemented with a methodological approach based on a SWOT analysis and the participation of multiple actors. This work details the methodology followed during the different phases of this interdisciplinary consultancy work: definition of bases, development of a base document, and concretion of actions, until reaching the elaboration of a detailed guide that establishes strategic objectives and specific actions. This strategic approach translates into a proposal to improve the performance of regional television and its contribution to the economic and social development of the region; however, the difficulty for its effective implementation due to an uncertain political scenario is pointed out.