Original scientific paper
Pyramidal Network of Towns
Dušica Seferagić
; Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The infrastructural equipment and the accessibility of its elements within the network of towns in Croatia is the basic issue of this paper.
In the introduction the author first analyses the world literature on
globalization, i.e. on changes in the network of towns caused by globalization, calling attention to various and contradictory processes
in the space: spatial homogenization and heterogenization, origination
of the new networks of settlements, emergence of the new structures
(megapolises, cosmopolises, world and global towns, etc.), hierarchical type of distribution of functions, break of the existing borders (e.g. between the national countries). Then she the results of
the research carried out on the random sample of 47 towns in Croatia, divided in capital, macro-regional centres (4 including Zagreb), 16 other counties centres, and 27 other towns. By means of
questionnaire for settlements the data were collected on the equipment of settlements comprehending social standard and standard of the community, as well as on the accessibility to population of those elements of equipment that do not exist in town,
i.e. which is the nearest place (town) where the needs in question can
be satisfied. The results were interpreted for the following elements of
social, technical and other equipments: administration of justice, financial and other agencies, medical institutions, social care, educational institutions, cultural institutions, sports institutions and facilities, entertainment complexes, shops, crafts-man's shops and
industry, communal infrastructure, roads, non-governmental organizations and physical plans. The findings point at hierarchical, i.e. pyramidal structure of the network of settlements from bigger to
smaller ones. Yet, the network of towns in Croatia is not particularly
hierarchical except in case of the metropolis. On the top of pyramid
there is Zagreb - Croatian metropolis, which accomplishes almost all
the functions for it self, for its close surroundings, for the whole state,
towards the region and rarely even wider. Macro-regional centres are
the focuses of development of their respective surroundings and even
wider, while smaller towns are more dependent on them, and those middle size and smallest ones are only rarely bearers of development.
Keywords
globalization; transition; pyramidal network of towns; equipment; accessibility
Hrčak ID:
33355
URI
Publication date:
10.3.2009.
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