Papers by Antonín Vaishar
Sustainability, Mar 14, 2022
This article analyzes the question of how the change of geopolitical position in the rural region... more This article analyzes the question of how the change of geopolitical position in the rural region of Eastern Moravia, which was shifted from the center of the state on its border, is reflected. The paper shows how the originally marginal region transformed from an area with shepherd agriculture to an industrial area with a skilled workforce during the existence of Czechoslovakia and questions how to cope with the consequences of the reverse change into a marginal geopolitical position on the eastern border of Czechia. The paper considers the balance of migration, supplemented by the construction of new dwellings, to be a relatively complex indicator. It states that the region of Eastern Moravia is problematic in terms of further development, except for the northern part, which is affected by the suburbanization of Ostrava. As a result, it proposes to supplement the current orientation toward the manufacturing industry by creating conditions for the development of cultural tourism.
Tourism and Hospitality Research
This paper addresses the question: why do two destinations with extremely valuable cultural herit... more This paper addresses the question: why do two destinations with extremely valuable cultural heritage gain attractions have completely different tourism traffic results? The main aim of this paper was to find the various causes of this inequality. The comparative method was used and Lednice and Dolní Kounice in Southern Moravia were selected as case studies. Statistical data and strategic documents on regional and local levels were analysed. The study showed significant differences in the strategic conceptual plans. Dolní Kounice was a more popular destination for suburban tourism for the inhabitants of Brno, the historical heritage was only an added value. In the case of Lednice, the use of its heritage for tourism was one of the main development priorities. This paper further noted that cultural tourism is often seen as a sector of the economy rather than a part of the culture.
Sustainability, 2021
The accessibility of basic services in rural settlements in the South Moravian Region was evaluat... more The accessibility of basic services in rural settlements in the South Moravian Region was evaluated; the accessibility by public transport was taken into account because the accessibility by individual car transport does not manifest any problems. The accessibility was calculated for 768 rural settlements, defined as spatially separate places which do not belong to municipalities with extended power. The time distance includes the time of the ride plus 8 min walking distance to and from the stop. The data was taken from the Integrated Transport System of the South Moravian Region, which ensures that each populated place in the region has to be connected by public transport at least six times on working days. The results show that for 99.8% of the inhabitants of the region, central places equipped with a post office, a basic school and a general practitioner’s office are accessible in a shorter time than 30 min. The accessibility of the services depends primarily on the characteristi...
Journal of Rural Studies, 2020
The paper investigates the recent population development of Moravian rural micro-regions. It divi... more The paper investigates the recent population development of Moravian rural micro-regions. It divides all 72 micro-regions into four categories according to the relation of natural demographic balance and net migration in the period of 2012-2016. It showed that all size categories of the Moravian rural municipalities till 5000 inhabitants are gaining population by migration whereas small towns lose inhabitants. No relation between the demographic type of the countryside and unemployment was observed. It shows, that the Moravian rural areas are not depopulating in general, its demographic development does not depend on the unemployment. However, the Moravian countryside is differentiated. There are some extremely peripheral parts of Moravia often lacking any real urban centre, where the depopulation is the problem. Depopulating micro-regions can be found in the northern, southwestern and eastern periphery of Moravia. Such territories should be solved individually according to the local conditions.
European Countryside, 2021
The article analyses the possibilities of development of one of the most peripheral micro-regions... more The article analyses the possibilities of development of one of the most peripheral micro-regions of Moravia on the basis of the theory of sustainability. It notes its above-average focus on agriculture and tourism, which is linked to seasonality, lower education of the population, depopulation and higher unemployment. The settlement structure with predominantly very small villages conditions a worse infrastructure, which is partially balanced by a high-quality natural environment. Possible solutions are seen in the focus on qualitative development and support of social capital. The transition to post-productive development and counter-urbanization gives to regions of this type new opportunities associated with the development of housing and tourism.
Geografie, 2000
In 1997 disastrous floods, unparalleled since meteorological and climatic measurements have been ... more In 1997 disastrous floods, unparalleled since meteorological and climatic measurements have been carried out, took place in the catchment of the Morava river and other Moravian rivers. The long-term impacts of the above-mentioned flood event on the landscape and society have been examined in four selected model areas with different natural and economic characteristics. Within the natural system, the long-term impacts include changes in riverbeds, landslides and changes in the biota. Within the social system, the most significant adverse impacts include the long-term damage to the psychical health of those affected by the flood. The main causes of the flood damage are connected with the formation of the settlement pattern during the period of industrialisation and urbanisation. The main methods of flood protection include the relocation of structures outside inundated areas, technical control and the adaptation to flood risks.
European Countryside, 2020
The paper connects culture, tourism and rural development. It tries to make an overview of variou... more The paper connects culture, tourism and rural development. It tries to make an overview of various forms of cultural tourism in Czechia. Attractions of cultural tourism are identified and ranked according to their cognitive function. Their list includes cultural heritage in spheres of archaeological sites, architecture, arts, folklore, pilgrimages, technical works, cultural events or protected landscape areas. The culture of wine in Southern Moravia has been chosen as an example. Its analysis was elaborated using the Importance/Performance Analysis. Czechia has great potential for the cultural tourism development in rural areas but it seems to demand a great deal of work when one needs to be constantly reconciling the changing interests of tourists with the potential of the regions. One of the important goals is to attract tourists into rural areas and thus limit their concentration in the most attractive places. Rural cultural tourism seems to be a significant aspect in this respec...
Sustainable Cities and Society, 2018
Research consists of identifying values of the suburban landscape in Podolí u Brna. Does suburban... more Research consists of identifying values of the suburban landscape in Podolí u Brna. Does suburbanized village have any landscape values? Results confirmed historical and contemporary landscape values in studied suburbia. Landscape values are important factors to keep or create the local identity.
Sustainability, 2019
The sustainability of rural areas is considered to be most threatened in peripheral, hardly acces... more The sustainability of rural areas is considered to be most threatened in peripheral, hardly accessible microregions with insufficient economical sources. The paper analyses one such rural area in the eastern part of Moravia from the viewpoint of individual economic, social, and environmental sustainability pillars. The area under study is the mountain territory on the border with Slovakia, which is under large-scale landscape protection. The area with very limited economic sources has been impacted with a change to the geopolitical situation after 1993 (from the centre of Czechoslovakia to the fringe of Czechia). It was stated that the environmental pillar is in the best of conditions; however, perhaps threatened with missing technical infrastructure in relation to the disposal of solid, liquid, and gaseous waste, the social pillar is improving in relation to the post-productive transition, whereas the economic pillar is the most fragile because of its dependence on exogenous jobs i...
European Countryside, 2019
The paper describes the development of Mendel University in Brno and its Faculty of AgriSciences ... more The paper describes the development of Mendel University in Brno and its Faculty of AgriSciences during last 100 years. It shows the present state of the University and Faculty, including facilities used for educational, scientific and other activities. The journal European Countryside owned by the University has been established 10 years ago. It is a highly cited per review periodical in the field of rural development. This special number gave the opportunity to the members of the Advisory Board to co-celebrate the anniversary by means of their own topic related scientific article.
European Countryside, 2016
The paper analyses the position of small towns in the Czech settlement system. It deals with the ... more The paper analyses the position of small towns in the Czech settlement system. It deals with the definition of small towns, their geographical positions, demographic characteristics and functions in the national settlement system. A typology of small towns aimed at individual pillars of their sustainability is one of the results of the paper. The article discusses the position of small towns as part of the urban world and their position as a part of the countryside. It concludes that small towns are functionally important as rural centres. However, differences between urban and rural seem to be less important than differences among individual types of the Czech countryside (suburban, intermediate, inner periphery, borderland).
Hungarian Geographical Bulletin, 2016
Bohemia and Moravia are historical lands, which constitute Czechia (together with a small part of... more Bohemia and Moravia are historical lands, which constitute Czechia (together with a small part of Silesia) since the 10 th century. Two entirely diff erent sett lement systems can be identifi ed in Czechia: the centralistic Bohemian sett lement system surrounded by a ring of mountains, and the transitional and polycentric Moravian sett lement system. The two lands were physically divided by a border forest. Although they have belonged always to the same state, their autonomy was relatively high until the formation of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918. In 1948, a new administrative division was introduced, which did not respect the border between the two lands. Bohemia and Moravia kept their importance as diff erent cultural units only. The main research question addressed in this paper is how the Bohemian and Moravian identities are perceived by the people today and whether it makes any sense to consider the historical lands seriously when rethinking the idea of the Europe of regions.
Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 2015
Small towns as a specifi c sector of the settlement system are observed from the demographical vi... more Small towns as a specifi c sector of the settlement system are observed from the demographical viewpoint on the territory of the South-Moravian Region (Czechia). Altogether 23 towns with 4,000 to 12,000 inhabitants were analysed. A long-term analysis (1869-2011; population censes) as well as the last development (2008-2012; population balances) are taken into account. A relatively stable role of small towns in the regional settlement system throughout the period when population censes has taken place and population increases in the contemporary period were stated. The fi rst statement can be related to the rural character of the region where small towns play irreplaceable role. The last development shows that the population increase is directly proportional to the distance from the regional metropolis and inverse to the size of small towns. This corresponds to the concept centre-periphery and to current counter-urbanization trends. Recent demographic development supports the role of small towns in local and micro-regional identity and landscape memory in the era of globalization. Small towns seem to be attractive residential place-although not innovators but residences of many creative people.
Studia Obszarów Wiejskich, 2015
inStytut geOgrafii i przeStrzennegO zagOSpOdarOWania pOlSka akademia nauk www.igipz.pan.pl kOmiSj... more inStytut geOgrafii i przeStrzennegO zagOSpOdarOWania pOlSka akademia nauk www.igipz.pan.pl kOmiSja ObSzaróW WiejSkich pOlSkie tOWarzyStWO geOgraficzne www.ptg.pan.pl
European Countryside, 2009
Small towns ensure services on the basic urban level, jobs, social contacts, occasions to travel ... more Small towns ensure services on the basic urban level, jobs, social contacts, occasions to travel outside the micro-region, services of the state administration and sometimes also an identity of the micro-region. Mass commuting from villages to small towns is usual for Czechia for a long time. Small towns in peripheral regions are of our interest. Character of these towns is given by the remoteness and bad accessibility from regional centers, by the lack of investments, problems of human capital etc. Nevertheless, the peripheral small towns remain the definite centers of their hinterlands because of the lack of competition in majority of cases. The second demographic transition leads to ageing of rural population. Sub-urbanization and counter-urbanization impacts on the population shift from big and medium cities to the countryside. In the process of globalization, the countryside including small towns plays a role of bearer of the traditional way of life. Transferring the jobs from productive to non-productive branches endangers the countryside by losing jobs in industry. Increasing value of leisure, environment, space, security etc. offers new chances for small towns.
European Countryside, 2009
EUROPEAN COUNTRYSIDE is defined as an international on-line scientific journal in the branch of r... more EUROPEAN COUNTRYSIDE is defined as an international on-line scientific journal in the branch of rural development. It publishes first of all theoretical and methodological articles, dealing with multi-functional development of countryside, articles related to regional aspects of rural development and with problems of individual branches connected with the countryside. EUROPEAN COUNTRYSIDE is a journal supporting European processes of integration, collaboration of experts from European countries and the idea of Europe of Regions. EUROPEAN COUNTRYSIDE deals with problems of European countryside-although general and/or theoretical problems of rural research from other continents are welcome. Widening of the European Community and common agricultural policy put a joint future ahead of the rural development in whole Europe. Our journal welcomes articles from different disciplines dealing with the countryside having in mine conceptions of sustainability and locality: ecology of rural landscape, rural sociology, demographic development of rural regions, human resources, gender, multifunctional development of countryside, role of agriculture and other branches, rural and agro-tourism, geography of rural micro-regions, problems of rural borderland, rural settlement, small towns as rural centres, rural planning and architecture and other aspects of rural development. The publishing in EUROPEAN COUNTRYSIDE is open for all experts from universities, scientific institutions and other workplaces of investigation. The authors will pay symbolic amount for the publication of their papers. We go out from the presupposition that a majority of results arise within different grants projects where publication costs are an integral part of the budget. Other expenses connected with publishing of EUROPEAN COUNTRYSIDE are covered by the MUAF Faculty of Agronomy. On the other side, the papers published in EUROPEAN COUNTRYSIDE will be free accessible to all potential readers through the net. By such a way we hope in better quotation of individual papers and increasing value of the papers and their authors. Additionally, professional way of publishing helps to complete this aim.
Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research, 2013
ABSTRACT Rural regions are perceived mostly on a local, regional or national scale, but globaliza... more ABSTRACT Rural regions are perceived mostly on a local, regional or national scale, but globalization impacts also on the countryside. Both production and consumption in rural regions are similar throughout Europe, being directed from the very limited number of global centers. Local authorities do not always react appropriately. Present trends in rural businesses, migration of rural population, sustainable rural development and capacity-building are investigated in 10 European case study regions within the DERREG project of 7th EU framework program. Preliminary findings for the South Moravia case study are presented in the paper.
European Countryside, 2013
The South Moravian rural borderland has been studied as an example of peripheral countryside. It ... more The South Moravian rural borderland has been studied as an example of peripheral countryside. It is defined by municipalities the cadastral districts of which border on the state frontiers. The borderland is considerably differentiated in dependence on the natural conditions, historic development, geographical position and subjective circumstances. The period after 1990 experienced a downturn in production sectors, development of the tertiary sector, quite positive demographic evolution with a positive migration balance (with some exceptions), further intensification of nature conservation and landscape protection, increased unemployment rate and lower standard of formal education. The strengths encompass the maintained and, in many cases, strictly protected landscape, suitable settlement structures with large villages, suitable conditions for agricultural activities, development of balneology and important transition position of the central part of the borderland. The weaknesses in...
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Papers by Antonín Vaishar