rss_2.0Sciendo RSS Feed for Moravian Geographical Reportshttps://sciendo.com/journal/MGRhttps://www.sciendo.comhttps://sciendo-parsed.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/6472445b215d2f6c89dc25c5/cover-image.jpghttps://sciendo.com/journal/MGR140216https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-0017<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The anthropogenic relief transformations of the mining landscape are characterised by high dynamics of changes over time that can be effectively mapped on a large scale using aerial images. The Karviná part of the Ostrava-Karviná mining district, which stands for significant hard coal mining area in the Czech Republic, has been selected to analyse the spatio-temporal development of anthropogenic landforms. Anthropogenic landforms were visually identified from the aerial images from 1947, 1966, 1971, 1985, 1994, 2009, and 2018. Specific anthropogenic landforms were analysed along with their spatio-temporal changes based on obtained vector data. The total extent and number of anthropogenic landforms increased the most during the periods 1947–1966 and 1971–1985. The same anthropogenic landforms occurred on circa 24 hectares in the entire period 1947–2018. The most anthropogenic landforms remained preserved in the last observed period 2009–2018. The multi-temporal analysis of aerial photographs and overlay operations in GIS enabled to map the age of specific landforms and to identify changed or unchanged anthropogenic landforms. This method is suitable for the study of landform dynamics at mining sites and is particularly relevant for the planning challenges in post-mining reclamation.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-00172024-10-06T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-0014<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The objective of this paper was to conceptualise the issue of cooperation stability in research on cross-border cooperation. On this basis, regularities related to selected aspects of the stability of cross-border cooperation were identified using the example of the Polish border regions. The analysis was based on a complex review of the Interreg, ETC, ENPI, and ENI cross-border cooperation programmes implemented in the Polish border regions between 2007–2013 and 2014–2020, taking into account both internal and external EU borders. The study covered a total of 1,577 projects realised between 2007–2013 and 2014–2020 by more than 4,500 beneficiaries, comprising 2,307 organisations. A survey of these organisations was also conducted. The resulting analysis helped to identify the relative stability of partner types and the thematic scope and spatial dimension of cross-border cooperation, while at the same time revealing a lack of stability in the organisational dimension. In addition, the study showed that the initiation and subsequent maintenance of cross-border relationships are the result of a complex process, in which many factors co-exist simultaneously, whereas the break-up of cooperation can be the product of individual factors.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-00142024-10-06T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-0016<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The Belá River is a specific submountain river running through the Liptov Basin in the Slovak Carpathians. Its transformation from a braided to a braided-wandering system and degradation including incision of the river system has been observed since the middle of the 20^th century. These processes have created a complex system of floodplains with development stages. For their identification, the Relative Elevation Model normalizing absolute floodplain elevation to the river channel changes has been established. Three models have been prepared, from the channel bottom and water level elevation gauge by GPS, and the water level elevation by LiDAR. Based on the resulting models, the floodplain was identified and delineated to an active or potentially active floodplain, to an inaccessible floodplain spread behind artificial structures, and to a perched floodplain beyond the reach of the river. Spatial statistics, including “Hot spot analysis” and “Cluster and outlier analysis” have been used to identify recent river floodplain formation from 1949 to 2018, caused by simplification and incision of the Belá River. The unique aspect and contribution of the research lies in implementing and comparing the Relative Elevation Models and linking them to floodplain age.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-00162024-10-06T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-0015<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The paper focuses on the historical distribution of haylofts in Slovakia, geographical conditions related to hay meadows with haylofts, and land cover changes of former hayloft localities. Moreover, the current state of preserved haylofts and the land use of their surrounding area were documented at a regional scale, during the field research. A map of the historical occurrence of haylofts was digitised based on the Czechoslovakian military topographic maps from 1952–1957 (1:25,000). Altogether, 9,742 haylofts were recorded. The haylofts were usually built in mountain and sub-mountain areas on places with low soil quality, mostly at higher elevations, on moderate or moderately steep slopes and in more distant and isolated areas. About half of former hayloft meadows now exist as meadows or pastures with different intensity of grassland management. Forest or shrubs already cover the other 38% of the sites. To a lesser extent, the areas have been converted into arable land or recreational areas. Only a few haylofts have survived to this day; for example, in Upper Liptov Region, it is only 1% of their former abundance in this area (48 haylofts). Apart from a few positive cases where they have been restored or preserved, those that have survived continue to decay.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-00152024-10-06T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-0013<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Environmentally friendly alternatives to motorised transport have recently become a topic of discussion among political representatives. To achieve sustainable urban mobility objectives, political discussions have focused on promoting cycling, walking and using public transport in cities. These modes of transportation are attractive ways of commuting to and from work for a portion of the population. In the literature, there is a growing interest in the phenomenon of active commuting. This paper examines the spatio-temporal patterns and practices of active commuting and evaluates their significance in the context of sustainable urban mobility. The empirical research is based on data obtained from a questionnaire survey and semistructured interviews conducted in 2023 in the Brno Metropolitan Area. Based on the data, three categories of active commuting were identified, namely pragmatic active commuting, physical active commuting, and combined active commuting, which differ in the implementation of different spatio-temporal practices. For the development of sustainable transport in the city, it is necessary to promote the construction of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, with the aim of making movement for pedestrians and cyclists more straightforward, efficient, and safer, including paying attention to actions leading to the embedding of this mode of transport in the wider societal context.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-00132024-10-06T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-0012<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The literature on cross-border cooperation in Europe is predominated by the analysis of the European Union (EU) INTERREG Programmes’ results, while other support funds are often neglected. To fill this research gap, the authors undertook the research on cross-border cooperation of the area-based partnerships (Local Action Groups – LAGs) from Poland and the Czech Republic, financed by the Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) 2014–2020. The main purpose of our paper is to identify the rationales for cooperation, strategies to find partners, the scope of activities and obstacles in implementing the joint projects. The qualitative research involved a content analysis of LAG documents and interviews with LAG managers. The actions in twelve identified cooperation projects were mainly related to local traditions, inventory and the promotion of local products and services, the development of tourism and environmental issues. The respondents have emphasised that these actions required separate financing by national RDPs following different administrative rules, even though when constituting the components of a single project. The bureaucratic restrictions resulted in a clear asymmetry of LAGs activities, manifested in a lower involvement of the Czech LAGs. As a result, many projects can be considered as highly unilateral, solely national rather than genuinely international, which has not been the intention of the LAG managers, however.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-00122024-07-05T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-0007<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The paper intervenes in current discussions within post-phenomenological geography. It analyzes the movement of people with visual impairments in order to develop an approach to post-phenomenology that emphasizes the in-betweenness of bodies in motion. Our perspective differs from phenomenological (and humanistic) geographies and from post-phenomenological geographies that are rooted in object-oriented ontology. They both rely on the differentiation between space and place, accept pointillism, treat places as points in space, time as exclusively chronological, and bodies as beings, not becomings. We analyze data from interviews with people with visual impairments. We first consider their movement through the perspective of humanistic (particularly phenomenological) geography. After acknowledging the limits of this approach, we turn to our actualized conception of post-phenomenological geography, which draws on Deleuze’s concepts of movement, path, refrain, and involuntary memory. With this conceptual repertoire, we go beyond the space-place dichotomy and highlight the in-betweenness and virtuality of movement. We explore difference-producing repetitions, which are constituted through refraining into paths. Our approach conceptualizing movement as “refraining into paths” is instrumental to studying the movement of people with visual impairment: It helps to dispute ableism, and it enriches the current discussion about post-phenomenological geography in its insistence on relations and becoming.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-00072024-07-05T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-0009<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>In Romania, one of the countries with the largest Roma community in Europe, the gap between the majority population and the Roma minority continues to be wide. The paper explores whether there is a sustainability of traditional Roma occupations and crafts or whether we are witnessing a continuous occupational dynamic. The objective of the research is to identify the patterns of traditional and non-traditional economic activities practised in Roma communities in two cities: Timişoara and Cluj-Napoca. The research hypothesis investigates whether there is a wide range of economic activities in analyzed Roma communities, where traditional activities tend to have a negligible share and dynamics compared to non-traditional ones. Also, we analyze whether traditional activities remain relevant in Roma communities and whether they represent a significant occupational resource in the case of external migration. The following statistical hypotheses are presented: there are significant differences between members of Roma communities in Timisoara and Cluj-Napoca. These are observed in the choice of practising non-traditional-traditional economic activities in the country. There are significant differences between members of Roma communities in Timisoara and Cluj-Napoca in the practice of traditional versus non-traditional occupations according to ethnic subgroup membership.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-00092024-07-05T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-0010<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The Czech healthcare system primary care segment, comprising general practitioners and pediatricians, faces persistent challenges due to the unbalanced and aging workforce of physicians. Ensuring adequate generational turnover in this sector is threatened at the national level and will exert an even more significant impact regionally. The changing age structure of the population will also play a crucial role in shaping the future demand for healthcare services. Using data obtained from the largest Czech health insurance company, this article highlights current regional disparities regarding the number, structure and capacity of general practitioners and pediatricians. It estimates the potential decline in the availability of physicians due primarily to advancing age – it has been estimated that almost 40% of general practitioner and 55% of pediatrician capacity will be withdrawn by 2035. Using regional population projections, the study determines the capacity required in each region to maintain the appropriate doctor/patient ratios. The results of the projections serve to raise awareness of the impact of changing age structures on the future supply of, and demand for, healthcare. Although the study does not determine a precise estimate of unfilled capacity, it prompts further discussions on ensuring accessible healthcare in the future.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-00102024-07-05T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-0008<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>This study evaluates positive (topophilic) and negative (topophobic) perceptions of places using participatory mapping methods. Current research on mapping perceptions of urban environments relies heavily on retrospective self-reports from citizens. These methods are often susceptible to recall bias and do not capture granular information about urban environments. Places are dynamic, and peoples’ perceptions of them vary by time and space. To address these gaps in methods, we collected data from individuals living in two cities, Olomouc, Czech Republic and Brisbane, Australia. GIS was used to analyse a combined total of 634 momentary assessments from Olomouc, and 318 assessments from Brisbane. Our findings suggest that this approach can yield accurate and reliable data about perceptions of topophobia and topophilia in the two cities as well as enable researchers to clearly define hotspots and hot times related to individual activity spaces.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-00082024-07-05T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-0011<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Flood maps are a crucial component of integrated flood risk management. While their key role is commonly acknowledged by experts and scholars, however, literature and findings on the practical utilization of flood maps (including the user’ experiences) within the processes of governance are scarce. Our study aims to contribute to closing this gap; by focusing on the Czech local government bodies, data collected through a questionnaire survey allowed us to examine (a) how, or whether at all, the officials employ flood maps in their agendas; (b) how do they experience and assess working with the maps; and (c) which data would they supplement the extant flood maps by. Our findings show that the praxis of local flood-related governance in the Czech Republic still largely neglects the up-to-date approaches and practices of flood risk management. The officials addressed mostly continue to rely on the earliest type of floodplain maps and purely technical aspects of floods, while largely omitting the newer flood danger and risk maps; thus, they are also missing the opportunities of applying multi-criteria assessment of the flood risk and more effective communication with the public. The paper concludes with a set of suggestions for relevant praxis and future research.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-00112024-07-05T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-0003<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic challenge some established human-landscape interactions notably. In this article, we analyse whether the pandemic had an impact on the perception of urban green spaces (UGS) and usage behaviours in Leipzig, Germany. We use a quantitative survey to understand people’s attitudes. Our study is novel in that it firstly explores the relationship between UGS and visitors during the final phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (winter 2022/2023), contrary to the vast majority of already existing studies that relied on digitally distributed surveys due to the lockdown protocols. Secondly our study does not apply exclusively online methods to reach out to the participants. The survey results show that about 40% (of the 115 participants) use parks more frequently during the final phase of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before 2020. Characteristics such as proximity to home, naturalness and cleanliness have become the most relevant. We see a notable increase in the demand for secure public green spaces, particularly among female visitors. Every second respondent confirmed experiencing considerable difficulties when accessing UGS, revealing the existing (spatial) deficits in environmental justice. These results should be considered by urban planners to adapt UGS to the changing demands of the citizens.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-00032024-04-03T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-0001<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Based on a scoping review of English-language scientific literature for the period of 1990–2022, the article presents a synthetic outline of previous research, focusing on factors influencing the specifics of foreign military bases (FMBs) as examples of facilities that mostly generate negative attitudes known as ‘Not In My Backyard’ (NIMBY). The specific characteristics of different categories of objects that generate various social attitudes are also presented. The results of the analyses include a classification of factors and aspects related to the local impacts of foreign military bases, which have not been analysed before.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-00012024-04-03T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-0002<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Visiting urban green and blue spaces improves the quality of life in cities as it helps to preserve human-nature bonds. In this context, the role of urban parks and forests has been well-recognised; however, much less is known about the landscapes of inland water bodies. To fill this gap, the study aimed to identify spatiotemporal patterns of recreational activities in the urban riverscape in relation to the visitors’ residential proximity. Also, survey results were combined with spatial and remote sensing data to determine how the spatial characteristics of the riverscape affect its recreational use. The case of Warsaw, Poland, was used. The results indicated that the riverscape serves as a local park for the neighbouring communities, while it is rather a warm-weekend attraction for far-living ones. Visitors concentrate in the city centre, and spread out along the communication paths; however, spatial patterns of the magnitude of particular activities also show interbank differences. Spatial error models of drivers of riverscape recreation revealed (1) the multifaceted role of trees in densely visited areas and (2) the importance of physical availability for contact with the urban river. These findings expand knowledge on the recreational use of urban rivers by exploring its place-related motivations.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-00022024-04-03T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-0005<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>In this article, we identify the spatial mobility of the populations of selected urban centres in Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary. In total, 1,616 interviews were conducted. Additionally also interviews with the employees responsible for crisis management were conducted. Based on the analyses, five different clusters were identified, with different patterns of inhabitants in terms of their spatial mobility in the event of war. The most significant factors influencing their mobility in crisis situations are country of residence, age, number of people in the household and sex. This research can help develop evacuation strategies at different levels of governance.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-00052024-04-03T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-0006<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Cultivated terraces are phenomena that have been protected in some areas for both their cultural heritage and food production purposes. Some terraced areas are disappearing but could be revitalised. To this end, recognition techniques need to be developed and terrace registers need to be established. The goal of this study was to recognise terraces using deep learning based on Lidar DEM. Lidar data is a valuable resource in countries with overgrown terraces. The U-net model training was conducted using data from the Slovenian terraces register for southwestern Slovenia and was subsequently applied to the entire country. We then analysed the agreement between the terraces register and the terraces recognised by deep learning. The overall accuracy of the model was 85%; however, the kappa index was only 0.22. The success rate was higher in some regions. Our results achieved lower accuracy compared to studies from China, where similar techniques were used but which incorporated satellite imagery, DEM, as well as land use data. This study was the first attempt at deep learning terrace recognition based solely on high-resolution DEM, highlighting examples of false terrace recognition that may be related to natural or other artificial terrace-like features.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-00062024-04-03T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-0004<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The public space environment is one of the critical influential factors for strengthening local identity and communities’ sense of belonging, while enhancing city life quality. This study focuses on the use of heritage buildings as a catalyst for reactivating public spaces and aims to explore to what extent the revitalization project for the historical centre of Craiova, a medium-sized post-socialist city, has succeeded. The three dimensions of revitalisation – physical, economic and social – were analysed using a mixed approach, including participant observation, field investigation, and a residents’ survey. Physical changes within the study area, improved accessibility, functional changes and economic restructuring were analysed, as well residents’ perceptions and use of the area (perceived changes, use of the place, types of places used by the residents, frequency, times spent). The results point to the fact that not all the three dimensions of the revitalization project were equally successful, proving once again that not all the actions are effective in delivering the best outcomes. The main beneficiaries are discussed and the outcome of the revitalisation project is analysed against similar projects in other countries.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2024-00042024-04-03T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2023-0017<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The paper explores how Slovak consumers perceive the value of food, sold by different retail formats (especially farmers’ markets and supermarkets), in terms of the quality, price, and healthiness. The aim of this paper is to evaluate consumer perceptions regarding global and local types of retail stores where they buy food most frequently. In the study, the segmentation of consumers by generation, income, and type of residence is provided. From the methodological point of view, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests are used to test hypotheses. According to the sample of respondents (n = 1,004), large-scale stores do not offer healthier and higher-quality food. This perception, however, varies based on the income of the consumer groups. On the other hand, respondents perceive that food sold at farmers’ markets is healthier and of higher quality than food in conventional stores. They do not perceive that food sold at farmers’ markets is cheaper than food in conventional stores.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2023-00172023-12-26T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2023-0019<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The crisis around the operation of the Turów coal mine and its impact on cross-border relations in the Polish-Czech borderlands is examined in this article. The genesis of the international dispute and its course is analysed on the basis of international relations and border studies theories. Moreover, the specific cross-border relations and asymmetries in the area are studied. Then, the authors discuss the methodology and results of the research through questionnaires and formulate conclusions drawn from the research conducted by the Polish-Czech research team in 2022. The results prove that the nearly two-year Polish-Czech dispute over the Turów mine hurt the cross-border activity of the inhabitants of the Polish-Czech border. Despite alarming media news, this impact was weak and short-lived. It ultimately did not significantly impact the cross-border integration of the inhabitants or cause a deterioration of relations between the Polish and Czech sides of the Euroregion Neisse-Nisa-Nysa. The crisis was caused by the lack of adequate communication between local governments from Poland and the Czech Republic and insufficient commitment from the local and regional authorities. Another cause was the poor integration of residents in the border area, although the cross-border cooperation epitomised by the Euroregion Neisse-Nisa-Nysa is not poorly rated.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2023-00192023-12-26T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2023-0018<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The (non)contribution of schools towards cross-border integration in the divided town of Těšín/Cieszyn, located on the Czech-Polish border, is analysed in this article. The pandemic-related border closures revealed a substantial level of togetherness in this town, manifested by various social activities. Moreover, a part of these (during the pandemic restricted) cross-border social practices were those in education. We applied a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods to diagnose the directions of cross-border educational flows, the approach of schools towards the identified joint cross-border social practices, and the possible level of togetherness. As a result, one-sidedness (Polish pupils attending schools in the Czech Republic) of cross-border flows was identified – which also follows the direction of a cross-border workforce. Except for the schools with Polish as the instruction language, located in the Czech part of the town, primarily serving Polish speakers living in the Czech Republic, we can mention hardly any mutually shared feeling of togetherness and an actual place-based approach towards educational governance in this divided town. We observe some ties in education between the autochthonous Polish minority in the Czech Republic and the Poles in Poland, without the involvement of pupils or teachers of Czech ethnicity, who do not reflect opportunities behind the border.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/mgr-2023-00182023-12-26T00:00:00.000+00:00en-us-1