Slovak Cities Research Articles

Alternative Methods of Decision-making of the Local Self-government in Slovakia during the Corona Crisis - Challenges and Experiences with the Use of Online Tools

The coronavirus pandemic has brought a unique opportunity for local self-government in Slovakia. National legislation allowed city councils to hold meetings online or vote on proposals only in writing. It was mainly a safety measure in order to eliminate the spread of the disease. This alternative way of performing public administration was not possible in Slovakia before the pandemic. The paper presents the results of research mapping trends in the use of alternative ways of performing the activities of city councils in 2021 and 2022. This is a unique interpretation of data that has not been presented or published so far. The article presents the extent to which online meetings of councils or written voting by deputies were used during the pandemic in 141 cities in Slovakia. More than 53% of the country's population lives in these cities. The study also presents comparisons of the results from the two-round data collection, which mapped the behaviour of city governments in two different time periods. In relation to the findings, the author opens a discussion about the benefits, but also the threats, which the new legislation brought with it for the functioning of local self-government.

Mosaic Governance Models in the Creation of Environmental Policies in Slovakian Cities

Mosaic Governance Models in the Creation of Environmental Policies in Slovakian Cities

Examining climate change awareness and climate-friendly activities of urban residents: A case study in Košice

As the impact of climate change begins to be felt all around the world, the vulnerability of urban areas due to their population density, high concentration of economic activities and the altered characteristics of the physical environment is becoming increasingly apparent. As a result, cities will play a crucial role in tackling climate change by fostering mitigation activities and managing and coordinating the adaptation process. Research has shown that engagement and awareness among citizens is vital in the promotion of effective adaptation policies, but studies have also drawn attention to the significance of the so-called “awareness-action gap,” the absence of a direct link between awareness and action. This study contributes to the ongoing debate over the awareness-action nexus by discussing the factors that can affect the adaptation and mitigation activities of urban citizens using the Slovak city of Košice as a case study. Data was collected using a survey conducted with local residents as part of the preparations for the city’s first adaptation strategy on climate change. The paper uses a two-step analysis to investigate the socio-economic, psychological and contextual factors associated with climate change awareness and climate-friendly activities. The results of the standard linear regression model indicate that self-assessed vulnerability is a determining factor in both the level of climate change awareness and the likelihood of individuals to take action. In the second step, we find that the factors which influence engagement in climate-friendly activities differ depending on the costs involved in implementing the activities. The exploratory analysis conducted using a machine learning algorithm suggests that the awareness-action nexus may be non-linear in nature. The main findings of this study imply that communication strategies should place a primary emphasis on individuals’ vulnerability to the negative impacts of climate change. The paper contributes to the existing research by providing a case study of a generally under-researched geographical area of Central Europe. In addition, the analysis provides a specific context of urban area and implications for local policymakers, something that has been lacking the in literature looking primarily at data at the country level.

Možnosti využitia Internet of Things zariadení v doprave v podmienkach miest SR

Current development of information technology offers a wide number of possible data collection approaches, but it is often limited by economic or legal barriers. Cities in Slovakia have a wide range of possible data sources available concerning their inhabitants, services and properties. However, targeted data collection is often lacking when it comes to transport. Larger cities face problems related to traffic congestion and safety, where data of sufficient quality is essential for managing traffic flows and monitoring the condition of roads and parking. This paper focuses on analyzing experience from other countries that use IoT devices to collect data in the field of transport. The goal is to provide inspiration and guidelines for the effective collection of relevant data in Slovak cities. The introduction of these technologies could contribute to better traffic management, increased traffic safety and more efficient use of parking capacities, which would significantly contribute to the development of smart and sustainable cities in Slovakia.

Species richness patterns and community structure of land snail communities along an urban-rural gradient in river floodplains

Urbanisation is widely considered as having a large impact on most native species. However, the species response to urbanisation varies among taxonomic groups, and its generalisation might lead to contradictory or incorrect management decisions in urban planning. Land snails, as an understudied group in this sense, are good subjects to study the impact of urbanisation due to their low dispersal capabilities and mobility. The study aimed to determine how land snail diversity patterns and community structure are influenced by urbanisation through an urban-to-rural gradient. A total of 59 terrestrial gastropod species and more than 4600 individuals were recorded at 24 alluvial sites distributed along an urban-to-rural gradient in three Slovak cities (Bratislava, Zvolen and Prešov). Most species belonged to euryecious, hygrophilous and forest specialist ecological groups; seven species were non-native to Slovakia. The results clearly highlight the negative effect of densely built areas on land snail community structure, since the proportion of indigenous and specialist species decreased progressively towards urban sites. The highest mean number of species was found in suburban zones and the lowest in urban zones, suggesting that most species favour intermediate levels of urbanisation. Some species (e.g. Arion vulgaris) were evenly distributed along the urbanisation gradient, supporting the importance of river floodplains as bio-corridors for the dispersal of gastropods.

Premature deaths from fine particles PM2.5 air pollution in regional capitals of Slovakia during 2016-2020 period.

The purpose of this quantitative study is to assess the impact of fine particles air pollution in major cities of Slovakia. The study aims to estimate number of premature deaths from long-term exposure to fine particles PM2.5 in eight regional capitals of Slovakia in the period 2016-2020. Consequently, the study aims to conduct a comparative analysis using secondary derived indicators. For calculations of estimated premature deaths from long-term exposure to fine particles PM2.5 air pollution we used standardized methodology developed by the World Health Organization and the European Environment Agency. The annual average of estimated premature deaths from PM2.5 air pollution in the studied period was in Bratislava 353, Košice 219, Prešov 84, Žilina 90, Banská Bystrica 76, Nitra 73, Trnava 59, and Trenčín 52. In relative terms per 1,000 inhabitants Bratislava had annual average 1.14 of estimated premature deaths, Košice 1.32, Prešov 1.38, Žilina 1.61, Banská Bystrica 1.35, Nitra 1.35, Trnava 1.27, and Trenčín 1.31. Bratislava as the largest city in Slovakia recorded the smallest relative number of estimated premature deaths. The worst results were recorded by the city of Žilina. The estimated number of premature deaths from long-term exposure to particulate matter air pollution in the regional capitals decreased in the given period. The most of the regional capitals with the exception of Bratislava and Žilina, showed similar levels of estimated premature deaths. However, the current geopolitical situation and rising energy prices threaten return to solid fuel burning which is the largest source of particulate matter air pollution in Slovakia and thus reversing positive trends.

Smart City Strategies in Slovak Cities

The concept of Smart City represents a resonating theme in the world, which is based on the efforts of the creators of this concept to increase the quality of life in cities. In recent years, it has gradually become a phenomenon that cities around the world are trying to apply. The reason for its introduction is the added value in the form of more efficient functioning of human society, as according to the data available so far, it increases safety in the city, enables more efficient transport of goods, services, human capital, reduces the negative impact on the environment, speeds up administrative processes, increases economic development and brings financial savings. All this is happening against the background of the increased interest of city dwellers in public administration. With these facts in mind, our ambition is to identify the degree of application of the implementation of the Smart City concept in Slovakia and, based on relevant data, create a realistic picture of the possibilities and limits of the concept in our domestic environment. In order to achieve the research objective, we rely on a set of quantitative (questionnaire survey) and qualitative methods (critical analysis) that are also used in social sciences. Based on our research intention, we must draw attention to the obviously negative state of development of this strategic concept at the level of Slovak cities. Because the Smart City concept represents a challenge for the future development of self-government in our environment, it is necessary to reflect on the current starting point and proceed with the implementation of steps aimed at correctly grasping and understanding the importance of the issue by the professional public, municipal politicians and residents of self-governing units. Due to the fact that it is a relatively new topic, there are only a few works dealing with the issue of the Smart City concept or its application in our domestic conditions. Nevertheless, our research intention is open to new knowledge and interpretations by current and future authors who find strength and interest in this issue.

Subjective Well-Being in Czech and Slovak Cities

Cities are home to a significant proportion of the population in the EU, providing access to job opportunities and public services and, subsequently, driving economic growth. However, cities also face social and environmental challenges such as poverty, prohibitively high housing costs, discrimination, crime, excessive noise and air pollution. This raises the issue of how residents in European cities perceive their lives and assess their overal well-being and satisfaction with the amenities in their city. A U-shaped relationship between life satisfaction and age is tested in a sample of European cities using data from the Quality of Life in European Cities survey, with higher levels of satisfaction expected among younger and older individuals. The results supported the hypothesis and provided evidence for the importance of considering age in the analysis of well-being in urban settings. Subjective well-being is not only influenced by personal factors such as age and individual experiences but also by the quality of the urban environment. The second part employs ordinal logistic regression to analyse individual and contextual factors of well-being in four Czech and Slovak cities, namely Prague, Ostrava, Bratislava, and Košice.

The ethical coping and solution of stressful situations of social workers: Case of the Office of Labor, Social Affairs and Family in Slovakia

<p>Ethics, human behavior and stress management are concepts that accompany each person’s private and professional life. As thoughtful beings, we encounter unpleasant or stressful situations every day. In the comfort of home, behind closed doors, people resort to various ways of coping with stress, but when they are in common work areas, close to clients or colleagues, the inability to escape from stress often provokes inappropriate reactions and behavior. The obligation to behave ethically is all the higher, the closer contact with clients has the employee. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the state of ethical coping and solution of stressful situations of a social workers in the Office of Labor, Social Affairs and Family in the selected city in Slovakia and then propose recommendations that could improve the situation.</p>

Possibilities of Using Online Tools and Artificial Intelligence in City Marketing

AI has had a significant impact on marketing, transforming the way companies approach advertising and customer engagement. But we are not talking only about the business sphere, marketing tools are transformed and applied also in regional conditions and in the marketing communication of cities. Artificial intelligence and its use therefore also concern this area. Its use can be found in various spheres of city services, one of these services is communication with target groups operating in the given territory. These target groups primarily include citizens, tourists, entrepreneurs, students and working people in the given area. One of the main tasks of the city is that the primary target groups are informed about current events and information is provided to them in the most modern, efficient and fast way possible, which reflects the current technological progress in marketing communication. The aim of this contribution is to point out the possibilities and ways of using artificial intelligence in the communication of cities in Slovakia. AI can help city marketers to create more targeted and effective marketing communication, improve the customer experience, and build stronger relationships with residents and visitors. By analyzing data and providing insights, AI can also help city marketers to make data-driven decisions and measure the impact of their marketing communication efforts. In general, Slovakia belongs to the countries in which the development and advancement of city marketing is difficult from the point of view of financing and lack of human resources. However, one does not always think about the fact that current online and digital tools can be beneficial only if we know about them and know how to use what they offer. In the paper, we will look at the current use of artificial intelligence in the communication of selected Slovak cities with tourists and at the possibilities that artificial intelligence brings in the field of city marketing development.

Comparison of ordinary reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) with a newly developed one-step single-tube nested real-time RT-PCR (OSN-qRT-PCR) for sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater.

Wastewater monitoring has proven to be an important approach to detecting and controlling the development of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Various tests based on reverse transcription real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) have been developed and used for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater samples. In this study, we attempted to increase the sensitivity of qRT-PCR by developing a one-step single-tube nested qRT-PCR assay (OSN-qRT-PCR). Two variants were developed, oriented to nucleocapsid phosphoprotein gene (N) and to spike protein gene (S), respectively. The performance of conventional qRT-PCR assays oriented to these genes with two novel OSN-qRT-PCR assays were firstly optimized using wastewater artificially contaminated with two encapsidated RNA mimic systems harboring a portion either N or S gene (ENRM and ESRM, respectively). The assays were coupled to a polyethylene glycol-based RNA precipitation/extraction method and applied to detect SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater samples from four cities in Slovakia. Both novel OSN-qRT-PCR assays demonstrated higher detection rates than the ordinary qRT-PCR counterparts. The virus levels in the analyzed wastewater samples had a high or very high relation with the numbers of clinical cases in the monitored regions. In fact, correlation with a 3-, 4-, or 5-day temporal offset was revealed. The OSN-qRT-PCR assays demonstrated robustness, mainly in samples with low viral loads.

The legitimacy of sub-municipal councils in small and mid-sized cities under post-socialist conditions

Sub-municipal spatial community-based bodies, represented in the form of councils, have important roles in urban governance in many countries. This paper attempts to contribute to a better understanding of the legitimacy of sub-municipal councils (SMCs) in the specific conditions of small and mid-sized cities, within the context of democratising post-socialist society and decentralising government. Using the questionnaire and additional local resources, we discuss a selected set of relevant components of the legitimacy of SMCs, such as the traditions of their existence, legal and democratic grounds, autonomy, personal qualities, expertise, procedural issues, results and stability. We document these issues pertaining to the case of SMCs in small and medium-sized cities in Slovakia, emphasising the need for more components of legitimacy for their stable existence, with the strong impact of local traditions, legal framework development and incorporation into local representative democracy bodies.

Mechanisms involved in alien maples (Acer sp.) invasion process in the Central Europe. Testing hypotheses associated with species fitness

Maples (Acer sp.) are trees/shrubs of extraordinary aesthetic value, what favours them for wide utilisation in urban greenery. However, some of the non-native species became invasive in the new range and represent a threat to natural ecosystems. Therefore, after the definition of their frequency and planting history in Slovak cities and reinvestigation of ecological status, based on analysis of growth, reproduction biology, fruit dispersal, phenotypic plasticity and allelopathic potential, invasion hypotheses related to the species fitness were tested in non-invasive alien species, in respect of invasive box elder (A. negundo L.). Parks and residential areas from the socialistic era were dominated by silver maple (A. saccharinum L.) and private gardens by palm maple (A. palmatum Thunb.) cultivars. A shift to ´locally naturalised´ was confirmed in the former, and palm maple was taken into consideration in the alien flora list (as casual). The fastest growth was found in silver maple and box elder. The latter showed also extraordinary reproduction earliness, largest fruit production, flight range and seed viability. Specific leaf area mostly decreased in box elder towards summer, indicating its large phenotypic plasticity. However, the largest allelopathic effect was observed in silver maple. Hence, ´limiting similarity hypothesis´, ´ideal weed hypothesis´, ´propagule pressure hypothesis´ and ´phenotypic plasticity hypothesis´ were essential for box elder invasion success. On the other hand, ´ideal weed hypothesis´ and ´novel weapon hypothesis´ seem to be crucial for silver maple naturalisation. Palm maple failed in all studied aspects, indicating colonisation stage of the invasion process.

Bioeconomy Adaptation to Climate Change: A Case Study of Food Waste in Slovakia

Abstract Climate change, periods of droughts or, conversely, increased rainfall significantly affect agronomic patterns and biomass production. In addition, if agriculture and food industry compete with other industries for land and biomass, the priority is given to agro-food use and ensuring food security. This is the main reason why food waste is a promising alternative source of biomass for the industrial segment of the bioeconomy. Moreover, the reuse of food waste leads to circular and sustainable value chains. The aim of this paper is to explore the situation of food waste utilization in Slovakia. We assess the current level of food waste produced by households and its potential as a biomass source. However, to convert food waste into a valid industrial input, it has to be collected separately. The study shows the practice of food waste collection in two Slovak cities, where food waste is used to produce soil substrate and bioelectricity, respectively.

Словацкие города в конце XIV – первой половине XV века. Специфика положения и причины расцвета

Slovak cities at the end of the XIV- first half of the XV century were actively developing and getting richer. Their situation was caused by a number ofcomplex interrelated reasons. An important role here was played by international trade with the Czech Kingdom, the Polish Kingdom and other countries, mining and the support of the king in the struggle for city rights. At the same time, the kings did not stop exploiting the cities and sought benefits for themselves in supporting the communal struggle. German immigrants had an ambiguous influence on urban life.

Conceptual Model of Key Aspects of Security and Privacy Protection in a Smart City in Slovakia

The output of this work is a comprehensive overview of a wide range of key aspects of security and privacy relevant for the development of smart cities in Slovakia. The work incorporates heterogeneous and complex findings into a corpus of simplified evidence. By employing a systematic review method, this study first outlines key characteristics of a smart city, and then proceeds to summarise opportunities and challenges for conceptualising a model of a smart city in Slovakia. The development of a classification with respect to the different smart city domains, systems and potential threats aims to highlight universally applicable aspects. In order to provide an overview, the paper also presents specific requirements, options, problems, and factors taking into account Slovak policies. This work is based on the proposition that a sustainable and prosperous conceptual model of a smart city is not only linked with technological artefacts and communication infrastructure that enable intelligent management of various governance resources, but is especially tied to the norms, policies, and standards that ensure security and privacy for smart city residents, as their presence and trust in the whole ecosystem is essential for the generation, collection, processing, storage, dissemination, and use of data by respectful technologies. A secure smart city is a cross-disciplinary dilemma, a universal technological challenge built upon context-based policies, standards and procedures. The output of this work is an identification of smart city domains that can become subject to attacks and a stipulation of security requirements that are needed to assure domain functionality. Maintaining meaningful human control as a requirement to mitigate influence activities as well as protect and ensure residential engagement in a smart city was identified and added to the results of the review. Simple communication was highlighted as an effective countermeasure. Applicability of the smart city concept in Slovakia is particularly vulnerable due to the slow pace of implementation and fragmentation of relevant legislation, short development cycle of new techniques of attack, and the lack of expertise and low level of user awareness.

Creating Smart, Sustainable Cities: Results from Best Practice Smart Cities and Cities in Slovakia

In light of current climate change concerns, it is not enough to create only Smart Cities but it is important to create Smart Sustainable Cities. Countries like Slovakia have not been adequately considering these issues as much as they should. Responding to the opportunity to fill a research gap, primary research has been conducted for this article that seeks i) to use results from previous research to compare currently identified elements influencing the development of a sustainable Smart City concept in Slovakia with best practice cities around the world; and ii) to identify those elements that have achieved a statistically significant correlation with the conceptualisation of Smart Cities in Slovakia. Research data were collected through sociological interrogation, processed in a statistical programme and subsequently evaluated. The findings point to key elements in developing Smart Cities such as trust, state support and adapting to change. The main output is a general model for conceptualising a Smart City. It can be utilised by strategic city management, fellow researchers and residents of a city implementing it in their own practices. The model reflects social, environmental, technological and managerial aspects. Further research into the model and subsequent verification are planned in future.

Monitoring Alcohol Consumption in Slovak Cities during the COVID-19 Lockdown by Wastewater-Based Epidemiology.

The consumption of alcohol in a population is usually monitored through individual questionnaires, forensics, and toxicological data. However, consumption estimates have some biases, mainly due to the accumulation of alcohol stocks. This study's objective was to assess alcohol consumption in Slovakia during the COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdown using wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). Samples of municipal wastewater were collected from three Slovak cities during the lockdown and during a successive period with lifted restrictions in 2020. The study included about 14% of the Slovak population. The urinary alcohol biomarker, ethyl sulfate (EtS), was analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). EtS concentrations were used to estimate the per capita alcohol consumption in each city. The average alcohol consumption in the selected cities in 2020 ranged between 2.1 and 327 L/day/1000 inhabitants and increased during days with weaker restrictions. WBE can provide timely information on alcohol consumption at the community level, complementing epidemiology-based monitoring techniques (e.g., population surveys and sales statistics).

New perspectives on the urban semiotics of mass housing neighbourhoods in Slovakia: A case study of Petrzalka

The identity of a city is represented not only by its attractive historical centre with its landmarks, but also by the peripheral parts. Large parts of Slovak cities and neighbourhoods are covered by residential areas of panel blocks of flats built in the 1970s and 1980s. These communities and settlements are often more than 30-40 years old and have their own history, social climate and narratives. The unique and specific metatext of almost any Slovak city would remain unfinished without residential areas of panel blocks of flats. These areas have generated a specific identity based upon specific examples of urban semiotics. Urban semiotics considers the city/urban environment as a multilayer text based upon the social meaning and grammar of spatial patterns, signs and symbols. During recent years, it can be seen that Slovak mass housing neighbourhoods are not monolithic sense-less places, but rather chronicles of various stories and experiences which overcome the obsolete and uniform architectural language - landmarks and symbols of their identity are not only mere physical (architectural) forms but rather common experience and shared stories. It is obvious that Slovak mass housing neighbourhoods have failed to deliver the unique ?tomorrow?s quality of life? as once declared but, on the other hand, they have never become completely excluded localities without any vital contacts with the city?s organism. Their semiotics have absorbed the overall societal development with all its ambiguity, manifoldness and uncertainty. Petrzalka, as the largest Slovak mass housing neighbourhood, is particularly in the spotlight of this contribution. Once an alternative modernist vision of old Bratislava, then a drab grey dormitory without any flair, it is now transformed into a polyvocal and versatile urban environment full of opportunities, as well as challenges.

Strengthening Urban Community Resilience against Extremism: Culture and Heritage as a Tool

The paper focuses on the concept of resilience in an urban environment in a broad perspective. In times of growing extremism and radicalisation – both in virtual and real worlds – it becomes crucial to build resilient communities through strategies and practices that lead to strengthening social cohesion and social bridging between various groups including minorities. The paper examines a case of the middle-size Slovak city of Banská Bystrica, which was the first (and so far the only) regional capital in Slovakia where a neo-Nazirepresentative became a governor in legimate regional elections in 2013. It focuses on activities of local activists and volunteers and the grassroots movement Not in Our Town aimed at preventing and countering the growth of radicalisation and extremism in local and regional communities. Part of the movement’s activities (such as Schools for Democracy or a multicultural festival Embargo) are based on cultural and heritage-based actions that tend to address and connect various groups living in the city and make them resilient to extremism, racism, antisemitism and xenophobia.