An important challenge for the research on post-socialist big cities is to identify the mechanisms of their uncontrolled urban space growth. This analysis is focused on the built-up urban space affected by transformations from a centrally planned to a market-based economy. Post-socialist changes in Bucharest are clearly reflected in the dynamics of built-up space. Land cover dynamics were evaluated using spectral mixture analysis of Landsat 5 TM (Thematic Mapper) data to map percent impervious surface area in 1988 and 2010. Change analysis reveals (1) a decrease of built space in central and peri-central areas of Bucharest, (2) an expansion of new residential areas to the south, (3) land fragmentation to the east and southeast, (4) a mixture of densities to the north, and (5) the role of the ring road in spurring recent development. A key challenge facing Bucharest is the disposition and repurposing of the lands covered by old large housing estates and shuttered heavy industries.

Given the spatial dimension of urban (urbanization, deurbanization, urban restructuring etc.) and industrial (exploitation of natural resources) processes, Coordination of Information on the Environment Programme (CORINE) data provide an image of land cover/use dynamics in territorial statistical units-administrative units and development regions. This study employed ordinary kriging interpolation to depict how these processes are reflected at macro-scale changes in land cover and use. Results indicate that areas affected by any kind of land cover changes predominate in the SouthWest Region (especially Mehedinţi and Gorj counties), while areas affected by land use changes in the urban areas concentrate in the Oriental Carpathians (counties Suceava, Harghita, Covasna, Bacău, and Neamţ). Urbanization seems to cluster in the SouthEast , but also in spaces situated at the limits of the development regions SouthEast , Center, NorthEast , and North West. Deurbanization explains land use changes in the SouthWest and West Regions. The results indicate that anthropic pressures on natural systems are the driving force of environmental dynamics. Methodologically, the study underlines the potential of using kriging to assess environmental changes and their consequences over land use.

The importance of studying coastal areas is justified by their resources, ecosystem services, and key role played in socio-economic development. Coastal landscapes are subject to increasing demands and pressures, requiring in-depth analyses for finding appropriate tools or policies for a sustainable landscape management. The present study addresses this issue globally, based on case studies from three continents: Romania (Europe), Algeria (Africa), and Vietnam (Asia), focusing on the anthropogenic pressure resulting from land use/land cover change or urban sprawl, taking into account the role of socioeconomic and political factors. The methodology consisted of producing maps and computing and analyzing indicators, correlating geospatial and socio-economic data in a synergistic manner to explore the changes of landscapes, and identify the specific driving forces. The findings show that the pressure of urbanization and tourism on coastal areas increased, while the drivers and impacts vary. Urbanization is due to derogatory planning in Romania and Algeria, and different national and local goals in Vietnam. The two drivers determine local exemptions from the national regulations, made for profit. In addition to the need for developing and enforcing policies for stopping the degradation and restoring the ecosystems, the findings underline the importance of international cooperation in policy development.

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Starting from an analysis made on Romania as a case study, the paper develops causal connections between economic dynamics and migration. The analysis is focused on internal and external migration flows during the post-socialist period. The data sources are collected from official statistics, empirical observations and different academic papers. The methodological steps are defined by each significant economic period and the impact on migration phenomenon. The results show an important correlation between the increasing domestic migration flow and the deindustrialization process.

The crucial importance of land cover and use changes, components of the ‘global changes’, for the worldwide sustainable and resilient development results from their negative influence on ecosystem services, biodiversity, and human welfare. Ongoing debates concerning whether the global drivers are more important than the local ones or which are the most prominent driving forces and effects are still ongoing at the global level. In Europe, the patterns of land cover and use changes differ between the west and the east. Property restitution was an important driver of change in Eastern Europe and especially in Romania. This study aimed to look at the land cover and use changes in Romania by their transitional dynamic using Coordination of Information on the Environment (CORINE) data in an attempt to identify long-term spatially and temporally consistent trends. Although generally inconsistent, the results indicate that deforestation and urbanization tend to prevail over other changes, and the development of agriculture slows its pace. Such findings are consequences of unplanned development associated with little environmental awareness. The presence of hotspots where land cover and use changes seem to be clustered can be seen as a feature of ex-socialist countries undergoing economic transition.

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Heritage buildings incorporate multiple values (architectural, historical, cultural, aesthetic, social, symbolic, authenticity value) to which the economic one (they can be used as commercial and residential spaces, or it can offer cultural experiences for tourists) is added. The cultural services generated by the heritage properties are also used by the local population. The aim of this paper is to analyse the economic values of use and non-use of heritage properties in the central area of Ploieşti Municipality. The authors used the contingent valuation method to identify the non-used economic value. The economic use value of heritage properties was estimated by using the hedonic price method (e.g. expressed in accessibility from homes to shops on foot). Moreover, the economic value was evaluated using the indicator types of use of the heritage buildings. The results obtained by using the non-market valuation highlight the economic potential of the heritage properties located in the central area of Ploieşti city.