Review article
https://doi.org/10.21861/HGG.2023.85.02.04
Services of general interest – the concept and its application in scientific research and spatial development
Ivan Šišak
orcid.org/0000-0003-0678-7556
; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Geography, Zagreb, Croatia
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
In the scientific community, the concept of services of general interest is relatively new, even though its components have been examined in various ways for several decades. The term "service of general interest" is a political and normative expression introduced by the European Union. While it is challenging to provide a precise definition, services of general interest are generally understood as service activities that public administration bodies in a specific country or region designate as activities contributing to the public welfare. In geographical research, individual elements of this concept are often analysed, such as the provision of infrastructure and services in settlements, the organization of central places, or the accessibility of services in a specific area. This paper aims to organize fundamental knowledge about services of general interest, as found in scientific and professional literature; with the intention of analysing definitions and classifications of these services, exploring the scientific interest in distinct service categories, examining the spatial organization of services, and investigating their accessibility and adaptation in response to modern social, economic, and technological changes.
Keywords
services of general interest; central place theory; network theory; accessibility of services; transformation of services
Hrčak ID:
312059
URI
Publication date:
22.12.2023.
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