Human Geography Journal

Delineation of urban geosituational patterns as a component of urban geosystem analysis

Denys Serohin — 2024-12-27

The article presents one aspect of urban geosystem analysis of the urban environment, which involves identifying multi-rank patterns of urban geosituations (UGSits). The possibility of forming such patterns is determined by the property of UGSits as structural invariants of the urban geosystem (UGS). Identifying and studying UGSit patterns contributes to organizing the urban environment within the UGS model and ensures effective analysis for addressing urban problems. Such solutions can be extended to the entire geosituation pattern as applicable to it.

It is noted that these entities are formed through the systematic and structural nature of urban development, which changes depending on the historical evolution of the city and a set of factors determined by the current state of societal, economic, and technological development. As a result of these changes, modern cities with rich histories comprise various multi-rank UGSit patterns represented by different types of development.

As a typical manifestation of patterns, the article examines development across various land-use types (LUT). Based on a 3D model of New York City development in the Mapbox Studio environment, the study identifies and characterizes patterns of commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential LUTs. Each of these LUTs exhibits specific development characteristics, such as building density, planning structure, building sizes, and architecture, which distinguish them into separate patterns.

In the QGIS environment, maps of UGSit pattern distribution across Washington, D.C., were also created based on parameters such as building density, area, and height, derived from LiDAR survey data. Additionally, the article explores the dynamics of the development of a specific UGSit pattern in Tallinn through modeling and comparison of two sets of LiDAR data collected twice over a four-year interval for a specific pattern area. This allowed for identifying the volume and nature of changes in the development of this pattern during the specified period.

Social infrastructure as a socio-geographical category

Ivan Kostashchuk — 2024-12-27

The modern period is characterized by significant changes in all spheres of life. Previously known phenomena acquire a new meaning. Accordingly, there is a need to rethink and clarify many concepts, including social infrastructure. Despite the fact that it is of considerable interest to representatives of various sciences, today there is no comprehensive understanding of its essence. The literature is often characterized by ambiguity in the interpretation of this concept, which leads to confusion in its use.

The article considers the universal category “infrastructure,” which is used to explain various economic and social processes. Attention is paid to approaches to its understanding. It is noted that there are different types of infrastructure: information, innovative, institutional, market, ecological, military and others, but one of the most popular is the division of infrastructure into industrial and social. Three stages of formation of the term “social infrastructure” are mentioned. The evolution of its content is analyzed and four main trends are identified: 1) the economic character of the social infrastructure at the initial stage; 2) a shift in views towards meeting the needs of the population and ensuring proper living conditions; 3) assigning one of the leading roles to the social infrastructure in the comprehensive development of the individual; 4) digitalization of social infrastructure. Approaches to the interpretation of this term are generalized by reducing them to two main ones: sectoral and material. The essence of social infrastructure is revealed. The author’s definition of this concept is proposed, according to which social infrastructure is the material basis necessary to create favorable conditions for normal life and development of society. It includes both physical (organizations, institutions, buildings, public spaces, etc.) and digital (online platforms, services, websites, applications, etc.) objects. It is emphasized that when conducting geographical research, its territorial and spatial aspect should be taken into account. Regional socio-geographical studies of social infrastructure are particularly promising.

Directions of urban settlement regulation in Nakhchivan Economic District

Turkana Aliyeva — 2024-12-27

The article examines the impact of the transport blockade of the Nakhchivan economic region on the socio-economic development of cities, as well as on demographic development. In addition to weak urbanization in the Nakhchivan economic region, the problem of vertical urbanization caused by harsh climatic and relief conditions has been studied in the economic-geographical aspect. For this purpose, the composition of the population employed in the economy of the economic region was studied, the current state of the manufacturing industry and its impact on urban settlement was determined. The problem of the shortage of urban economic territories is analyzed and the importance of the effective use of natural conditions and natural resources of administrative districts in regulating the settlement system is investigated, as well as the measures necessary to ensure a sustainable settlement have been analyzed.

A multimodal strategy that incorporates industrialization policies, sustainable development plans, and ecological concerns is needed to solve the issues raised by urbanization. Mitigating the environmental impact of cities requires building an ecological infrastructure and promoting a harmonious interaction between urban regions and the surrounding countryside. A vital part of this effort is preserving biodiversity and developing sustainable urban environments. Putting policies in place to limit the geographic growth of cities contributes to the preservation of agricultural land, biodiversity, and ecological integrity. This calls for the creation of efficient urban expansion plans and the deployment of land use regulation instruments.

Museums of Aragatsotn region as a tourist resource

Varduhi G. Margaryan — 2024-12-27

In the article, we present the museum resources of Aragatsotn region, wanting to raise whether the museum resources of the region are within the scope of tourists' interests. Museum tourism can be defined as tourists visiting museums in order to get acquainted with certain historical and cultural values and heritage. Museums today are the mainstay of the tourism industry are a part.We have conducted a number of surveys among tourists to record accurate data and raise the issues that concern tourists.

Aragatsotn region is distinguished by its natural and man-made recreational resources, among which museums stand out. The public is not aware of many of the museums, so the purpose of this research is to make a cadastral evaluation of the museums and to recommend tourist development routes. Thus, it can be concluded that modern architectural and constructional solutions for museums attract tourists from all over the world, unusual architectural forms arouse the interest of consumers and motivate them to actually visit the museum.

In the field of cultural tourism, museum tourism is a special activity of museums known for the production and sale of various tourist products such as creation of exhibitions, organization of internal and external excursions and presence of museum shops. This direction in tourism appeared relatively recently, in the 1970s in the West and in the mid-1990s in Russia. There are many scientific works on museum resources, different authors have referred to museums in different ways, but the goal of all of them is to present the museum as a cultural asset.

A new approach to understanding the nature and public purpose of the museum is being developed. The focal point is the person involved in the museum framework rather than the museum itself as an object with its properties and functions. The authors listed above have referred to museums as a tourist resource, presenting an international experience. In the past when visiting a museum there was a norm to be silent in the museum, listen to the tour guide, and only possibly ask a questions in the end after getting permission. All these used to repel the visitors, because they seemed to have appeared in a mold and the rights of the visitor were limited. And now a new culture is emerging, in which it is encouraged to touch museum exhibits, to have an interactive experience, form a clearer picture and develop the imagination.

The results may be useful for governmental and local authorities, as well as the private sector, for improving their tourism development policies.

Demogeographic processes in the Western regions of Ukraine on the eve of the reform of territorial authorities

Natalia Zablotovska — 2024-12-27

Demogeographic processes are an indicator of societal development that responds most actively to any changes. Geographers interpret demogeographic terminology in different ways, but they unanimously agree on the importance of comprehensive research into the demogeographic development of a territory both in time and space. By the end of the second decade of the 21st century, several directions in demographic research had formed among social geographers: purely theoretical and methodological approaches, studies of the territorial peculiarities of demogeographic processes at the state level, and attempts at typology on a local level. With the implementation of the administrative-territorial reform, the problem of comprehensive spatial-temporal research arose at the level of both old and new administrative districts for a significant area.

We conducted a typology of demogeographic processes within the administrative regions of Western Ukraine at the level of administrative districts based on the administrative-territorial structure before 2020, covering the period from 1990 to 2020. The conducted research showed that stable types of demogeographic processes are mainly found in the foothill, mountainous, and border areas. Specifically, in the foothills and mountains, there is a predominance of the positive type, with the regional centers joining them. However, in border areas, we clearly observe a population decline due to mechanical outflow. Nevertheless, the main type of geodemographic processes in all western regions of Ukraine is consistently negative, with a decrease in population primarily due to natural decline with minor mechanical outflow.

Thus, by early 2020, when statistical observations transitioned to a new stage of collection and processing (according to new administrative districts), in the western regions of Ukraine, despite general negative demographic trends, it was possible to identify demographically positive Carpathian, Polissian, and Lviv areas, as well as demographically favorable territories around regional centers.

Rural areas of Kharkiv region: consequences of the full-scale war

Nataliia Husieva — 2024-12-27

The Kharkiv region remains a frontline and the most devastated region throughout the full-scale Russian invasion. Rural areas are particularly vulnerable, where military actions have led to large-scale changes in all spheres of local communities' life. The purpose of the article is to analyze the consequences of the full-scale war for the rural areas of Kharkiv region. The article identifies settlements in the region located in the zone of active hostilities and those that were or are under occupation as the most affected by military actions; determines the consequences of military actions for socio-economic development, infrastructure, agricultural sector, demographic situation, and ecological condition of rural areas in Kharkiv region; outlines the main vectors of post-war recovery of rural areas in Kharkiv region.

Among the settlements of the Kharkiv region located in the zone of active hostilities (595 settlements) and those that were or are still under occupation (597 settlements), villages predominate (568 and 574 villages respectively). This represents one-third of all rural settlements in the region.

Analysis of the war consequences for rural areas of the Kharkiv region shows a significant decline in economic activity due to the destruction of agricultural enterprises and personal households, loss of access to markets, destruction of infrastructure, mass exodus of villagers to safer regions of Ukraine or abroad, and speculation in the agricultural market. The region's agriculture has suffered substantial losses due to damage to agricultural lands, their significant mining contamination, chemical soil pollution, destruction of agricultural machinery and equipment, significant reduction in agricultural land areas and livestock numbers in the zone of active hostilities. The demographic situation has worsened due to population evacuation, increased mortality and decreased birth rates, which has led to a significant demographic imbalance in the region. An important demographic consequence of the war is the emergence of a large number of internally displaced persons, creating additional pressure on local infrastructure and social services. Military actions have caused serious damage to the infrastructure of rural areas in the Kharkiv region and significantly deteriorated the ecological condition in rural areas: large-scale fires, damage to protected areas, and environmental pollution from combat operations have led to biodiversity loss and deterioration of soil and water resources quality.

The main vectors of post-war recovery of rural areas in the Kharkiv region are outlined: restoration of critical infrastructure, ensuring basic needs of the population, demining of territories, restoration of transport connections, reconstruction of housing stock, restoration of social infrastructure, support for small businesses, stimulating population return, modernization of agriculture, diversification of rural economy, implementation of innovations in the agricultural sector, development of alternative energy, and several others.

Analysis of world experience in the creation and functioning of special (free) economic zones on the examples of Germany and Poland

Denys Volkov — 2024-12-27

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of global experience in the creation and functioning of Special Economic Zones (SEZs), with a particular focus on the cases of Germany and Poland—two countries that have adopted different models for integrating SEZs into their economic development strategies. The paper explores the historical evolution of SEZs, their typology, legal frameworks, tax and customs incentives, and institutional mechanisms supporting businesses within these zones. The role of SEZs as tools for attracting investment, creating jobs, boosting exports, modernizing infrastructure, and supporting regional development is thoroughly examined.

Special attention is given to a comparative analysis of the German freeport model, which is primarily oriented toward transport and logistics hubs, and the Polish model of comprehensive SEZs that feature tax incentives for investors, support for SMEs, innovation promotion, and regional employment growth. The study delves into the legal basis of SEZs in Poland, investor requirements, procedures for obtaining permits, mechanisms for interacting with government institutions, and the socio-economic impact of these zones in various voivodeships.

The potential for integrating SEZ instruments into Ukraine’s national economic policy is analyzed in light of the country’s current post-war recovery context. A SWOT analysis is presented, identifying the strengths (such as Ukraine's favorable geographic location, natural and human resources, and international support) and weaknesses (including infrastructure destruction, security risks, and regulatory instability) of implementing SEZs in Ukraine.

The article offers practical recommendations for developing a national SEZ model in Ukraine, based on the principles of sustainable development, innovation, and cooperation among government, business, and academic institutions. The findings can be used in the formation of post-war economic recovery strategies, legislative initiatives, regional planning, and integration into global economic processes. The research findings may be useful for scholars, policymakers, economists, and other professionals in developing post-war economic recovery strategies, shaping legislative initiatives, as well as in regional planning and integration into global economic processes.

Assessment of sustainable urbanization in Ukrainian regions

Darya Venhryn — 2024-12-27

The high level of urbanization worldwide and in Ukraine significantly impacts the environmental, economic, and social spheres, creating additional challenges for their balanced development. The rapid growth of this process necessitates the introduction of new research approaches. One such approach is the indicator of sustainable urbanization. It encompasses environmental, social, and economic sustainability, including all types of settlements – from rural areas to megacities – and facilitates the formation of interconnections at national and global levels. Understanding the principles of sustainable urbanization is a crucial tool for effective regional management, as it allows for the analysis of current processes, identification of their strengths and weaknesses, faster improvement of the population's quality of life, ensuring ecological balance and reducing the negative impact on the environment.

This study evaluates the level of sustainable urbanization in six regions of Ukraine with the largest administrative centers (Kharkiv, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Lviv, and Vinnytsia regions). The analysis was based on the calculation of the urbanization level and the assessment of sustainable regional development, using indicators highlighted in regional development strategies. These indicators were grouped by three categories: economic, social, and environmental. The research findings were presented on a coordinate plane, enabling the identification of four scenarios of urbanization processes: sustainable counter-urbanization, unviable counter-urbanization, unsustainable urbanization, and sustainable urbanization. The most effective scenario is sustainable urbanization, which supports improved quality of life, preserves ecological balance, and minimizes negative environmental impact. The study highlights the importance of a well-grounded approach to analyzing urbanization processes and developing new strategies for sustainable development of cities and regions. The results provide local authorities with the tools to assess the compliance of urbanization processes with sustainable development goals, guiding them in the right direction.

The concept of accuracy of road maps in Ukraine: economic aspect

Oleg Dmytrykov — 2024-12-27

The article focuses on further consideration of approaches to improving the accuracy of road maps in terms of their geodetic and economic dimensions. So far, despite the definition of geometric positional accuracy parameters and the description of methods for collecting primary data by laser scanning and GNSS surveying, we have not yet paid due attention to a comprehensive assessment of the economic consequences of mapping errors.

The relevance of research on the accuracy of transport route modelling requires the latest methods of mathematical modelling of errors - from calculating the root mean square error (RMSE) for routes to comparing different sources of spatial information. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to present methodological foundations and recommendations for creating and improving the geodetic, mathematical and information base of road maps, as well as to highlight the economic benefits and results of transport logistics optimisation.

In accordance with the experience of previous developments, a thesis description of the algorithm for assessing losses and damages from inaccurate maps based on the relative deviation of route lengths and the indicators of the ICS is proposed. The influence of geometric distortions in cartographic materials and their correction by using laser scanning data is considered in detail. Examples of successful practices are given where more accurate maps have reduced losses and damages.

The importance of introducing recommendations for map modelling and using corrected methods of reproducing the road network in a single database is emphasised. This approach is in line with the postulate of the need for systematic updating of cartographic data, which allows formalising and quantifying the attribute characteristics of road transport routes in the national network.

Territorial features of basic food availability in Ukraine in the context of food security analysis

Artem Gavrikov — 2024-12-27

The article is dedicated to the analysis of territorial peculiarities in the availability of basic food products in Ukraine in the context of food security. The study examines the regional distribution of ten key food products (bread, flour, oil, sugar, potatoes, poultry meat, eggs, lard, milk, frozen fish) and considers the impact of socio-economic and military-political factors on food security levels across different regions of the country.

Based on statistical data analysis and geospatial modeling, it has been established that the most favorable conditions for food security are maintained in the central and western regions of Ukraine, where the agro-industrial infrastructure remains developed and logistics chains are relatively stable. In contrast, the eastern and southern regions have suffered significant destruction due to military actions, leading to the destruction of agro-industrial enterprises, a reduction in sown areas, logistical disruptions, and, consequently, a shortage of certain categories of food products.

Special attention is given to the impact of internally displaced persons (IDPs) on regional demand and the structure of food consumption. The increase in the number of IDPs in Lviv, Zakarpattia, Chernivtsi, Khmelnytskyi, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv regions has caused a rise in consumer demand, affecting price formation and food availability.

The consequences of the destruction of critical infrastructure, particularly the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP), are also examined, as this has led to the flooding of agricultural lands, the loss of irrigation systems, and a decline in crop yields in Ukraine’s southern regions.

The study results indicate a significant regional differentiation in food availability. In central regions, prices remain more stable due to substantial local production volumes, while frontline and occupied areas experience an acute shortage of certain food items. Changes in population consumption patterns and disruptions to traditional logistics routes have significantly influenced the territorial availability of food products, which may have long-term consequences for the country’s food security.

Research of urban agglomerations from the position of a synergetic approach

Kateryna Kravchenko — 2024-12-27

The article examines urban agglomerations as complex subsystems of the socio-geosystem, characterized by a set of synergetic properties: openness, dynamism, flexibility, hierarchy, and emergence, among others. Urban agglomerations evolve over time and change under the influence of internal and external factors. Their development is determined by various components, such as population dynamics, economic clusters, infrastructure development, investment, and innovation. The article emphasizes the necessity of a synergetic approach to research, which considers nonlinear interactions and emergent properties arising from complex systemic interconnections.

One of the key stages in the evolution of an urban agglomeration is the study of decision-making points in the development trajectory, or bifurcation points, where urban agglomerations can transform in different directions depending on demographic, economic, or technological changes. The study identifies numerous challenges faced by urban agglomerations, including social inequality, overburdened urban infrastructure due to excessive urbanization, and more.

The article describes three potentially possible scenarios for the development of urban agglomerations: sustainable development, conservation, and critical condition. Each scenario is determined by different levels of sensitivity and adaptation strategies in response to challenges arising in the context of urban agglomeration evolution.

The application of the synergetic approach in the study of urban agglomerations has been tested using self-organizing Kohonen maps and cluster analysis to examine the most dynamically developing urban agglomerations in Asia. Based on available data, nine clusters of Asian countries with similar urbanization trends have been identified, along with their respective challenges and development prospects. The conducted analysis of urbanization processes in Asian urban agglomerations highlights relevant globalization challenges that are expected to become pressing for many urban agglomerations worldwide.

Thus, ensuring the transition of urban agglomerations toward sustainable development requires an understanding of their complexity and synergetic nature, as well as the characteristics of transformation processes influenced by various factors.

Economic inequality in the context of sustainable development: а geographical perspective

Kostiantyn Maliarenko — 2024-12-27

This article explores economic inequality as a complex societal phenomenon with both global and regional dimensions, exerting a direct impact on the trajectory of sustainable development. An interdisciplinary approach is applied, integrating economic, social, and geographical perspectives to identify the root causes and consequences of uneven distribution of material and social resources. The main objective of the research is to construct a comprehensive understanding of the spatial structure of economic inequality and to outline possible mechanisms for addressing it.

The historical foundations and root causes of inequality are examined in detail, including post-colonial legacies, inequalities in access to resources, and unequal starting conditions across countries and regions.The paper reviews major theoretical approaches to inequality – such as modernization theory, dependency theory, world-systems analysis, neoliberalism, and institutionalism — and revisits them through the lens of spatial analysis.

The importance of applying a geographical approach, which allows identifying territorial patterns of inequality and systematizing disparities on a global, national, and local scale, is substantiated. Modern methodologies for measuring inequality are considered, from classical statistical indices (Gini, Theil, Palma) to integrated indicators of sustainable development. The study demonstrates how spatial visualization tools (cartography, GIS technologies) enhance the understanding and comparison of regional contrasts.

Particular attention is paid to the consequences of economic inequality for sustainable development, including reduced social mobility, deepening poverty, declining institutional trust, rising social tensions, and unequal access to basic services. The study argues that reducing inequality is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic priority for achieving balanced and inclusive development.

Ultimately, the article validates the geographical approach as an effective tool for spatial diagnostics, strategic planning, and targeted policy-making across governance levels. Future research directions include in-depth analysis of regional case studies, exploration of the spatio-temporal dynamics of inequality, and evaluation of the effectiveness of policy instruments aimed at its mitigation.

The regional labour market as an object of human-geographical research

Oleksandr Dumnov — 2024-12-27

The relevance of studying Ukraine’s labour market under wartime conditions resulting from profound transformations across economic, demographic, and social dimensions. The full-scale invasion has caused a sharp decline in economic activity, mass job losses, intensified regional disparities due to population displacement and relocation of enterprises, and a rise in informal employment. These processes have not only short-term and long-lasting consequences for the national labour market as a whole and for regional labour markets in particular.

The purpose of the article is to substantiate the socio-geographical approach to studying the regional labour market based on a review of previous research and to define both theoretical and practical tasks in the context of the current situation in Ukraine.

An analytical overview has been carried out of dissertation studies in the field of specialty 11.00.02 – Economic and Social Geography, which examine various aspects of labour potential functioning, employment, the spatial distribution of labour resources, the spatial characteristics of labour supply and demand, as well as the analysis of local and regional labour markets in Ukraine. The labour market is viewed as a spatially organised, polystructural system of socio-geographical and socio-economic relations that interacts with other elements of the sociogeosystem. The application of methodological approaches – including geographical, systemic, synergetic, and informational – is substantiated for the comprehensive study of regional labour markets, their functioning, development, and transformation. A set of key issues concerning the functioning and regulation of Ukraine’s regional labour markets has been identified, which require a socio-geographical rethinking in light of current realities – more than a decade since the onset of Russia’s war against Ukraine, nearly three years of full-scale invasion, unprecedented population displacement and structural demographic shifts, enterprise relocations, and changes in the economic potential and structure of regions. Analysing the labour market in wartime is crucial important for understanding its current transformations, identifying new patterns in the distribution and use of labour potential, and for developing an integrated policy aimed at ensuring the adaptability, resilience, and future development of Ukraine’s regional labour markets. Socio-geographical research enables the identification of structural and dynamic features, spatial disparities, and offers scientifically grounded approaches for overcoming them through regional policy aimed at adapting to wartime challenges and strengthening Ukraine's regional resilience.