Lost in protest, found in segregation: Divided cities in the light of the 2015 “Οχι” referendum in Greece

Carlucci

2017

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Recessions have traditionally influenced population dynamics, leading to increasing social disparities and a polarised distribution of economic activities. This study identifies differences in short‐term demographic trends before and during the 2007 recession in a metropolitan area of southern Europe. Using vital statistics, indicators were calculated over two distinct time intervals representative of expansion (2000–2007) and recession (2008–2014) waves in Athens, Greece, at the spatial scale of municipalities. Local‐scale changes in population dynamics were considered key indicators to evaluate the crisis' impact on recent urban transformations. Demographic polarisations in urban and rural areas have progressively increased the gap between wealthy and economically disadvantaged districts. In Athens, short‐term population dynamics were influenced by a combination of socioeconomic factors and processes acting at different spatial scales due to suburbanisation, recession, and demographic transition. As a result, the use of nonlinear analysis proves to be a useful tool to investigate urban systems in their complexity and supports the debate over the future development of contemporary cities.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Urban growth, population, and recession: Unveiling multiple spatial patterns of demographic indicators in a Mediterranean City

Carlucci

2017

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Bridging the divide: Demographic dynamics and urban–rural polarities during economic expansion and recession in Greece

2019

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Demographic processes such as international migration, internal rural–urban movements, and short‐range residential mobility are increasingly driven by economic cycles. To assess how economic downturns have influenced demographic dynamics across regions in Greece—perhaps the European country most affected by the 2007 recession—the present study investigates spatial patterns of population increase and decline (2002–2017) in 51 prefectures, evaluating the contribution of natural balance (births minus deaths) and migration to total population growth during economic expansion (2002–2009) and recession (2010–2017). Population increased during economic expansion in semicentral regions with medium‐size urban centres, upper economic functions (university and international airport), and road infrastructures. Although natural balance was positive in almost all prefectures, migration contributed the most to population growth during 2002–2009. A generalised population decline was observed during recession, except in coastal areas specialised in tourism, the only regions still attracting migratory flows and maintaining a slightly positive natural balance. The largest urban areas (Athens, Salonika) experienced the highest rate of population decline, thanks to accelerated emigration and a moderately negative natural balance. Population dynamics during economic expansion contributed to increase a traditional density gap between urban and rural areas. Conversely, population dynamics during recession led to a spatial redistribution of population, reducing the gap between urban areas and rural, tourism‐specialised coastal districts. Evidence in our study supports a need for further investigation into the role of economic downturns in future population redistribution processes, specifically “shrinking” regions.

Polycentric development and local fertility in metropolitan regions: An empirical analysis for Barcelona, Spain

López‐Gay

2020

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The present study verifies if spatial variability in local fertility reflects the shift from a monocentric dense settlement model towards a polycentric metropolis organised in central cores and subcentral locations. The spatial distribution of a crude birth rate in Barcelona's province was investigated for a long time span (1975–2018), identifying distinctive trends within five concentric rings around Barcelona at four subperiods (1975–1985, 1986–1996, 1997–2007 and 2008–2018). Using multivariate exploratory statistics, local fertility rates were correlated with background indicators delineating the socio‐economic profile of each municipality in the study area. Fertility rates decreased with the distance from downward Barcelona and with population density. In the first time interval (1975–1985), fertility levels—higher in subcentral municipalities and peri‐urban locations than in downtown Barcelona—were positively associated with urban growth. In the following two subperiods (1986–1996 and 1997–2007), the contribution of local fertility to urban growth decreased significantly, reaching the lowest‐low figures at the end of the 1980s. In the most recent time interval (2008–2018), a moderate (and spatially heterogeneous) recovery of fertility rates was observed in subcentral locations. Demographic processes underlying Barcelona's expansion provide evidence in favour of a positive relationship between polycentric development and local fertility. Our article finally debates on the use of fertility indicators in the assessment of monocentric versus polycentric (metropolitan) growth in advanced economies.