Small Towns - Engines of Rural Development in the South-Moravian Region (Czechia): An Analysis of the Demographic Development

Antonín Vaishar, Milada Šťastná and Kateřina Stonawská
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Antonín Vaishar: Department of Applied and Landscape Ecology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Milada Šťastná: Department of Applied and Landscape Ecology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Kateřina Stonawská: Department of Applied and Landscape Ecology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic

Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 2015, vol. 63, issue 4, 1395-1405

Abstract: Small towns as a specific sector of the settlement system are observed from the demographical viewpoint on the territory of the South-Moravian Region (Czechia). Altogether 23 towns with 4,000 to 12,000 inhabitants were analysed. A long-term analysis (1869-2011; population censes) as well as the last development (2008-2012; population balances) are taken into account. A relatively stable role of small towns in the regional settlement system throughout the period when population censes has taken place and population increases in the contemporary period were stated. The first statement can be related to the rural character of the region where small towns play irreplaceable role. The last development shows that the population increase is directly proportional to the distance from the regional metropolis and inverse to the size of small towns. This corresponds to the concept centre - periphery and to current counter-urbanization trends. Recent demographic development supports the role of small towns in local and micro-regional identity and landscape memory in the era of globalization. Small towns seem to be attractive residential place - although not innovators but residences of many creative people.

Keywords: small towns; demographic development; South Moravian Region (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:mup:actaun:actaun_2015063041395

DOI: 10.11118/actaun201563041395

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