Volume 41, Number 1


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Place branding as a useful tool of place competitiveness

Kvetoslava Matlovičová

pp. 5–14

Abstract

This paper is dedicated to the discussion about the issues of applicability of the concept of place branding as a useful tool of place competitiveness. Modern place marketing and place branding approach is rooted in the understanding of general principles of place functioning, applicable to the whole range of its various representations. It uses all the accessible information about the given place. That is why we derive philosophical basis of place marketing and place branding concept from the concept of a “place”. Many places all around the world have achieved great successes primarily thanks to the city marketing or the city branding, consequently they can serve as a clear argument why we should pay more attention to this issue. Brands and their images facilitate not only the identification of places, but also speak about the perceived quality. We try to show the concept of branding as a natural part of regional development and a challenge for underdeveloped regions.

Key words

concept of place, place marketing, place branding, place image, place identity

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Decentralisation processes in Central and Southeast European transformation countries: a comparative study

Peter Jordan

pp. 15–34

Abstract

Decentralisation has an important meaning in the context of European integration, since a Europe composed of subsidiary spatial units is to be constructed and a “Europe of regions” is on the agenda of many political discussions. From the early 1990s, the European Communities, later the European Union, promoted the idea of administrative decentralisation also in transformation countries. For EU accession decentralisation was made one of the prerequisites. But it met centralistic traditions originating not only in the Communist era and could partly be enforced only with considerable difficulties. The paper investigates in a comparative way into the efforts made and the results achieved so far in East, Central and Southeast European countries to establish local as well as regional self-government. A special focus is laid on the regional level, to which administrative powers have been devolved only later and partly insufficiently. It is also observed to which extent administrative regionalisation has respected historical regionaland cultural identities which are strong and vivid in many countries, but had been covered by Communistadministrative systems. Decentralisation processes and their progress are illustrated by the examples of Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Bulgaria.

Key words

political geography, decentralisation, regional identities, administrative regionalisation

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Socio-economic trends in contemporary Central and Eastern Europe: the case of Slovenia

Lučka Lorber

pp. 25–49

Abstract

The participation of Central Eastern European (CEE) countries in the integration project was a first hand success for the political European project. Political changes transformed the economic and social system that mainly depends on the influence of the country on market economy. It was clear from the GDP structure and GVA of CEE countries’ economic sectors that their economies had structural problems. Twenty years after the collapse of communism we at last can notice that the conquest of freedom turned out be a lot easier than the construction of economy and democracy. After 1991, Slovenia’s economy began changing to market economy and the privatisation process was started. During the accession process, the new Slovenian state had to form its statehood and adapt its legislation to the European. At the same time, it had to transform the economy and secure social peace. Structural social and economic changes proceeded in a relatively slow manner because the Slovenian government decided on a step-by-step policy with gradual changes aimed at market economy, secure national economy and clearly defined national interests.

Key words

CEE, Slovenia, global recession, structural transformation of economy, social survey

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Economic-geographic position and regional problems of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Rahman Nurković

pp. 51–57

Abstract

Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing fundamental economic-geographic changes in its socio-economic development. With regard to data availability, most attention in this paper has been paid to problems of development of economic activities. In addition, some characteristics of demographic changes in Bosnia and Herzegovina after 1995 have been emphasized herein. Unequal geographic-economic position with the bordering countries is a general regularity of economic development, which is especially expressed in polarisation of economic activities of population and income in particular developmental stages.

Key words

socio-economic transformation, economy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, rural area, population, spatial distribution, demographic changes, urban area

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Research report

2nd Internatinoal Summer School GEOREGNET, Olomouc (Pavel Ptáček)                                                                                                                       

p. 59

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