Suburban Zone Research Articles

Processes of spatial concentration and specialisation of industry by the intensity of R&D work in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship (Poland)

The aim of this article is to assess the spatial diversity and to identify the spatial distribution of industry, as well as the directions and scales of its transformations based on the processes of spatial concentration and specialisation of the industrial activity from the perspective of the intensity of research and development (R&D) work in the areas of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. The analysis of the location of industrial activity was conducted based on the entities registered in section C (manufacturing) of the Polish Classification of Activity (PKD). Spatial structures of the industry innovation are presented by applying the classification of manufacturing concerning the intensity of R&D for high-technology, medium high-technology, medium low-technology and low-technology industries. The research was conducted for municipalities divided into cities and rural areas. The results indicate significant changes that took place in the years 2009–2020 in the spatial structure of the whole region, as well as in the urban spatial distribution due to the occurring processes of concentration and specialisation of industrial activity. These changes were simultaneously accompanied by the decreasing level of the concentration of industrial production. Additionally, the Lower Silesian Voivodeship is also characterised by significant spatial diversity of the concentration and specialisation processes of industrial activity. The identified regularities demonstrate the growing role of the suburban zones of large cities, which is particularly visible in the example of Wrocław, an area of intensive diffusion of industrial activity from the central hub. These processes also diffuse into smaller urban centres in the voivodeship.

Variants of Boundary Changes—A Case Study of Poland

The aim of this paper is to formulate a theoretical framework for the issue of changes in administrative boundaries and to systematize the issues by selecting distinctive variants. Considering the variety of procedures and forms of boundary changes, the case study is conducted in Poland. This study analyzed the provisions of 271 decisions on boundary changes and granting city status from 2009–2022, which covered a total of 1887.8 km2. It was the basis for selecting 31 variants of boundary changes in eight categories: (1) formal legal, (2) territorial expansion; (3) unit status; (4) cadastral division; (5) territorial tiers; (6) administrative division; (7) frequency of changes; (8) area. In addition, the interactions that occur between the different variants are demonstrated, and the main regularities are identified. Boundary changes are conducted mainly in the application variant. The introduction of the fast-track variant initiated an unprecedented wave of restitution of the city’s status. Territorial expansion of units occurs most frequently in the commune–city variant within the third-tier (commune) units. Small-area, one-off annexations in the suburban zones of cities in the parcel and precinct variants dominate. The results can be contextually applied in comparative studies.

Study of Morphological Character as Part of Rural-Urban Transect in Colo Tourism Area, Kudus District

Tourism activities are one of the factors that encourage changes in land use and the face of the area. Changes in land use that are part of the morphological character of the area become the fundamental extent of changes that occur. Colo Kudus Tourism Area is a tourist area located at the edge of Mount Muria with types of natural and religious tourism. The tourism activities in this area are hidden. The image of this area eventually changed. The changes in the function of space and activities showcase that people are starting to accept new improvements in the area. This study adopts the Conzen theory, dividing the morphology into three aspects, namely land use, road, and building patterns. The spatial analysis explores the urban transect theory and indicates morphological changes in the Colo Kudus Tourism Area in three aspects, including land-use patterns, roads, and buildings. The results showed that this tourist area has a fairly clear morphological character although there are combinations and variations. Morphological characters on land use and building patterns indicate that Colo Village is included in the sub-urban zone (T3), while the road network shows that the study area leads to the sub-urban zone to general urban T3-T4.

Identification of Local Accessibility Hubs and Leisure Amenities in Suburbanized Settlements: Case Study on the Suburban Zone of Prague

This paper focuses on the topological definition of the system of public spaces in suburbanized settlements. It identifies hubs with the best local accessibility within the system of public open spaces using the Space syntax method and analyses their leisure amenities. The topological investigation was performed on the example of the suburban zone of Prague, the immediate surroundings of which have been developing dramatically in recent decades. About 44 rapidly developing settlements in this area were included in the study and their system of public open spaces was analyzed using the Integration HH metric and local accessibility hubs (those with the highest Integration HH value) were identified. Subsequently, the placement of existing leisure amenities with respect to these accessibility hubs was evaluated. Only 32% of leisure amenities were located in the accessibility hubs, which indicates an unfulfilled potential of locally well-accessible places. At the same time, the placement of leisure amenities within new developments in areas difficult-to-access from other parts of the settlement poses a threat to the integration of the population from these new developments with those from other parts of the settlement. This paper offers solutions for preventing these issues, for identifying natural centers with the best accessibility, and proposes possible measures for mitigation of the identified problems.

Оценка потенциала жизнестойкости городов российской Арктики: фактор экономической специализации

This paper proposes an original methodology for assessing the impact of economic specialization on the resilience potential of Russian Arctic cities. The author understands the resilience as the ability of urban economies to adapt to crises, especially structural ones. He considers the key concepts of urban and regional development, in which the impact of economic specialization factor on resilience are assessed. The author takes into account the specifics of the Arctic urban systems that evolve focusing mainly on the resource development of the territory. As a result, he ranks 28 Russian Arctic cities on the resilience potential basis. The ranking consists of four quantitative indicators with equal weight. These are the degree of diversification of the economy in terms of employment structure, the level of the extractive industry development, the share of innovative firms and the patent activity level. The cities differ mostly by the last two indicators responsible for the development of human capital and the generation of new niche industries of specialization. In terms of employment diversification and dependence on the extractive industry, the distribution is more even. Regional capitals, research and university centres acquire higher scores of resilience potential. By contrast, factors of location in suburban zone, on the remote periphery with low infrastructure provision or in areas with a high concentration of mineral resources negatively affect the assessment of the resilience of the cities. The ranking methodology can be applied to identify the risks Arctic cities are likely to face if they lose their current specialization.

Diversity of diurnal raptors in a suburban area of a city in southern Chile

Raptor conservation programs should be based on knowledge of the birds’ ecology in both natural and urban habitats, justifying the inclusion of ecological studies in suburban zones into regional planning initiatives. The objective of this study was to determine the use of diurnal raptors within the habitats of a suburban area of a city in southern Chile. We characterize the different zones into five types of environment, and assess their raptor diversity for consideration in territorial planning. Acoustic surveys were conducted in auditory stations in addition to observations from fixed transects and trails. From a total of 161.39 h of survey, we obtained 664 sightings corresponding to ten species of diurnal raptors. The richest environment was dense forest (eight species), followed by grassland (six species), native forest regeneration (five species), shrubs (four species) and exotic tree plantations (three species). We discuss the relationship between the richness of diurnal raptors, the types of environment in the study area, and the spatial location of the sites, as well as the implications for territorial planning to support the conservation of birds of prey in the suburban zone studied.

Application of Fluctuating Asymmetry Values in Pelophylax ridibundus (Amphibia: Anura: Ranidae) Meristic Traits as a Method for Assessing Environmental Quality of Areas with Different Degrees of Urbanization

In this paper, we assess the environmental impact of urbanization in three freshwater biotopes, using the levels of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in 10 meristic morphological traits in the Marsh Frog (Pelophylax ridibundus (Pallas, 1771)). Two of the studied biotopes are located in the boundaries of the city of Plovdiv (one in the central part, the other in a suburban residential area), and the third is located in the vicinity of the village of Orizare. Our working hypothesis is based on the assumption that urban and suburban sites are more severely affected by human activities than rural sites. However, according to our results, the population of P. ridibundus inhabiting Maritsa River in the central part of Plovdiv City, and that in the suburban zone, have found relatively good living conditions. Contrary to our expectations, the worst environmental conditions were observed in the rural zone, where anthropogenic stress related to intensive pastoral animal husbandry and crop farming was present. The absence of adult individuals in the rural site is also an indicator of unfavorable living conditions.

Uticaj gradskih i prigradskih uslova sredine na morfološke karakteristike lišća bukve na području Beograda

The research of morphological characteristics of leaves in urban and suburban conditions of the city of Belgrade has been carried out in this paper, in order to determine whether there is significant difference of these parameters on trees in urban and suburban zone of the city, i.e. the influence of urban and suburban environmental conditions on morphological characteristics of beech leaves in the territory of Belgrade. The research was performed on two sites in the territory of the city of Belgrade: Natural monument "Faculty of Forestry Arboretum" (urban zone) and "Area of Outstanding Natural Landscape Avala" (suburban zone). All the average values of the morphological parameters of leaves sampled in Arboretum are larger and show significant difference compared to morphological parameters of leaves sampled on Avala. This can be explained, besides the origin of the seeds, by the fact that the trees growing in Arboretum are protected from the negative anthropogenic influence and agrotechnical measures are regularly applied, in contrast to the beech trees in the natural stand of submontane beech forest on Avala, which does not have such protection.

Агроэкологический мониторинг состояния черноземов лесостепной зоны Красноярского края

In the last century, irrigated agriculture was used on the territory of the Krasnoyarsk krai on an area of more than 25 thousand hectares and was located mainly in the southern regions of the krai and in the suburban zone. During this period, large closed and open irrigation systems of the engineering type were operating, using medium-jet and long-jet sprinklers and aggregates, such as «Frigate», «Volzhanka», DDN-70 DDA – 100, etc. On many irrigation systems, watering was carried out in violation of scientifi cally based irrigation regimes, which led to a violation of the ecological balance in the «water – soil – plant» system, an increase in the groundwater level on the lower elements of the relief, the occurrence of the secondary salinization, alkalinization. Currently, irrigated agriculture is episodic, irrigation systems are taken out of order, irrigated areas are transferred to a deposit or used in rain-fed agriculture. Monitoring studies were conducted to study the state of humus and the structural and aggregate composition of post-irrigation lands.

Население и расселение Калининградской области на начало 2023 года

The article focuses on the dynamics of the Kaliningrad region population in 1947—2023 and the dynamics components in 1990—2022 in comparison with the national average (based on the official statistics). The authors reveal some territorial features of the demographic pro­cesses, such as the development of settlement polarization and suburbanization, as well as the fundamental geodemographic differences between the near suburban zone of Kaliningrad and less urbanized eastern municipalities. It is proposed to use the concept of the Unified Settle­ment System in the eastern parts of the region to improve the spatial organization of settle­ment on the basis of a three-stage system of inter-settlement service. The authors noted strengthening role of Sovetsk and Chernyakhovsk in serving the cities and rural areas of the North and South-East of the region, respectively, developing rural-urban ties between the centers of municipalities with their rural settlements, and within municipal districts, which testifies to the strengthening support functions of the centers of the first level municipalities.

POTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRITOURISM IN THE FOOD SUPPLY ZONE OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN, NUR-SULTAN CITY

One of the important situations is the agricultural production and sustainable development of the suburban zone of the city of Nur-Sultan, the organization of agritourism. In this regard, this study examines the development of agritourism in the food supply zone of the city Nur – Sultan. The object of the study is the suburban areas of Nur-Sultan. The purpose of the article is to identify the problem of formation and development of agrotourism in the agro-food complex of the metropolis suburban area and to propose a model for the development of the food supply zone of the city of Nur-Sultan. The main research method is a spatial analysis of the location of administrative regions in the food supply zone. In the course of the study, the article gives an integral assessment of the tourism potential of the regions of the food supply zone and identifies priority areas for the development of agricultural routes.

Health Risk of Heavy Metals Related to Consumption of Vegetables in Areas of Industrial Impact in the Republic of Kazakhstan-Case Study for Oskemen.

Among various heavy metal sources the metallurgic industry is the most threatening because emitted metals presented are the chemical forms in which metals are found in soil are more bioavailable and thus very easily are introduced into the environment and spread in both soils and plants. In this study such a situation is presented and the potential negative effect of emitted metals on soil and vegetables is estimated. Therefore, the following indicators were used: bioconcentration factors calculated for the total amount of metals (BCF) as well as daily intake of metal (DIM) and health risk index (HRI). Analyzed soils and vegetables originated from allotment gardens located at different distances from local industrial plants. The greatest amounts of metals in investigated materials (soils and plants) were found for the industrial zone and the lowest for samples representing the suburban zone. Among the analyzed metals Zn showed the highest (223.94-2645.13 mg·kg-1 for soils and 9.14-49.28 mg·kg-1 for plants), and Cd the lowest levels (1.77-15.2 mg·kg-1 for soils and 0.05-0.46 mg·kg-1 for plants). Regardless of the metal, the lowest BCF values were calculated for plants from the industrial zone and the highest from the urban site. Generally, BCF values calculated for vegetables were low and comparable for carrots, tomatoes, and cabbage. BCF values obtained for beetroots were higher in comparison to other vegetables. Regardless of plants, DIM values for Cd and Pb were low and comparable. DIM values for Cu and Zn were higher, but simultaneously strongly differentiated depending on the analyzed vegetables. A similar tendency was found in the case of HRI. The highest values were recorded for Cu and Zn in tomatoes. Regardless of the individual metals, the calculated values for DIM and HRI indices increased in the following sequence: beetroot < cabbage < carrot < tomato. The Zn and Cu contents in the studied types of vegetables do not exceed the maximum permissible levels recommended by WHO/FAO. In contrast, Pb concentrations were higher than the imposed standards in all the analyzed vegetable samples. On the basis of obtained DIM and HRI indices, consumption of vegetables cultivated in industrial areas should be restricted due to health risks related to heavy metals contained in plants.

Changes in the ways of using plots in allotment gardens in Poland. A case of selected gardens in the Łódź Voivodship

The The article attempts to check whether there is spatial regularity in the relationship between the model of agricultural and productive use of allotment gardens and the leisure and recreational model. The article also presents socio-demographic features of users nowadays defining the use of plots in gardens. The objectives were achieved by means of a direct inventory and a questionnaire survey conducted among users of five gardens: one located in Łódź and four located in the western part of the suburban zone of Łódź. As a result of the analysis, it was found that the farther from the center of Łódź, the less dominant the leisure and recreational model was. In addition, it was found that the users’ professional activity and age are the sociodemographic features which today determine the way of using plots in gardens.

Environmental Health Practices in Traditional Area: The Tale of Ile-Ife, Nigeria

This study assessed environmental health practices in the traditional city of Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The 22 residential areas in the city of Ile-Ife were stratified into the core, transition, and suburban zones. A systematic sampling technique was used in selecting 327 respondents for questionnaire administration across the residential zones. Findings revealed that there were poor environmental health practices among the residents, although with variation across the residential zones. This is based on their socioeconomic characteristics and level of access to environmental health facilities. The study recommended adequate provision and equitable distribution of environmental health facilities across the residential zones to ensure easy access to them. Also, there should be particular consideration for the provision of environmental health facilities in the core area of the city, where most residents are low-income earners

Urban Green Spaces: how geospatial information can help identify diversity. A case study from eastern Lesser Poland

Progressing globalisation and suburbanisation are driving dynamic changes in land management, particularly in suburban zones. Green infrastructure and its impact on human quality of life are playing an increasingly important role in appropriate spatial management, because of human activities that are changing the natural environment. Therefore, monitoring and assessing the proportion of green spaces is essential for environmental, urban and social balance. The purpose of the study is to develop a method for measuring and monitoring the diversity of land cover classes, including green spaces as representatives of natural land cover classes. The proposed method describes the current state of land in quantitative and qualitative terms based on spatial data on land cover. The study employs Shannon’s Diversity Index (SHDI) to empirically investigate land cover homogeneity. The intensity of the phenomenon was visualised in space using statistical hot spot analysis. The case study involves two cities in eastern Lesser Poland and districts adjacent to them. The results have demonstrated that the investigated areas have a highly heterogenic land cover. Basic assessment fields have exhibited homogeneity only towards large, green, agricultural, environmentally valuable and, often, protected areas. The results concerning urban green spaces comprise a set of data that constitute a valuable source of information to aid the development of informed urban-planning solutions under the sustainable development paradigm.

PERYURBANIZACJA WOKÓŁ WARSZAWY

Warsaw with its suburban zone is one of the fastest developing areas in Poland. Over the 30 years of political transformation and excessive suburbanisation around both Warsaw and the surrounding cities was accompanied by an increase in the number of residents and decrease in green areas in favour of housing development. The suburban zone around Warsaw keeps expanding. Its dynamics of changes make its range difficult to define. Areas adjacent to Warsaw show stronger urbanisation than the peripheral suburban zone. Long-lasting spatial transformations around Warsaw contribute to the development of a new peri-urban zone, constituting a specific urban-rural continuum.

CHARCTERISTICS OF NEW BUILDINGS IN THE IMPACT AREA OF A LARGE CITY

The existence of many field estates, despite their apparent order, from the landscape point of view is chaotic, incoherent and inefficient in terms of communication. The article attempts to create a typology of the most characteristic layouts of housing estates and to indicate the main factors influencing the formation of building complexes. The subject of the study is the analysis of the specificity of the spatial development of suburban zones in three cities: Rzeszów, Poznań and Warsaw. The aim of the analysis is to show the similarities and differences in selected areas. The implementation effect is the recognition of the nature of the buildings spreading outside the city’s territory. Determining the typology of buildings that can be located in specific areas may also help in practice of issuing decisions on development conditions. The catalogue of possible solutions, together with the analysis of the produced communication systems, will allow to forecast the spatial shape of future investments and, consequently, to optimize the provisions limiting pathological solutions.

The Impact of the Degree of Urbanization on Spatial Distribution, Sources and Levels of Heavy Metals Pollution in Urban Soils—A Case Study of the City of Belgrade (Serbia)

This study investigated the effects of urbanization on the spatial distribution, sources, and levels of heavy metals pollution in urban soils of the city of Belgrade. A total of 126 composite topsoil (0–10 cm) and subsoil (10–40 cm) samples was collected within four urban zones (central, suburban, external, and rural) of Belgrade and analysed for content, spatial distribution, sources, and pollution indices using statistical methods including descriptive statistics, correlation matrix, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Concentration levels of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni) in the soil of urban zones in Belgrade were found to be significantly higher in the central and suburban zones compared to the external and rural ones. The spatial variance and the general trend of heavy metals accumulation in the soil were found to be along the urban–rural gradient. The topsoil concentration levels for the same elements were higher compared to the subsoil concentration levels for the same elements in all urban zones, except for the external and the rural zones. These results indicate the need for the implementation of urban soils pollution monitoring according to specific urban zones to provide an applicable basis for the development of plans and strategies concerning urban soil use management for the purpose of the sustainable urban development.

MAIN RESULTS OF URBAN PLANNING MONITORING OF THE GENERAL PLAN OF THE CITY OF KYIV

The article is devoted to determining the state of implementation of the General Plan of the city of Kyiv and the planning project of its suburban zone for the period until 2020. A comparative analysis of the actual indicators of the state of development of the city of Kyiv and the forecast indicators of the General Plan of the city of Kyiv, which are determined for the calculation period until 2020, was carried out. It was established that the level of deviation of actual and forecast indicators is up to 34%. Some deviations are related to exceeding the forecasted indicators, and part of the deviations are related to overestimated expectations for the calculation period of the General Plan of the city of Kyiv. In the future, in order to carry out urban planning monitoring, it is necessary to organize the process of data exchange between the Unified State Electronic System in the field of construction and local urban planning cadastre systems. A significant amount of documentation, which is subject to monitoring, is created and stored in the Unified State Electronic System in the field of construction. The Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine has adopted a new procedure for conducting urban planning monitoring. The updated Procedure for conducting urban planning monitoring defines the mechanism for conducting urban planning monitoring, in particular: determines the bodies responsible for conducting urban planning monitoring, establishes the sequence of conducting urban planning monitoring activities, the composition and content of the analytical report based on the results of urban planning monitoring.

The Changes in the Demographic Characteristics and Spatial Structure of Tourism Demand in the West Balaton Region’s Spa Cities

The last two years, the period of the pandemic, have brought a significant change in the tourism of Hungary, which has been developing unbroken until then. The year 2019 broke all the peaks that were interrupted by the pandemic. This particularly affected our spa towns of international significance, including the examined settlements, Hévíz and Zalakaros. The aim of the study is to show what changes have taken place in the development of the number of visitors in the cities that have been based mainly on foreign traffic until then, what territorial reorganization has taken place in terms of sending areas, and what new target groups with modified attitude have emerged. In this study, we analyzed in detail the databases of the National Tourist Data Center, which has been operating since July 2019, and the monthly database of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office. The special, so-called unconventional tourism is carried out on the one hand by the methodology of statistical data collection and on the other hand by the explored tourism behavior. According to our results, it is clear that due to the domestic traffic, a completely new target group (age group and status) appeared in the two spa towns, their sending areas affected the metropolitan suburban zones, and the target group was high-status, younger guests. In our opinion, this offers a new opportunity for spa towns to generate more sustainable, future-oriented guests with a focus on local values, creating a new supply structure and image, as well as messages.