Human Geography Journal

Features and methodological approaches to determining the indicators and the level of capacity of the territorial communities of Ukraine

Mykola Baranovskyi — 2022-12-29

The capacity of territorial communities is the main indicator of the success of the decentralization reform. Applying the current methodology to determine the capacity of communities showed its essential and technical flaws. The methodology was developed at the beginning of administrative decentralization; therefore, it does not reflect the real capacity of communities, but the presence of conditions for their formation. The primary basis for an objective determination of community capacity is the selection of the relevant indicators and methodological approaches to the development of its assessment scale. The article analyses the approaches of academics and practitioners to determining the list of indicators for the assessment of community capacity. It was established that the set of indicators depends on the scientists' interpretation of the concept of "capable community", it is characterized by fragmentation (financial indicators dominate) and is developed without proper reasoning.

Considering these features, the study justified the appropriateness of using the econometric methods and the results of monitoring the activities of communities to analyse their capacity. An information base (27 indicators across 25 communities of Poltava, Volyn and Lvov regions) of the study, which can be considered representative in terms of the regional representation and different types of communities, was formed. Based on the application of correlation and factor analyses, ten (three socio-economic, two infrastructural, and five financial) indicators, which are among the most important indicators of community capacity, were identified. These indicators were selected considering the number of significant correlations and the value of factor loadings. The study established that the current approach to determining the level of community capacity does not enable a proper assessment of existing disproportions. The study proposes to determine the level of community capacity by calculating an integral indicator and to develop a scale of criteria taking into account its deviation from the average values for the country.

Social media and migrants’ perceptions: Portugal as a potential host country for Brazilian workers

Flávio Nunes — 2022-12-29

Social media use is increasingly affecting the various stages preceding the decision to emigrate, including the selection of final destination. Future migrants meaningfully use ICT to connect with those workers who are already living abroad, as a result more accurate perceptions of host societies are emerging through peers’ experiences. This study evaluates the specific role played by YouTube in the way Brazilians are creating their mental images of Portugal. A sample of 135 YouTube videos were analyzed, in which Brazilian emigrants share their testimonies of adaptation to the Portuguese reality. The conclusions point out to a mismatch between the low skills’ jobs, locally available in the Portuguese labor market, and the higher qualification profile of many Brazilian workers who moved to Portugal. If expectations must be reduced in terms of economic prosperity, there is a consensus regarding a higher quality of life, in a broader sense, experienced by Brazilian migrants after their decision to live and work in Portugal.

Based on the specific results of this study it possible to highlight some consensus among the testimonies analyzed which, for that reason, assume a non-negligible importance in the perceptions about Portugal that are being structured by potential Brazilian migrants, also due to the high number of views and shares these videos receive. These points of consensus deserve reflection by those who study migrations and define policy guidelines on migratory processes, especially in a country whose government has assumed the importance of immigration as a way to mitigate the effects of the alarming demographic ageing of the Portuguese society. Among these points of consensus are the warnings about the initial difficulties of integration into the labor market and the need to accept job offers that do not match the qualification profiles and professional skills developed in Brazil. There is also a warning about the need to reduce expectations regarding an eventual ambition of a substantial improvement of the financial conditions of these migrants. Although such difficulties do not condition an evident progress in terms of comfort and quality of life, which ends up providing a general satisfaction among Brazilians who decided to choose Portugal as their emigration destination.

Features of recreation land use and settlement of suburban areas of large cities

Valentyna Oliinyk — 2022-12-29

The article highlights theoretical and practical issues of agricultural land use in Ukraine and examines foreign experience. An in-depth scientific analysis of international and domestic literature has been carried out. On this basis the main patterns and trends of land use development, the main factors and consequences of suburbanization, the basics of developing the Concept of state regional policy, the world experience of land lease and the stages of land relations reform in Ukraine have been identified. The main factors influencing suburbanization and the use of suburban territories are considered. The necessity of delimiting suburban areas and developing a project of inter-farm land use, which should take into account the peculiarities of geographical location and socio-economic consequences, environmental factor, is noted.

The analysis of statistical data on the use of land areas of Ukraine is carried out. Tasks have been identified, the implementation of which will contribute to the development of socio-economic conditions of settlements in the suburban area. It is indicated the need to conduct land use taking into account environmental requirements, compliance with the rules of environmental protection, land resources. The use of land resources of different countries is investigated. The analysis of the efficiency of land use and methods of farming in developed countries is carried out. Aspects of agricultural production support are considered: The regulatory mechanism in different countries is characterized by a variety of financial and economic instruments that change in accordance with the political and economic situation. The state policy of Ukraine regarding land use and the main provisions of agribusiness support are investigated. The necessity of developing methodological provisions for the implementation of land ownership rights is noted. It is pointed out the importance of ensuring the equivalence of exchange at all stages of the movement of the created value from the field to the final consumer.

Spatial features of lifecell mobile network in the western part of Ukraine

Serhii Puhach — 2022-12-29

Today, social communications and business are increasingly moving towards the mobile Internet. However, the information revolution also has a downside, namely the need to be always in touch and on-line. Nowadays, business is no longer limited to the office, and social communications are no longer limited to certain locations. It is important to have good mobile coverage, whether you are on the move or not. As a result, entire areas become more "suitable" for living and working than others. This measurement is based on only one indicator – the availability of a mobile network. The smartphone has become an access point to the global Internet network. In 2022, the number of unique mobile Internet users was 5 billion, which is more than 60% of the world's population.

Geographical studies of mobile communication networks in Ukraine are not widespread. The available publications are mostly descriptive in nature. They consider Ukraine as whole unit without any intra-regional differences. Several scientific studies on the Kyivstar mobile network have a clearly expressed territorial aspect. At the same time, other networks - primarily Vodafone Ukraine and Lifecell - remain little studied. The purpose of the study is to determine the spatial features of the Lifecell mobile network in the western part of Ukraine, and the main task is to analyse the coverage indicators of the Lifecell mobile communication network at the local level in the western part of Ukraine based on open data.

The Lifecell mobile network in the western part of Ukraine creates the following spatial patterns. Lifecell is the third largest mobile operator in Western Ukraine. In terms of network volume, it is behind its main competitors Kyivstar and Vodafobe. Its 3G mobile network is larger than its 4G network. Lifecell's network coverage primarily covers large cities and their surrounding areas. In rural areas, the network is poorly developed. In terms of sub-regions, Lviv oblast and Prykarpattia have the best coverage, while the Ukrainian Carpathians (except for the territories of Lviv oblast), the eastern part of Volyn Polissya, and the southern and eastern parts of Ternopil oblast have the worst coverage of the Lifecell network.

Temporary trends and factors of birth rate in Ukraine: regional dimension

Kateryna Sehida — 2022-12-29

The demographic problem is surprisingly acute for Ukraine. Research trends factors and structural and dynamic features of birth rate will allow determining socio-economic and demographic trends, including their variations across regions. The purpose of the article is to establish regional features of modern trends and factors of fertility in Ukraine in the 21st century. The article presents an analysis of the dynamics of the birth rate in Ukraine based on the analysis of official statistics. Periods of minimum and maximum values have been established taking into account the leading factors and differences by type of settlements. The characteristics of changes in the sex-age structure of the population of Ukraine and the age-related fertility rate in the context of leading factors and differences by types of settlements are given.

Based on the standardization of demographic coefficients, the degree of influence of internal factors affecting the birth rate in the regions of Ukraine was determined. A significant share of births in older fertility groups was identified, which confirms the trends of the second demographic transition, the spread of the phenomenon of "late motherhood" and the so-called "pro-European" model of reproductive behavior, which is more characteristic of highly urbanized regions of Ukraine. On the basis of cluster analysis, regional peculiarities of trends and factors of fertility in Ukraine in the 21st century were revealed, as a result, five clusters were identified. The first cluster includes the capital. The second cluster includes Zakarpattya, Rivne, and Volyn regions, which have the most lively demographic behavior of the population and the preservation of traditional factors. The third cluster united Kharkiv, Sumy, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Poltava, Zaporizhzhya and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The fourth cluster is represented by Odesa, Lviv, Chernivtsi and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. The fifth cluster includes Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Ternopil, Kyiv, Kherson, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, and Vinnytsia regions. Thus, internal territorial differences in the birth rate, in terms of regions of Ukraine, as well as urban and rural areas, are the result of the action of external and internal factors that had an impact during the studied period and were reflected in the course of demographic processes.