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Bridges over borders: examining the success factors and spatial dynamics of tourism-themed cross-border projects in Hungary
52-62Views:43Tourism serves as the primary engine for cross-border integration within EU Cohesion Policy, representing the most dominant thematic objective in Interreg, IPA, and ENI frameworks. Analysis of the keep.eu dataset reveals that while 247 programmes have supported over 4,700 tourism projects, the sector is intrinsically linked to cultural heritage and education as “soft-power” tools for territorial cohesion. Hungary ranks in the top decile for project participation with 440 initiatives, yet a moderate partnership-to-project ratio indicates a strategic preference for bilateral cooperation over complex multilateral networks. Spatial distribution shows significant clustering along the Serbian, Romanian, and Croatian borders, whereas regional strategic priorities in other areas often emphasize cultural heritage, education and institutional cooperation over direct tourism development. The “Route of Medieval Churches” case study validates that successful integration depends on moving beyond fragmented restoration toward “sellable” tourism products through bilingualism and digital innovation. Effective cross-border cooperation requires a five-dimensional synergy where integrated marketing and strategic branding outweigh standalone infrastructural investments. For the 2021–2027 budgetary cycle, shifting focus from physical assets to cohesive destination identity is essential for long-term sustainability and regional competitiveness.
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Big plans and little plans: delivering land use change designed by landscape ecology
68-74Views:154In this paper I describe some of the ways in which landscape ecology principles have been incorporated into land use planning and change. In Scotland we have tried developing landscape-scale or regional plans for land use change to resolve issues of habitat fragmentation – the ‘big plans’ of the title. We have also developed ‘little plans’ – much smaller proposals based on individual designated sites. My conclusion is that both of these approaches are weak in directing land use change at the scale necessary, and that a system which ‘scores’ land manager-generated proposals is a more useful new approach.
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Spatial distribution of vegetation cover in Erbil city districts using high-resolution Pléiades satellite image
10-22Views:488Green spaces are playing an essential role for ecological balance and for human health in the city as well. They play a fundamental role in providing opportunities for relaxation and enjoying the beauty of nature for the urban population. Therefore, it is important to produce detailed vegetation maps to assist planners in designing strategies for the optimisation of urban ecosystem services and to provide a suitable plan for climate change adaptation in one fast growing city. Hence, this research is an investigation using 0.5 m high-resolution multispectral Pléiades data integrated with GIS data and techniques to detect and evaluate the spatial distribution of vegetation cover in Erbil City. A supervised classification was used to classify different land cover types, and a normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) was used to retrieve it for the city districts. Moreover, to evaluate the accessibility of green space based on their distance and size, a buffer zone criterion was used. The results indicate that the built-up land coverage is 69% and vegetation land cover is 14%. Regarding NDVI results, the spatial distribution of vegetation cover was various and, in general, the lowest NDVI values were found in the districts located in the city centre. On the other hand, the spatial distribution of vegetation land cover regarding the city districts was non-equal and non-concentric. The newly built districts and the districts far from the Central Business District (CBD) recorded the lowest vegetation cover compared with the older constructed districts. Furthermore, most of the districts have a lack of access to green spaces based on their distance and size. Distance and accessibility of green areas throughout the city are not equally distributed. The majority of the city districts have access to green areas within radius buffer of two kilometres, whereas the lowest accessibility observed for those districts located in the northeast of the city in particular (Xanzad, Brayate, Setaqan and Raperin). Our study is one of the first investigations of decision-making support of the spatial planning in a fast-growing city in Iraq and will have a utilitarian impact on development processes and local and regional planning for Erbil City in the future.
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Regional Development in the Age of Big Data
1-9Views:340Our paper presents a forward looking analytical approach to the territorial development in a region of the Transylvanian Plain situated in the vicinity of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. We outlined the development of this region with the means of landscape architecture supported by a comparable assessment. In the age of Big Data we settled at creative usage of traditional analysis. We extracted yet undetected information from a limited amount of available as yet loosely related data. The key feature of the employed model is the ontological traceability of cause and effect. Although technology is available to collect enormous data, expert knowledge gained by education and professional practice cannot be overlooked. We demonstrate that this method of location based analysis is capable of delivering value added to established principles of spatial planning in the age of trustworthy, large volume, heterogeneous data.
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Interferences between the ecological network and urbanized areas in Poland
65-77Views:121This paper presents spatial relations between Polish urban areas and valuable habitats and links between them composing the country’s ecological network. The quantitative analysis for 891 towns and cities was conducted using GIS techniques based on cartographic vector data and statistical data. Valuable habitats and links between them, such as national parks, landscape parks, CORINE biotopes sites, wildlife corridors linking NATURA 2000 sites and ECONET areas, can be found in 72% of Polish towns and cities. The proportion of artificial surfaces in those areas is different depending on the size of a town or city and its location. Urban areas with the highest index of presence of valuable habitats and links between them are concentrated in the south of Poland, where settlement network is most dense. However, in the case of those areas the proportion of artificial surfaces interfering with the ecological network is lower than Poland’s average, being 16%. The pressure of anthropogenic land cover extending onto the country’s ecological network is most conspicuous in urban areas with a population of at least several dozen thousand residents where the average developed area is 20.8% of their total area. The danger for the continuity of the nature system is best seen in the north western Poland, where artificial surfaces interference in towns and cities is largest. The analysis performed identified 82 towns and cities, in which the preservation of the continuity of the ecological network should be a priority in spatial management because of a higher than average index of the presence of valuable habitats and links between them and large proportion of artificial surfaces in those areas.
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Spatial Statistical Analysis of the relation in between population density and Human Modification of terrestrial lands at Tabia level in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia
1-9Views:307In this study first spatial pattern of the level of human modification of terrestrial lands and second its relation with population density was studied at Taiba level in the Tigray regional state of Ethiopia. For the level of human modification of terrestrial lands global Human Modification dataset (gHM) was used and for population density Gridded Population of the World, Version 4 (GPWv4.11) dataset was used. Both the data set were preprocessed before geostatistical analysis. To measure the distribution pattern Global Moran's I statistics, Cluster and Outlier Analysis (Anselin Local Morans I) statistics was used. To measure the relation between population density and human modification of terrestrial lands geographically weighted regression was used. In the case of first objective the resulting z-score of 50.50, confirm the tabias with high Human Modification of terrestrial lands are highly clustered. In case of second objective the results shows 214 Tabias containing high value and are surrounded by Tabias with high values (HH), 10 Tabias containing high value and is surrounded by Tabias with low values (HL). The relation between population density and human modification of terrestrial lands was found positive with R2= 0.506. This research will help the government and planners for proactive spatial planning to maintain biodiversity and ecosystem function before important environmental values are lost in tabias containing high value and is surrounded by Tabias with high values.
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The scenic value of abandoned mining areas in Poland
132-142Views:176Abandoned Polish mining areas are commonly heavily transformed so that they endanger no longer the environment. A disadvantage is that the newly created areas commonly contribute to the monotonous urban-industrial landscape, rather than providing additional value. This is partly due to legislation that hampers a more diversified management of abandoned mining areas as potentially valuable landforms. One of the legal barriers that restricts the possibilities of making these areas more attractive, regards the utilization of remaining exploitation holes (i.e. land depressions of at least 2 m deep, formed as a result of open-pit mining of energy, chemical, building or metallurgical resources) and waste heaps as important cultural and scenic elements. Such a new use of these old mininginduced phenomena is important if it is intended not only to involve the regional population in the process of exploring and exploiting the earth’s resources, but also to confront them with some negative consequences of these activities, including shaping the landscape in which these objects are situated. The current attitude towards a new architecture for abandoned mining areas should be reconsidered; particularly the present-day approach based on narrow specializations – for instance of experts in mineral exploitation, spatial planning or environmental protection – should be replaced by interdisciplinary action regarding shaping the landscape of abandoned mining areas.
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Addressing desertification in Algeria: Etiologies, National Policies, and Accomplishments
63-84Views:52Desertification, affects 36.62% of non-desert land in Algeria, stands as a critical environmental challenge demanding thorough analysis and strategic intervention. This study offered a nuanced exploration of the multifaceted dynamics of desertification, scrutinizing its varied causes, ecological repercussions, and governmental countermeasures. Drawing on extensive research, the article synthesizes insights from previously overlooked factors such as colonialism, wildfires, socio-economic shifts, and the evolving climate landscape. Since 1962, Algeria has committed to mitigate desertification through strategic programs into national development plans, intricately woven into the fabric of national development plans. Noteworthy among these initiatives is the vegetation barrier project, conceived to erect a formidable vegetation barrier against the relentless advance of encroaching deserts. The legal and institutional frameworks, coupled with meticulous planning under the National Spatial Development Plan (SNAT 2025), underscore Algeria’s proactive stance. Despite commendable achievements in afforestation, watershed protection, and socio-economic development, persistent challenges underscore the need for continued collaboration, adaptive strategies, and an unwavering commitment to mitigating the profound impacts of desertification on Algeria’s diverse ecosystems and communities.