Winning and losing rural localities of the post-socialist economic restructuring: case study of Czechia

Abstract

Retreat from socialism at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s conditioned significant social, economic and environmental changes for former socialist countries. Transformation from the centrally planned economy under the authoritative regime to market economy and democratic system re-structured also economies of rural areas. As a result, the conversion to capitalism constructed successful rural localities enjoying growing wealth whereas, on the other hand, other rural localities struggle with high unemployment, low incomes and following emigration of qualified people. This paper, on the example of rural space in Czechia, analyses time spatial development of number of jobs on local level and reveals main factors which have been constructing economically successful and unsuccessful rural localities in the post-socialist period. Based on this, six model responses to post-socialist economic rural restructuring are identified: globally integrated service-oriented, entrepreneurial, industrialised, post-productivist, deindustrialised and post-mining and energy-producing rural localities.

Combining Social Media and Mobile Positioning Data in the Analysis of Tourist Flows: A Case Study from Szeged, Hungary

“…The method outlined may be easily applied in other cities to analyze their touristic potentials, to trace the spatial behavior of tourists with special attention to local attractions, and to involve surrounding municipalities in tourism development. The results also have some implications for peripheral rural municipalities to strengthen regional collaboration, to intensify their economic growth through tourism development, and to create synergies with attractions organized by cities in the region [71]. Moreover, such information can also help tourism planning to define new event-related Tourism Products (4A) inside cities and in their surroundings.…”

The role of manufacturing in the development of rural regions: Evidence from a highly industrialised Moravian region

“…The first decade of the 21 st century can be described as a period of reindustrialisation (Koutský, 2011), which had very selective territorial impacts (Hruška and Píša, 2019). Reindustrialisation was mostly driven by economic globalisation, associated with the integration of enterprises into global production networks, and the inflow of foreign direct investment to both existing and newly built production facilities.…”

“…Reindustrialisation was mostly driven by economic globalisation, associated with the integration of enterprises into global production networks, and the inflow of foreign direct investment to both existing and newly built production facilities. The inflow of foreign capital in many rural regions compensated for job losses (especially in traditional labourintensive industries) associated with the deindustrialisation of the 1990s (Hruška and Píša, 2019). Another manifestation (also at the national level) was a shift in industrial structure towards a higher representation of capital-intensive industries and an increasing specialisation in the automotive and supply industries (Toušek and Šerý, 2013).…”

Two decades of changes in spatial distribution of retail and commercial services: Czech experience

“…Rural areas are afflicted by a series of social, demographic and economic problems. Typically, the rural municipality faces different development (Perlín, R. et al 2010, or Hruška, V. andPiša, J. 2019).…”

“…In the Czech Republic, there are both areas with social and economic decline and also positive development. Also suburbanization or counter urbanization process and inflow of foreign direct investment take part (Hruška, V. and Piša, J. 2019).…”