Territorial Structure Research Articles

Towards the regeneration of mountain tourism territories. Insights from the Alta Valtellina Region

Since the 1960s, tourism development in mountain areas has significantly influenced territorial structures. The legacy of this development model is exacerbated by global crises, including climate change and sociocultural challenges that make mountain tourism territories much more fragile.Within this framework, the multifaceted dimensions of the crisis claim for a broader regeneration of these contexts based on a territorial, integrated and multi-disciplinary approach.Through the case of the Alta Valtellina Region in the Lombard Alps, the paper provides a methodology to measure, spatialize and represent the multiple challenges occurring in mountain tourism territories as a fundamental base to orient the regeneration project in these contexts.

An integrated approach to enhance vaccine uptake in chronic patients – the VacciNetwork project

Abstract Issue/problem Individuals with chronic illnesses are at a higher risk of infections and their complications. Vaccinations are crucial in reducing this risk and their integration in chronic care pathways can enhance vaccine uptake, but it requires a collaborative approach and increased awareness in care personnel, caregivers and patients. Description of the problem The Local Health Authority of Rome 2 (ASL Roma 2, with approx. 1.3 million residents) initiated an active promotion plan for recommended vaccinations in chronic patients in January 2023, and a Clinical Vaccinology Workbook was produced to guide healthcare workers in promoting vaccinations across various care settings. The plan aims to establish collaborative agreements with hospitals and territorial structures that manage these patients, integrating vaccination plans with clinical and healthcare pathways for a more holistic approach to chronic disease management, a model that could benefit similar populations globally. Results Data was extracted from administrative databases regarding vaccinations performed in 2022 and 2023 on fragile subjects, i.e., those with a marked ‘risk condition’, aged ≥18 years. The results showed that vaccine uptake was more than doubled (6675 vs. 2041; +227%). Notably, vaccinations rose among those with oncological-hematological diseases (+212%), asplenia (+185%), chronic kidney failure or on dialysis (+190%) and those with an HIV infection (+160%). Increases were also significant in other immunocompromised conditions (+194%). Lessons The practice underlines the importance of targeted vaccination programs within chronic care management. Collaborative healthcare frameworks can significantly improve vaccination rates, reducing the burden of infectious diseases in high-risk populations. These results underscore the potential applicability of such a model in other regions and countries, highlighting the universal relevance of integrated healthcare solutions. Key messages • Collaborative, integrated frameworks between clinical and vaccination services can represent a model for increasing vaccine uptake in chronic disease patients. • Strategic partnerships and education in healthcare settings can improve vaccination rates and contribute to more holistic chronic disease management.

Eastern Regions in the Economic Strategy on the “Take-off” Stage of the Soviet Industrial System

The article delves into the strategy and implementation of economic development in the eastern regions of Russia from the pre-war five-year plans to the “Kosygin reform”. It highlights the substantial growth in the importance of these regions in the national economy during this period. However, historical perspectives on the long-term consequences of the “Eastern shift” in the production and population proportions vary. Some researchers believe that such a course met and meets the fundamental interests of the country. Others dispute this, attributing it to excessive geopolitical ambitions and a distorted understanding of the economy’s actual needs. Based on the historiographic analysis and documentary sources, the author offers an interpretation of why the authorities prioritized the advanced economic development of the eastern territories and how they executed this strategy. It is concluded that implementation of such a course has led to a radical change in the territorial structure of production. At the same time, as the period under review drew to a close, the focus shifted from advanced development to sustaining the achieved level, resulting in a deceleration of economic growth in the eastern regions. This was primarily ascribed to the decreasing efficacy of the “socialist economic system” and the ruling elite's persistent aversion to reforming economic institutions. One overarching argument posited in the article is that there was a substantive “shift of productive forces” towards the East in the broader context of the Soviet era, coinciding with the period of the “take-off” of the Soviet industrial system. The foregoing allows us substantiating the relationship between high rates of economic growth and “intensive economic development” of the eastern regions of the country.

Ecological Consequences of Changes in the Territorial and Branch Structure of Moscow Manufacturing Industry in 1990–2023

The peculiarities of the dynamics of the volume and structure of emissions from manufacturing enterprises in Moscow in 1990–2023 have been revealed. It is noted that the economic process of deindustrialization in the 1990s–2000s has been replaced in recent years by a small reverse process of reindustrialization, with an increase in the diversity of sectoral structure, and a change in the role and internal structure of machine building and chemical industry. The decrease of manufacturing industry output was noticed, while pollution from large enterprises producing products necessary for the city was preserved; at the same time, the rates of decrease in specific pollution for these enterprises have slowed down in recent years. It is concluded that during periods of crisis and recession there is a faster change in industrial structure compared to the change in pollution structure, and that during the recovery phase the pollution structure changes faster, largely due to the fact that industries are expanded initially without adequate expansion of treatment systems.

Milk and dairy products market: creation of dairy clusters

In modern conditions, public health as a strategic resource is one of the most important indicators that determine the level and quality of life, and is ensured by saturating the market with high-quality food products with high consumer properties. The authors have studied the current state of production of milk and its processed products, which are in the second place in demand after bakery products. In each region of the republic there are processing enterprises of the dairy industry, but not all producers supply goods of high quality. Purpose - development of practical recommendations to provide the domestic market with high-grade and competitive dairy products on the basis of formation and development of dairy clusters. Methods - the system approach was used to determine the value chain from raw materials to finished products, statistical and comparative analysis - to study the dynamics, state, potential opportunities of the dairy subcomplex, economic entities, generalization method - to summarize the results of the study. Results - the main problems existing in the dairy industry of Kazakhstan are revealed: insufficiency of milk for food products, underutilization of production capacities, lack of large farms producing conditioned raw materials in the required volumes, high import dependence, purchase prices for raw milk. Conclusions - the authors recommend the formation of territorial dairy cluster structures. The implementation of this direction will allow to meet the needs not only of the domestic market, but also to achieve a high export potential of the dairy industry, to solve the issues of supply of necessary equipment, fodder for livestock, to increase the competitive advantages of dairy products, the level of utilization of the existing production potential, as well as to expand the raw material base. Of particular importance is the study of promising areas of the dairy industry, since milk and dairy products are necessarily present in the food basket of every family.

Application and prospect of landscape ecology in territorial spatial planning.

Territorial spatial planning could achieve the integration of various plans, resulting in a unified "multi-plan integration" map. Such planning emphasizes the efficient use of territorial spatial patterns and structures to ensure functional perfection, and serves as the spatial framework for building a modern socialist country, particularly in the areas of ecological security and ecological civilization. The past few decades have seen rapid advances in the development of landscape ecology in China. The core concept of "pattern-process-function" has gained significant progress and been widely applied in the initial phase of territorial spatial planning at various levels. We outlined the advancements in the territorial spatial planning system and the core research theories and technologies in landscape ecology. We discussed the progress and shortcomings of key theories and methods of landscape ecology in practical applications of territorial spatial planning, such as ecological security patterns, pattern and process, and scale effects. We proposed the future application of landscape ecology theories and technologies in territorial spatial planning, including overall ecological effects, scale effects, and regional ecological network optimization. Future developments in landscape ecology, especially research on the "human-place-ecology" coupling based on the latest Big Data and AI technology for sustainable development, will provide robust theoretical and methodological supports for the scientific formulation of territorial spatial planning in China.

Political discontent in Spain, diagnosis and solutions

The starting point is the presence of a widespread feeling of political confrontation and division among Spanish citizens. This is compounded by dissatisfaction with and distrust in a system that is perceived by many as elitist and out of touch with real needs. Several factors related to this perception of politics are explained and quantified. On the one hand, there are economic elements, such as the stagnation of GDP per capita, the persistence of a relatively high at-risk-of-poverty rate, and the rates of material deprivation. And in all these elements, a significant territorial inequality can be observed. There are significant differences between Spain, France and Germany over the period considered. On the other hand, political factors determine much of the public debate in Spain: Historical memory and the Spanish Civil War, as well as the terrorism of ETA and other terrorist groups. The emergence of new parties is analyzed, especially VOX. Finally, the enormous difficulty of finding a territorial structure of political power that would bring together the consensus of most political forces. It is necessary to find formulas for fiscal federalism that will make it possible to move away from the current decentralization of spending without the Autonomous Communities having their own tax capacity. This study concludes by pointing out the relevance of all these problems and the need to find solutions through democratic debate and deliberation with agreements.

Impact of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on the Development of Rural Territories: Principal Component Analysis in SW Spain, Extremadura (2007–2020)

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a European Union (EU) policy aimed at supporting farmers, guaranteeing food security, and promoting sustainable rural development, which has undergone numerous reforms to adapt to the needs of the agricultural sector and society in general. The main objective of this work is to statistically analyse CAP aid in southwest Spain, specifically in Extremadura, a region characterised by areas at risk of depopulation and deep rural areas, during the last two periods of European aid (2007–2013 and 2014–2020). In this study, by means of principal component analysis (PCA), agricultural, economic, and demographic variables were interrelated, together with geographic information systems (GIS), to evaluate their impact on the development of the regional agricultural sector. This methodology will help to identify areas with improvements in their territorial structures and can therefore serve as a basis for their application in other European territories. Through the analysis, we identified areas where the interrelation of the variables showed improvements in their demographic, social, and economic structures, with the municipalities of populations over 10,000 inhabitants in Extremadura being the ones that compose the territorial substructure A. Therefore, this work shows how European agricultural aid can disproportionately favour the most dynamic territories and leave the less developed regions at a disadvantage.

Territorial Consolidation of the Republic of Moldova: Problems, Strategies and Challenges

The Republic of Moldova is currently facing significant problems in terms of public administration, such as excessive bureaucracy, corruption, and low efficiency of public services. At the same time, there is a significant discrepancy between rural and urban areas, which negatively affects citizens’ access to public services delaying social and territorial cohesion. In this regard, analysing ways to optimize the administrative and territorial structure can be an important step in identifying the necessary administrative tools to improve citizens’ access to quality public services. This article proposes an analysis of the problems in the existing system of administrative-territorial organization in the Republic of Moldova and presents some visions on implementing the reform for territorial consolidation.

Transformation of the Territorial Structure of the Population of the Nizhny Novgorod Urban Agglomeration in 2019–2021

Transformation of the Territorial Structure of the Population of the Nizhny Novgorod Urban Agglomeration in 2019–2021

Preparedness of Nursing Homes: A Typology and Analysis of Responses to the COVID-19 Crisis in a French Network.

Preparing healthcare systems for emergencies is crucial to maintaining healthcare quality. Nursing homes (NHs) require tailored emergency plans. This article aims to develop a typology of French private NHs and study their early COVID-19 responses and mortality outcomes. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among NHs of a French network consisting of 290 facilities during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A Hierarchical Clustering on Principal Components (HCPC) was conducted to develop the typology of the NHs. Association tests were used to analyze the relationships between the typology, prevention and control measures, COVID-19 mortality, and the satisfaction of hospitalization requests. The 290 NHs vary in size, services, and location characteristics. The HCPC identified three clusters: large urban NHs with low levels of primary care (Cluster 1), small rural NHs (Cluster 2), and medium urban NHs with high levels of primary care (Cluster 3). The COVID-19 outcomes and response measures differed by cluster, with Clusters 1 and 2 experiencing higher mortality rates. Nearly all the NHs implemented preventive measures, but the timing and extent varied. This typology could help in better preparing NHs for future health emergencies, allowing for targeted resource allocation and tailored adaptations. It underscores the importance of primary care territorial structuring in managing health crises.

ON THE NECESSITY OF CHANGES IN THE MENTALITY OF THE LEADERSHIP AND FUNCTIONARIES OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT BODIES OF TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES OF UKRAINE

Based on the analysis of the results and experience gained in the processes of decentralization of power and reforming the territorial structure of Ukraine, the article concludes that the quality of governance of a number of newly formed territorial communities (TCs) in the difficult conditions of simultaneously confronting the military aggression of the russian federation and the need to implement a set of European integration measures is affected and will be affected in the future by the current mental state of their population and local self-government bodies. It is demonstrated that this state is a consequence of the long-term impact on consciousness and intelligence, knowledge and experience, management and life traditions, mentality and mentality of the population of the ideologemes of the so-called Eastern institutional matrix (communitarianism, rigid centralized management and non-market economy). The European integration intentions of the population and leadership of Ukraine require changes in this state in the direction of achieving and ensuring the ideologemes of the Western institutional matrix (individual freedoms, decentralized governance and market economy). Since the results of the comparative analysis of the values and ideals of the mental attitudes of the population of the EU and Ukraine, with the obvious presence of common priorities of peace, human rights and democracy, demonstrate the advantages of Ukrainians in the pursuit of peace and preservation of human life, but also reflect quite significant differences in the area of non-compliance by Ukrainian citizens with the requirements of respect for other cultures and even the requirements of the implementation of existing laws, this makes it quite obvious that a number of training activities on certain transformational changes should be planned and implemented. To this end, it is necessary to use the existing potential of the current system of training and retraining of current and future personnel of the public administration and management system at all its levels, starting with the basic one – the staff of local self-government bodies of TCs.

Optimizing Territorial Spatial Structures within the Framework of Carbon Neutrality: A Case Study of Wuan

Optimizing Territorial Spatial Structures within the Framework of Carbon Neutrality: A Case Study of Wuan

Historical Prerequisites for the Formation of Legal Sovereignty of Russian Regions

The paper examines the theory of federalism in the political, administrative and territorial structure of the country. The collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s caused the inclusion of the principle of national unity in the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The authors trace the dynamics of the division of powers between central and local authorities in Russia. The authors point out the importance of harmonizing the interests of the federal center and the regions, and the equal participation of all constituent entities of the Federation in state building as a guarantee of the unity of Russia. Building a competent balance in the distribution of powers between the federal center and the constituent entities of the Federation makes it possible to mitigate the contradictions that arise, which indicates the desire to ensure a balance of interests between the central government and the regions. The national authorities are working to increase the financial autonomy of the regions, giving them the right to exercise control over their funds. This approach, taking into account the differences in mentality, culture, and needs of the regions, allows for a flexible approach to the management of different constituent entities of the Federation. Increased attention to regional specifics is a vector of the policy of the modern Russian supreme power. The desire for a reasonable balance between the central government and the regions reflects the historical evolution of the Russian state structure towards genuine federalism.

Анализ территориальной структуры хозяйства «Енисейская Сибирь»

The territorial structure of the economy is the basis on which the territorial organization of the economy is built, where the existing interrelations and interdependencies in a certain area are objectively reflected. Materials and methods. The methods of statistical analysis, as well as methods of data collection and processing were used in the work. The methodological basis for the study of territorial structure is the system approach. Results. The competitive advantages of the macro-region are its unique location on the territory of the country, while its weakness is the low level of development of transportation and communication links, which leads to an insufficient level of development of innovative developments. Discussion. Yenisei Siberia is an important part of the existing and projected transportation corridors linking Asia-Pacific countries with European countries. Conclusion. Thus, the territorial structure of the economy is a dynamically structured generalized system, for which it is necessary to search for adaptive approaches with spatial and temporal variability of interrelations optimizing the structural features of the economy depending on the inertia of the economy. Resume. The diversity of the complex of constituent parts of the territorial system, allows the system to be more stable and prone to socio-economic improvement. “Yenisei Siberia” consists of three subjects of the Federation, these are two national republics and one krai (krai – Krasnoyarsk and national republics – Tyva and Khakassia). Suggestions for practical applications and directions for future research. In connection with the turn to the East, the actualization of scientific research on the development of Yenisei Siberia may become a driver of interregional interactions, especially for regions with a low level of economic development. The results of the research may be useful in future development strategies and/or master plans of the territories of the Yenisei Siberia.

THE ECOLOGICAL AND TOURIST FRAMEWORKS OF THE LOW MOUNTAIN ZONE AS THE BASIS FOR THE FORMATION OF THE TERRITORIAL STRUCTURE IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF ALTAI KRAI

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the environmental and tourism aspects of the formation of the territorial structure of the region. The authors advocate for an ecological framework approach to pinpoint key natural areas crucial for establishing a tourist framework. In the southern low-mountain region of Altai Krai, mountain ranges are integral to the ecological framework, shaping its diverse landscape. This territory harbors specially protected natural areas (SPNA) that comprise natural heritage sites and tourist attractions. Different elements of the ecological framework, including nature reserves and protected zones within natural parks, require varying levels of protection. The study emphasizes that the main river valleys serve as focal points of the tourist framework. Through the development of schematic maps, the research identifies nine distinct tourist destinations in the foothill-low-mountain zone of Altai Krai, each characterized by unique ecological and tourist attributes.

How Primary Healthcare Sector is Organized at the Territorial Level in France? A Typology of Territorial Structuring.

Most the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries are currently facing the challenges of the health transition, the aging of their populations and the increase in chronic diseases. Effective and comprehensive primary healthcare (PHC) services are considered essential for establishing an equitable, and cost-effective healthcare system. Developing care coordination and, on a broader scale, care integration, is a guarantee of quality healthcare delivery. The development of healthcare systems at the meso-level supports this ambition and results in a process of territorial structuring of PHC. In France, the Health Territorial and Professional Communities (HTPC) constitute meso-level organizations in which healthcare professionals (HCPs) from the same territory gather. We conducted a study to determine, in a qualitative step, the key elements of the territorial structuring of PHC in France and, then, to develop, in a quantitative step, a typology of this structuring. A sequential-exploratory mixed-method study with a qualitative step using a multiple case approach and a quantitative step as a hierarchical clustering on principal components (HCPC) from a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). A total of 7 territories were qualitatively explored. Territorial structuring appears to depend on: past collaborations at the micro-level, meso-level coordination among HCPs and multiprofessional structures, diversity of independent professionals, demographic dynamics attracting young professionals, and public health investment through local health contracts (LHCs). The typology identifies 4 clusters of mainland French territories based on their level of structuring: under or unstructured (38.6%), with potential for structuring (34.7%), in the way for structuring (25.3%) and already structured territories (1.4%). Interest in territorial structuring aligns with challenges in meso-level healthcare organization and the need for integrated care. Typologies of territorial structuring should be used to understand its impact on access, care quality, and medical resources.

Beyond Multidimensional Vulnerability Approach: A Triple Network Notion for Urban Cohesion in At-Risk Neighborhoods of Jaen’s Historic Center

Today’s cities need more than ever methodological devices that ensure a specific urbanism, in keeping with the complexity of relationships that occur in the urban space. Networks or systems of a diverse nature must be activated to achieve a certain success of the city, even more so in its fragile central fabric. This study is focused on the historic neighborhoods of the city of Jaén (Spain), which have a high vulnerability index. The aim is to establish a strategy to revitalize their urban and social capital and improve their articulation with the rest of the urban and territorial structure. A methodological proposal for the analysis of vulnerability factors and an urban and cartographic analysis of the public space is addressed through an interweaving of a triple network: environmental, social, and urban. For this purpose, the configuration of this overlapping network of analysis and the formulation of criteria is presented, which considers the urban multiplicity and promotes new dynamics for the integrated urban regeneration of the area and for the activation of public and collective urban spaces.

Territorial planning support tool for sustainable forest management in the Amazon

In forest management, it is crucial to ensure process efficiency to maintain economic viability, especially in native forests where timber volume varies due to the uneven distribution of commercially valuable species. This variability poses a challenge for harvest planning, as the inherent heterogeneity of these forests often results in inconsistent productivity. This study employs the SOTER-PA system, an algorithm-based tool utilizing a minimalist tabu search, to achieve a more homogeneous territorial planning structure for better utilization of natural resources and increased economic returns from forestry activities. The study area is the Tapajós National Forest in the state of Pará, with a forest inventory database covering 2,218.7 hectares and 28,369 trees across 93 species. After applying exclusion criteria and data processing, 8,644 trees were deemed suitable for harvest. The tests suggested a new organization of Work Units, enabling a more balanced income distribution among them, and delineating the areas to be exploited in each cutting cycle. The results show that SOTER-PA not only improves the equitable distribution of natural resources but also enhances economic productivity. This improvement is attributed to the more homogeneous and optimized distribution of high-value species like red cedar and purpleheart. Furthermore, when comparing the SOTER-PA generated parcels with conventional management, the parcels created by SOTER-PA were more homogeneous, with better productivity quality and lower standard deviation, indicating greater uniformity. Thus, the use of SOTER-PA proves to be an efficient alternative for optimizing sustainable forest management planning, offering a more effective method for sustainable territorial planning in native forests, providing both economic and environmental benefits.

“Justice Vs Efficiency” dilemma in the context of russia’s regional economic policy

Deriving the necessity of regional economic policy from the market failure concept, the author, using D. Friedman’s center-periphery theory, justifies the fact of excessive socio-economic differentiation among the regions of the Russian Federation, which has a hindering rather than accelerating effect on long-term economic growth. The clear division of Russian regions as parts of the “center-periphery-semi-periphery” classification based on the classification of spatial policy theorists by G. Cameron as non-interventionists, adapters, and radical transformers raises the question of the optimal degree of intervention by the Russian government in regulating territorial structure. The centerpiece of the article is the comparative analysis of two alternative approaches within the models of “territorial justice” and “economic efficiency” outlining the tools used in each of them. By uncovering the objective regularities of cyclical development that bring to the forefront one or another model of regional regulation and linking their use to the achieved level of economic development of the country, the author proves the inevitability of relying on a leveling model in Russia’s regional policy. However, to avoid the reproduction of social dependency of subsidized territories, there is an urgent need for close coordination of regional policy with structural policy, aiming both at achieving economic development rooted in innovations as opposed to, for instance, exploitation of natural resources.