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Shopping centres and shopping behaviour: selected relations and socio-geographical implications (the Vaňkovka Gallery Brno, Czech Republic example)
Josef Kunc, Bohumil Frantál, Zdeněk Szczyrba, Petr Tonev, Václav Toušek
pp. 5–17
Abstract
The economic and social changes in the Czech Republic after 1990 have reflected themselves also in the shopping habits of its inhabitants. Cultural habits have already changed profoundly with several generations. New shopping centres are far from being used solely for shopping as their character urges and motivates customers towards entertainment and spending leisure time. Thus, a whole-day visit to a shopping centre involving shopping for goods as well as consuming other services, such as visiting restaurants and entertainment facilities, is no exception. This new social phenomenon has already been subjected to sociological and geographical research. The Czech population has rapidly become accustomed to this shopping model, generating new shopping centres and retail parks even in smaller municipalities. The aim of this paper is to analyse, discuss and generalise the selected aspects of the retail gravity model and shopping habits of visitors to one of the most popular shopping centres in the Czech Republic, the Vaňkovka Gallery Brno. The data are obtained by means of a questionnaire survey among the centre’s visitors. Contrary to other suburban shopping centres, the size and location of the Vaňkovka Gallery with respect to the city centre and its closest competitors represent a suitable environment for researching shopping behaviour of the population in a polycentric city system.
Key words
retail gravity model, shopping habits, shopping centre, Vaňkovka Gallery Brno
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Urbanization of poverty and insecurity of the urban poor
Jana Kubelková
pp. 19–32
Abstract
Urbanization has been a necessary condition for development. However, rapid urbanization in developing countries has often been shifting poverty to cities. Urbanization of poverty is a complex process, which includes various interactions between poverty and growth of urban population. It also creates many important qualitative changes resulting from different nature of rural and urban lifestyles and livelihood strategies. “Modern” poverty is a process of increased dynamics, typically with a high susceptibility to risks. The urban poor may have more opportunities (to find a job, for example) but often at the expense of harsh real-life conditions and within an increasingly insecure environment.
Key words
urbanization, urban poverty, developing countries, review
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Leaders’ perceptions of rural development: case study of South Moravia
Lukáš Nevěděl, Hana Svobodová, Antonín Věžník
pp. 33–43
Abstract
Microregional managers and mayors of municipalities are among the most important actors in rural development. They can influence development of a particular region to a large extent due to their access to relevant information and due to their close co-operation with other local participants in development. Furthermore, they can objectively evaluate strategies and theories and their applicability for a region. The aim of the article is to introduce perceptions of the region and visions of regional development that could be found among microregional managers and mayors in South Moravia. Selection of people to be interviewed was influenced by their function in the region, participation in networks and their impacts on local development. The text describes the current state of the study area between the municipalities of Brno, Břeclav, and Znojmo, and possible steps that may be taken in future.
Key words
South Moravia, rural development, opinion pool, actor, governance
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Economic and social changes in some Central and East European countries
Zoran Stiperski, Jelena Lončar
pp. 45–58
Abstract
In this article we will talk about economic and social changes which happened in some countries of Central and Eastern Europe in the last twenty years, from 1989 to 2007, and also compare these changes with some countries from Western Europe. These economic changes occur in gross national product (GNP) and gross national income (GNI) per capita as well as in competitiveness of industry, export of goods and services, energy use and investment in science and technology. Social changes are most visible if we analyse GNP and GNI but also life expectancy and net migration. In most cases, difference in degree of economic development between Central and Eastern Europe decreased, as well as between them and Western Europe in the post-cold war period (1989-2007). In fact, post-socialist countries of Central Europe decreased the difference while the post-socialist countries of Southeast Europe did not.
Key words
Central and Eastern European countries, level of development, life expectancy, competitiveness of industry, net migration, transition
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Research report
Quantitative assessment of the Danubian state border between Bulgaria and Romania (Boris Kolev, Maria Grozeva)
pp. 59–62
Full text: PDF (252 kB)