Verification of Counterurbanisation Processes: Example of the České Budějovice Region

Abstract

Abstract. Counterurbanisation as a deconcentrating process of settlement systems is connected with population migration from cities to their geographically distant hinterland located beyond the external border of suburbs, i.e. beyond the metropolitan zones. Many authors consider it a low-intensity process empirically hard to identify. Still, in the South Bohemian region of České Budějovice (RCB) counterurbanisation was confirmed, although it is not a dominant but rather a highly variable process with some effect on the character of settlements. It seems that after a long period of population and socio-economic decline a new rise started in several municipalities of the RCB rural area. The smallest rural settlements (less than 200 residents) boast now the top population growth rate along with the top net migration rate. In general, the volume of immigration flows to the rural area from the centre and suburbs of České Budějovice is higher in absolute figures than the volume of emigration flows from the rural area. The detailed anonymised database of migrants of the Czech Statistical Office makes it possible to analyse the migration volume and direction by municipalities.

Some dilemmas of post-industrialism in a region of traditional industry: The case of the Katowice conurbation, Poland

“…Today, however, the economic development of regions with traditional industries in Central-Eastern Europe tends to be influenced by three processses: (1) the continued functioning of industrial plants constructed in the industrial and lateindustrial stages, which is occurring mainly in the mining industry and large industrial plants from other sectors with more than 1000 employees; (2) re-industrialisation based on new industrial plants, frequently based on investments representing sectors that are new to the regions, and they are often situated in special economic areas or functionally derelict areas, including brownfields; and (3) investments in the service sector, particularly large area investments (trade, logistics) and to a lesser extent in R&D sector investments (Gwosdz, 2014;Klasik, 2008;Popjaková et al, 2014).…”

The fate of socialist agricultural premises: To agricultural ‘brownfields’ and back again?

“…For example, housing development as a new use of agricultural premises is primarily linked to highly urbanised areas, such as the surroundings of the City of České Budějovice, the regional capital. It is obvious that housing and general property prices are significantly higher compared to other regions, which enables higher investments for the re-establishment of various properties into housing (Kubeš and Kraft, 2011;Popjaková and Blažek, 2015). The same factors account for investments into other non-agricultural uses.…”

“…This is primarily linked to very high losses of agricultural use in this period, and also to a high ratio of conversions into housing and non-agricultural activities. This SD might be described as a typical development region, where constant and dynamic changes in space use are typical as a result of competition among particular utilisations (Haggett, 2001), as well as suburbanisation processes in this area (Popjaková and Blažek, 2015).…”

“…The South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic borders Austria and Germany (Popjaková and Blažek, 2015). The peripherality of the region is based on its history and the specifics of its economy.…”

Population age structure transformation in the capitals of the Visegrad Group countries

“…It has to do with the process of suburbanization, which has become a major deconcentrating urbanization trend in this period. In essence, the intra-regional redistribution of the population does not mean just population growth in suburban communities, but involves complex changes in the spatial organization of society and activities in the regions around cities (Šveda 2011;Popjaková & Blažek 2015). Similarly, the changes concern the cities themselves, leading to the out-migration of the population, therefore the 'loss' of the productive population, etc.…”