The most important city development initiatives of Hungary Cover Image

The most important city development initiatives of Hungary
The most important city development initiatives of Hungary

Author(s): János Rechnitzer, Judit Berkes, Bálint Filep
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Economy, Geography, Regional studies
Published by: Központi Statisztikai Hivatal
Keywords: major city; regional centres; county seat; city with county rights; territorial policy; development concepts and programmes;

Summary/Abstract: Recently, Hungary’s urban development issues have been gaining increasing attention, while directions and institutional frameworks of regional politics are in a constant change. In this context, the study discusses the contents and connotations that can be linked to the territorial concept of major Hungarian cities; it also examines the changes in the position of these cities in the urban system. Major cities have a key role in territorial development as they facilitate spatial processes, and hence it is crucial to identify the weight and directions these centres with complex functions represent in development concepts. The formation or even restructuring of spatial processes require time. Since the democratic transition in 1989–1990, different development directions were assigned to major cities in short cycles. Cities have failed to adapt to these ever-changing objectives. The first part of this study presents the layers of the concept of major cities and characterize such categories as regional centre, city, countyseat, and city with county rights. The second part tries to locate these centres, exploring changes in their developmental emphases, and also identifies pathways in the frequently changing territorial politics of the post-transition period.

  • Issue Year: 9/2019
  • Issue No: 02
  • Page Range: 20-44
  • Page Count: 25
  • Language: English