Socioeconomic Geography Research Articles

Preface

The 5th International Conference of Geography and Disaster Management 2023 (ICGDM 2023) was successfully held by the Faculty of Geography, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta. The conference was held via online Zoom meeting on 5-6th December 2023. ICGDM 2023 had a relevant theme for the tropical regions which is “Exploring Sustainable Solutions for Regional Development in Tropical Geographies: Unveiling the Potential, Embracing the Challenges”. It aimed to be a scientific platform for research dissemination, ideas sharing, and collaboration related to topics of environmental studies, socio-economic, regional development, disaster management, remote sensing, and GIS applications. ICGDM 2023 invited speakers from different backgrounds who are experts in the field of either physical or socio-economic geography. The keynote speakers were Dr. Nawaz M Mian (National University of Singapore, Singapore), Prof. Christopher Gomez (Kobe University, Japan), Muhammad Aufaristama, Ph.D. (University of Twente, Netherlands), Asaba Joyfred, M.A. (Kyambogo University, Uganda), Dr. Mukhamad Ngainul Malawani, M.Sc. (Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia), Dr. Edy Trihatmoko (Impact Team 2050 Member, State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom (ROSATOM), Russia). This ICGDM 2023 was attended by 123 participants and presenters. The committee has received 123 paper submissions, and after the review process, 60 papers were selected for publication in the IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. We would like to thank all the authors who have actively participated in the conference. We also highly appreciate the full support from Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta. List of Committee is available in this pdf.

ПОТЕНЦИАЛ ЖИЛИЩНОГО СТРОИТЕЛЬСТВА МУНИЦИПАЛЬНЫХ ОБРАЗОВАНИЙ ЛЕНИНГРАДСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ В ПРЕДЕЛАХ САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГСКОЙ АГЛОМЕРАЦИИ

The article presents a quantitative assessment of housing construction potential in the municipalities of the Leningrad Region within the boundaries of the St. Petersburg urban agglomeration. The article is of an applied (empirical) nature. The object of the study is housing construction in the municipalities of the agglomeration part of the Leningrad Oblast, and the subject of the study is the assessment of housing construction potential in the municipalities of the Leningrad Oblast (within the boundaries of the urban agglomeration). The aim of the work was to quantify the potential and territorial reserves for housing construction based on a comprehensive analysis of complementary data from different sources: approved spatial planning documents and other regulatory and legal documentation, remote sensing data, open data from Google Earth, Yandex, 2GIS, OpenStreetMap. The following tasks have been solved: free territories for housing construction within the municipalities of the Leningrad Region, which are part of the St. Petersburg agglomeration, have been identified; own indicators for assessing the potential of housing construction have been developed; a typology of municipalities of the Leningrad Region within the St. Petersburg agglomeration in terms of housing construction potential has been carried out. The results of the research will be reflected in the practical activities of the Government of the Leningrad Region, the realization of fundamental developments of the team; including RNF projects, as well as lay the foundation for new research projects on this problem. This article is in the subject field of social sciences (regional and urban economics and forecasting of socio-economic development, state regulation of the economy and management of socio-economic processes, and may also be of interest to socio-economic geography).

Socio-economic geography and the land rights of indigenous peoples in Paraguay

AbstractThe article investigates the long-term tendencies of Paraguayan political-economy, in particular the mounting impacts of export-oriented agribusiness on its indigenous peoples. The analysis is based on the theorisation of the geographical force of subtraction, that is, the evanescent properties of capitalist development, in which economic growth takes place via an interconnected elimination of rights, opportunities and alternatives. The discussion is focussed on the land struggle of the Paĩ Tavyterã in the northeast of Paraguay and members of the same ethnic group who live in Brazil (called Guarani-Kaiowa). It is a relational narrative that draws insights from various actors, communities and situations. The main conclusions are that, despite the fact that Paraguay is now a major exporter of agribusiness commodities, what has prevailed is the accumulation of multiple forms of political, environmental, social and economic violence. At the same time, the decolonising reaction of indigenous peoples, in alliance with other sectors of the working class, aims at reverting the deficit caused by systemic socio-economic subtraction and in pursuit of transformative additions.

BRIDGING THE RURAL DIVIDE: UNRAVELING DISTRIBUTION CHALLENGES AND INNOVATING SOLUTION IN EMERGING MARKET

This thesis investigates the distribution challenges currently in pastoral areas of Jharkhand and Odisha, two states in India characterized by significant rural populations and diverse socio-economic geographies. The digital peak between civic and pastoral areas has been a persistent barrier to economic development in rising requests like India. Through a mixed-system approach encompassing qualitative interviews and quantitative analysis, this study aims to interpret the factors contributing to the rural-urban divide and explore innovative solutions to ameliorate distribution networks. The literature review synthesizes existing research on rural distribution challenges, the digital divide, and innovative solutions worldwide, furnishing a theoretical framework for the study. Detailed case studies of select rural areas in Jharkhand and Odisha exfoliate light on specific distribution challenges faced by local businesses and consumers, examining the part of the structure, technology relinquishment, request dynamics, and government programs. Drawing perceptivity from stakeholder interviews and case studies, this thesis proposes innovative results acclimatized to the unique requirements of pastoral communities in Jharkhand and Odisha. These results encompass using technology, enhancing last-afar connectivity, perfecting logistics structure, and fostering entrepreneurship. The impact assessment evaluates the effectiveness of the enforced results in bridging the pastoral-civic peak and fostering profitable development. crucial performance pointers such as access to goods and services, income generation, and overall community development are anatomized to gauge the issues. In conclusion, this study underscores the significance of addressing distribution challenges in pastoral areas for inclusive growth and sustainable development in arising requests. Recommendations are handed to policymakers, businesses, and other stakeholders to further strengthen pastoral distribution networks and promote indifferent access to openings in Jharkhand, Odisha, and beyond.

Leading Global Cities In The Russian-Language Segment Of Internet: How Do They Look Like At The Beginning Of The 21st Century?

In the XXI century, the factors of the development of megacities are changing rapidly, the competitiveness of which increasingly depends on their image in different social environments. The purpose of the study is to identify main common features of the current image of the leading global cities (London, Paris, New York and Tokyo) in the Russian–language segment of the Internet (Runet). The research was based on a combination of methods of socio-economic geography, quantitative and qualitative methods of sociology. To reflect the objective reality of megacities, international statistics were used; to assess the role of Internet information resources influencing the formation of the image, the number of search queries in Runet and the context of publications about cities in social media were analyzed; to identify the configuration of the image, the data of a sociological survey were studied. It was revealed that the perception of megacities in Runet is based on a comparable volume of information flow in social networks (the number of published messages is 20 thousand per day for Paris and London, 15 thousand for New York, 4 thousand for Tokyo) and on similarity of publications’ context (2/5 are in the categories “entertainment” and “personality”). Despite certain limitations of the methods used and the relevance of the digital artifacts obtained, the image structure of the centers under consideration is characterized by the predominance of objective over subjective and cognitive (knowledge and ideas about “physical” givens) over affective (emotions, feelings, sensations) components with the key role of four collective categories: common features of large cities, idealized imagery of the country, prestigious urban locations and world architectural brands; as well as high stability in time and space. The continuation of research based on the proposed principles, while improving the methodology and involving cities of different classes, will contribute to the adaptation of foreign experience in designing of images of ambitious Russian cities in the face of new global challenges.

Научное наследие экономико-географа Федорова Геннадия Михайловича

On February 11, 2024, we lost an outstanding economic geographer, mentor, and leader, a person whose name is synonymous with the establishment of the scientific school of socio-economic geography in the Kaliningrad region, recognized by the entire academic community. A graduate of the Faculty of Geography of Leningrad State University, G. M. Fedorov began his career at Kaliningrad State University in 1972, ultimately dedicating nearly 52 years to the institution (now the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University). Gennady Fedorov mentored a generation of young researchers who continue his work. Dozens of PhDs, researchers and doctors of sciences consider him their teacher. Gennady Fedorov conducted extensive scientific research and organizational work. He was the chairman of the Dissertation Board for Geographical Sciences (I. Kant BFU) and a member of the Herzen RSPU (St. Petersburg). He was part of the Council for Political Sciences (IKBFU), the inspirational force and deputy editor-in-chief of the journal “Baltic Region” (Scopus, WoS, core of RSCI, HAC), deputy chairman of the editorial board of the journal “Regional Studies” (RSCI, HAC), chief editor of the journal “Bulletin of I. Kant BFU. Series: Natural and Medical Sciences,” and a member of the Academic Council of the Russian Geographical Society (RGS). Gennady Fedorov was one of Russia’s most renowned economic geographers, authoring over 550 scientific works, including 70 monographs and textbooks, and developing the scientific concept of the geodemographic situation. He led research projects in the fields of social geography, regional economics, and geopolitics. These included grants from the Russian scientific foundations RFBR and RSF, the Russian Geographical Society, and international projects. In this article, we, his students and followers, have taken on the difficult task of summarizing the main results of Professor G. M. Fedorov’s scientific activity. This task is challenging primarily because his work was so diverse and multifaceted that it cannot be fully captured in a single article. A different format of publication is required for such an endeavor. Here, we will outline the main issues and scientific directions he worked on and present a list of G. M. Fedorov’s most well-known works.

STUDYING THE CHANGING COMPETENCIES OF GREATER PARIS (TO THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF A.E. SLUKA)

The article deals with the study of Greater Paris in the context of changing paradigm of the development of a large city under the transnationalization of world economy and the process of globalization. The contribution of A.E. Sluka, Professor of the Moscow University, Honorary Member of the Russian Geographical Society, who created a “dynamic” portrait of the French capital of the second half of the twentieth - early twenty-first centuries on the basis of the synthetic approaches and revealed the main features of its socio-economic geography, is evaluated. The article analyzes shifts in the functional structure of the metropolis during the transition to the “international city” model as a result of the implementation of the decentralization and dein-dustrialization policy. The scientist’s ideas on studying the competencies of the city as a corporate center and in the context of practices of the largest agglomerations of the world are being developed. GIS technologies are applied to describe the specific features of Greater Paris as a location of the country’s largest TNCs and the acceptor of branches of foreign companies. The multidisciplinary nature of large national business is revealed, which contributes to the development of interfirm cooperation and serves as an additional resource for the competitiveness of the city. The sectoral structure of foreign corporate segment of its economy is dominated by companies in the material sphere of production (mechanical engineering, chemical and food industries), while the geographical structure is dominated by the US TNCs. There is a consolidated placement of local and foreign companies mainly in three functionally different clusters (within the historical core, the Defense district and Paris-Saclay). Based on the materials of international statistics and ratings of cities, the modern place of Greater Paris among the “world capitals” is considered applying the comparative geographical method. Most ratings include it in the top-5 cities of the planet and characterize it as a multifunctional center of global importance, permanently expanding the scope of its competencies. Being inferior in absolute value of the main economic resources, innovative and environmental indicators, it is ahead of many largest agglomerations of the world in terms of the scope of economic and political influence, information exchange and cultural interaction, as well as the quality of life; it is well-known by specific creative industries. When analyzing the image of the French capital on the basis of sociological surveys, the stability of its “global attractiveness” is noted due to the resources of symbolic capital, which plays an increasingly important role in the information society.

Economic hierarchical spatial systems – new properties of Löschian numbers

Löschian numbers are a topic of investigation in scientific fields such as spatial economics, socio-economic geography, geometry, and number theory. This is because these numbers play a significant role in the optimization of spatial interactions, in terms of achieving the best division of space between competing central places. This work presents four new number theoretic theorems and four corollaries concerning the properties of Löschian numbers, which enable a better understanding of the mathematical properties of these numbers.

The Cultural Landscape of Rural Cemeteries on the Polish–Czech Borderlands: Multi-Faceted Visual Analysis as an Element of Tourism Potential Assessment

This article presents the tourism potential of the Polish–Czech borderlands (Klodzko Land, Lower Silesia, Poland), in which historical sacred sites, namely cemeteries and churches, play a significant role. An analysis of the most important features of sacred sites was carried out to present the diversity of the architectural richness of the region. At the same time, attention was paid to additional elements, such as their visual aspects and their impact on shaping space. The research is based on the sacred sites located on the Polish–Czech borderland. As part of the work, an analysis of historical, natural, and landscape conditions was performed along with the spatial layout of 106 cemeteries. During the field research, inventories of landscape and natural values were carried out. The assessment of landscape value was carried out using an original concept to enable an indication of site’s tourism potential on the basis of visual aspects of its space. The article and the research methods contained within concern interdisciplinary research combining architecture, landscape architecture, socio-economic geography, and tourism.

Application of statistical methods in socio-economic geography and spatial management based on selected scientific journals listed in the Web of Sciences database

The aim of the paper is to present an analysis of the use of statistical methods and tools in scientific articles related to socio-economic geography and spatial management published in the years 2012–2021. In order to evaluate the intensity and diversity of this phenomenon, a query was carried out using the Web of Sciences electronic academic information database. A preliminary literature search led to the decision to focus on papers published in three selected journals relating to social geography (Geoforum), economic geography (Applied Geography) and spatial management (Landscape and Urban Planning). The paper analyses the variety of the statistical tools used in the studies presented in the aforementioned journals. The frequency and type of the applied statistical methods, computer software and computing tools is correlated with the specificity of the research area.

THE ANALYSIS OF THE CONTENT OF THE GEOGRAPHY SCHOOL CURRICULUM FOR THE SECTION ‘COUNTRY STUDIES’ IN THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

The concept of improving the content and structure of school geographic education was based on the following logic of building the subject: Earth Science—Country Studies (physical geography of continents and oceans)—Geography of the Republic of Kazakhstan—Geography of the World. The content of all geography courses in school was built on the basis of comprehensive country studies along with the scientific popularization of geographical knowledge available to basic school students. In the modern geography curriculum for 7–9 and 10–11 grades, the content of regional studies is of socio-economic and geopolitical nature. A feature of the curriculum is the emphasis of students on mathematical modeling, on research activities, it is proposed to introduce the use of previously acquired knowledge to achieve the students’ goals; new knowledge is closely related to previous and considered in terms of the information received; the complexity of the topic or subject increases with each repetition; the spiral educational program allows to move from simple ideas to more complex in a convenient way. The content of school geography also needs further integration of the content of physical and socio-economic geography in unified country studies courses. Comprehensive country studies create a reliable foundation for holistic geography and serve as the core of a comprehensive study of individual territories of the world. In connection with the change in modern curricula, the hours of the regional chapter have decreased and have gone through other changes. To improve country studies in Kazakhstan, a high-quality teaching method is used. Due to improvements in teaching country studies 300 teachers took part in an online Google questionnaire prepared by researchers. The received data was evaluated by SWOT analysis.

STUDY OF OIKOYMS IN SOCIO-ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY

In this article, the history of the study of the names of the settlement in the field of socio-economic geography of the oikonym, the socio-economic geographical significance of the oikonym, as well as the scientific views of foreign and local scientists belonging to this area were studied. The fact that the oikonym do not have the same stagnant style as other types of geographical names, the need to research them over time is reflected in this article. KEYWORDS. place name, geographical name, settlement name, oikonym, toponymic heritage, socio-economic geography.

Stosowana geografia społeczno-ekonomiczna i gospodarka przestrzenna w świetle trzeciego kryterium ewaluacji jakości działalności naukowej = Applied socio-economic geography and spatial management as seen in terms of Criterion 3 for evaluating the quality of scientific activity in Poland

The article aims to characterise the impact of socio-economic geography and spatial management on the environment in 2017–2021. So far, this issue has not been the subject of research concerning the entities constituting this science discipline administratively separated in 2018. The analysis is based on a systematised set of detailed information regarding practical activities that have been created to evaluate the quality of the scientific activity. The method of secondary qualitative analysis, including a comparative truth table, was used. The results confirmed the important role of the discipline in promoting the social and economic environment, particularly regarding the programming of interventions about elements of territorial capital and enhancing the praxeological quality of territorially oriented policies. The dominance of the cultural, diagnostic and decision-making functions corresponded to the main advantages of applied economic geography and spatial management – the territorial sensitivity and the ability to integrate knowledge and coordinate the processes of its creation and flows. At the application level, the entities demonstrated a very wide scope and high intensity of cooperation with other disciplines, which also seems to predict well for integrating the new discipline.

Socio-economic geography

Socio-economic geography

Звуковое пространство городов-курортов Кавказских Минеральных Вод

Introduction. The article investigates the sound space of resort towns in Caucasus Mineral Waters by the example of the two largest of them, namely Pyatigorsk and Kislovodsk. The concept of the sound space of the city is considered, the main modern aspects of sound research in the city are highlighted. Based on the collected field data, an attempt is made to qualitatively assess the sound environment of cities, especially important for resort towns. For the central parts of the cities, the differentiation of the sound space was carried out, reflecting the type of social use of the territories. Materials and research methods. The data of field measurements of sound in cities were obtained during the field practice of geography students in socio-economic geography in 2022. The cartographic method, normative approach and typology are used in the course of the study. Research results and their discussion. The sound space of the studied resort towns has typical features of modern Russian cities. The resort function is not reflected in the sound space. The main factors of its formation are transport highways, human and commercial activities. Recreational areas are more comfortable in terms of sound, having their own internal specifics. In general, the level of noise pollution depends on the types of prevailing sounds in the territory. A microgeographic study of the central resort parts of the cities showed a complete lack of understanding and requirements for sound comfort. Conclusions. In urban studies, there is an increase in interest in sound in the city, the allocation of sound space and its cultural and geographical differences. Sound can identify universal socio-cultural structures, act as a source of conceptual and methodological constructions. Sound studies help comprehend existing social practices and their contexts. The resort towns of the Caucasus Mineral Waters were founded without taking into account the comfort of the sound environment. As a result, the characteristics of their sound space do not differ from ordinary cities.

Project of basin nature management of the Vorskla River within the boundaries of Prokhorovsky district

The Belgorod region, which occupies 0.2% of the country’s territory, is among the leading subjects of the Russian Federation in the production of agricultural products. The river network of the region has undergone significant changes: over the past century, its length has decreased by 35% from its original state. The noted trends in the development of degradation processes determine the need for geo-planning solutions to ensure the soil conservation organization of nature management in the Belgorod region. In the current situation, it is necessary to scientifically substantiate the transformation of agricultural landscapes into sustainable agroecosystems. At the same time, an integrated geoecological approach should be used to organize the landscape shell with a rational spatial combination of natural and economic components. This idea formed the basis of a new synthetic direction of socio-economic geography - geoplanning. The geoplanning approach will make it possible to implement the geoecological aspects of ecosystem functioning through a set of design solutions. The results of the research work on the project: certification of the natural and economic conditions of the Vorskla River basin within the boundaries of the Prokhorovsky district of the Belgorod region was carried out; measures for ecological improvement and rational economic use of river basins were developed, including measures for biologization of arable land, allocation of areas for natural self-restoration, a plan for rational economic and recreational use of water bodies was developed, optimal network of dirt roads; calculation of environmental, economic and social outcomes of the project; proposed organization of control and supervision over the progress of the project.

The Possibility of Using Modern Methods and Data to Study the Spatial Structure of the St.-Petersburg Agglomeration

Abstract—The article is devoted to the review and substantiation of modern research methods and data sources on the dynamics of spatial structure of the largest Russian urban agglomerations. The object of the study is modern methods and data sources, and the subject is the possibilities of their use. On the example of the second agglomeration in Russia – St.‑Petersburg urban agglomeration – it is shown that interdisciplinary synthesis within the framework of socio-economic geography, regional economics, urban studies, geoinformatics and cartography, land management, using a variety of data sources (data of cellular operators, tax statistics, housing construction, satellite data, retail chains, road network), as well as the use of modern GIS-complexes, allow us to assess this structure, its changes, as well as to analyze the spatial structure of the largest Russian urban agglomerations. The main objective of this study is to review and critically rethink the methods of studying the spatial structure of one of Russia’s largest urban agglomerations (St.-Petersburg) developing in the turbulent period between 2014 and 2022. An inventory of different methods and data sources was made, using the method of reasoning. Further, the advantages and disadvantages of each group of methods were identified. Through an in-depth bibliographic analysis, the limitations and possibilities of empirical content (availability of specific data sources) were identified. Based on the critical analysis of advantages and disadvantages, a final point estimate of applicability and usefulness of the considered methods for the St. Petersburg urban agglomeration is obtained. The author’s contribution lies in the adaptation of modern groups of methods for the study of the spatial structure of cities for the study of the considered agglomeration, taking into account the local specificity and assessment of applicability and usefulness of the considered methods for St. Petersburg urban agglomeration. It is assumed that the development of a modern methodology for studying the spatial structure of the St. Petersburg urban agglomeration based on the symbiosis of modern methods and data sources will make a certain contribution to the study of the largest Russian agglomerations.

How the analytical hierarchical process and revitalisation work together: A case study of Poland

Due to the multifaceted nature of the revitalisation process, its evaluation and monitoring, as well as possible comparisons, are complex and difficult to carry out. Evaluation of the revitalisation process currently poses a challenge for all municipalities. The article aims to compare the revitalisation process in the two Polish cities of Toruń and Bydgoszcz. The analysis was based on two financial perspectives: 2007–2015 and 2016–2023. The authors chose a multi-criteria analysis method based on the analytical hierarchical process (AHP) as the main research method. The results show that the Local Revitalisation Programme of the City of Toruń for the years 2007–2015 had the best impact on the revitalisation process. Using the AHP method, we could carry out a multidimensional evaluation of the revitalisation process. Moreover, it allowed us to combine different elements of the evaluation of the revitalisation process and transform them into one synthetic result, ranking each programme in a hierarchy. At the methodological level, the article presents a new approach to conduct research in socio-economic geography, using the tool of multi-criteria analysis derived from the disciplines of economics and management sciences. Until now, the AHP method has not been used in the analysis of the revitalisation process, which confirms the innovative character of the conducted research.

75th Anniversary of the Department for Socio-Economic Geography of the North Caucasian Federal University

In 2022, the Department of Socio-Economic Geography of the North Caucasus Federal University (NCFU) celebrated its 75th anniversary. For 75 years, the Department of Socio-Economic Geography has gone through a unique path of development which was accompanied by repeated changes in its name, expansion of the range of educational tasks, updating the topics of scientific research, steady growth of the scientific potential of the staff and expansion of scientific ties with Russian and foreign scientific centers. Such a trend in development is aimed at forming a team capable of performing important functions and tasks of the university department.

Environmental justice in a very green city: Spatial inequality in exposure to urban nature, air pollution and heat in Oslo, Norway

Poorer citizens are often more exposed to environmental hazards due to spatial inequalities in the distribution of urban blue-green space. Few cities have managed to prevent spatial and social inequality despite sustainable development strategies like compact city planning. We explore whether environmental injustice exists in a city where one would least expect to find it: a city with abundant nature, an affluent population governed by a left leaning social democratic city council, and an aggressive densification strategy; Oslo, Norway. Green space was measured with a satellite-derived vegetation index which captures the combined availability of gardens, street trees, parks and forest. Blue space was defined by the proximity of residential areas to the closest lake, river or fjord. We found that poorer city districts, often with greater immigrant populations, have less available blue-green spaces and are disproportionately exposed to hazardous air pollution levels, but not extreme heat compared to wealthier city districts. Citizens living within 100 m of a water body are likely to earn US$ 20,000 more per year than citizens living 500 m away from water, and a US$ 3000 increase in annual income corresponds to a 10 % increase in green space availability. Hazardous air pollution concentrations in the poorest city districts were above levels recommended by the WHO and Oslo municipality. Historical trends showed that districts undergoing population densification coincide with the lowest availability of blue-green space, suggesting that environmental justice has been overlooked in compact city planning policy. Despite Oslo's affluence and egalitarian ideals, the patterns of inequality we observed mirror the city's historical east-west class divide and point to spatial concentration of wealth as a core factor to consider in studies of green segregation. Urban greening initiatives in Oslo and other cities should not take spatial equality for granted, and instead consider socio-economic geographies in their planning process.