University of Nebraska at Omaha DigitalCommons@UNO Student Work 4-1-2003 Accessibility, settlement dispersion, and unemployment in Slovakia Pavol Hurbanek University of Nebraska at Omaha Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork Recommended Citation Hurbanek, Pavol, "Accessibility, settlement dispersion, and unemployment in Slovakia" (2003). Student Work. 1119. https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork/1119 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UNO. It has been accepted for inclusion in Student Work by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ACCESSIBILITY, SETTLEMENT DISPERSION, AND UNEMPLOYMENT IN SLOVAKIA ' A Thesis Presented to the Department of Geography-Geology and the Faculty of the Graduate College University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts University of Nebraska at Omaha by Pavol Hurbanek April 2003 UMI Number: EP73359 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. D iaw tsferi ftiMisMrrg UMI EP73359 Published by ProQuest LLC (2015). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 THESIS ACCEPTANCE Acceptance for the faculty of the Graduate College, University of Nebraska, in partial fulfillment, of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts, University of Nebraska at Omaha Committee Chairperson M D ate_ April lg f ^QQ3> ACCESSIBILITY, SETTLEMENT DISPERSION, AND UNEMPLOYMENT IN SLOVAKIA Pavol Hurbanek, MA University of Nebraska, 2003 Advisor: RNDr Petr Pavlinek, PhD Abstract The thesis examines the relationship between accessibility and unemployment and the relationship between settlement dispersion and unemployment in Slovakia. The two main hypotheses are as follows: First, the settlements with lower accessibility have higher rates of unemployment. Second, because the areas of dispersed settlement most likely experience poor accessibility, these areas have also higher rates of unemployment. While Slovakia is the main study area, additional analysis is conducted in the case-study region of the Myjava and Skalica Counties in the western part of Slovakia. Several methods are used to evaluate accessibility and settlement dispersion. Container approach and distance approach are the two approaches used to assess accessibility. Traditional method and kernel method of settlement density measurement are the two methods used to assess settlement dispersion. Correlation analyses and testing of their results for significance are the last two steps in the methodological design. Major findings and suggestions for further research of accessibility, settlement dispersion and unemployment are summarized at the end of the study. Acknowledgement I would like to thank Dr. Pavlinek for all he has ever done for me as my professor, main thesis advisor and my friend. I would also like to thank my other thesis advisors Dr. Gildersleeve and Dr. From for their guidance and help. I would like to acknowledge the professors at the Department of Geography and Geology at University of Nebraska at Omaha for the trust they put in me when I was accepted to the position of teaching assistant. I would also like to acknowledge the help of the institutions that financially contributed to my studies - American Fund for Czechoslovak Relief and Office of the Dean at University of Nebraska at Omaha,. V Table of Contents Abstract............................................................................. iii Acknowledgement.................................................................................................................iv Table of Contents ............................... v List of Figures........................................................................................................................ vi 1 Introduction........................................................................................................................1 1.1 Nature of the Problem.................................................................. ....................... 1 1.2 Terms and Concepts ....................................................................................... f....l 1.3 Objectives, Hypotheses and Rationale ...............................................................7 1.4 Significance of the Research ............................................................................... 13 2 Literature Review ........................ 14 3 Study Area ........................................................................................................................... 19 4 Methodology........................................................................................................................24 4.1 Data........................................................................................................................24 4.2 Measuring Accessibility - Distance Approach .................................................27 4.2.1 Distance....................................................................................................... 27 4.2.2 Point Representations o f Communities.................................................... 27 4.2.3 Destinations .................................................................................................32 4.3 Measuring Accessibility - Container Approach ...............................................34 4.4 Measuring Settlement Dispersion .......................................................................35 4.5 Correlation Analysis ............................................. 36 5 Results..................................... 37 5.1 Accessibility - Distance Approach.....................................................................37 5.2 Accessibility - Container Approach ...................................................................42 5.3 Settlement Dispersion .................................................................................... 43 6 Discussion.............................................................................................................................44 7 Conclusion........................................................................................................................... 47 Appendices.............................................................................................................................. 50 References...............................................................................................................................99 vi List of Figures Figure 1. Theoretical Model of Employment Accessibility Figure 2. Model of Transition in the Economy of Two Cities Figure 3. Theoretical Model of Rural Depopulation Figure 4. Impact of Settlement Dispersion on Accessibility Figure 5. “Customized Counties” in Slovakia Figure 6. Spatial Distribution and Size of Communities in Slovakia Figure 7. Built-up Areas in Slovakia Figure 8. Communities and Built-up Areas in the Myjava and Skalica Counties Figure 9. Unemployment in the Communities in Slovakia Figure 10. Unemployment in the Communities in the Myjava and Skalica Counties Figure 11. Approximate Monthly Unemployment Rates in Slovakia between January and 1991 and February 2003 Figure 12. Job Opportunities and the Economically Active Population (Labor Force) in the Myjava and Skalica Counties Figure 13. Different Types of Centroids in the Communities in the Myjava County Figure 14. Preprocessing of Data on Built-up Areas Figure 15. District Seats, County Seats and Towns as Crude Proxies for Regional Employment Centers Figure 16. Towns with more than 30,000 / 20,000 / 10,000 Inhabitants as Crude Proxies for Regional Employment Centers Figure 17. Air Distance of a Community to the Nearest District Seat Figure 18. Air Distance of a Community to the Nearest County Seat Figure 19. Air Distance of a Community to the Nearest Town Figure 20. Air Distance of a Community to the Nearest Town with more than 30,000 Inhabitants Figure 21. Air Distance of a Community to the Nearest Town with more than 20,000 Inhabitants Figure 22. Air Distance of a Community to the Nearest Town with more than 10,000 Inhabitants Figure 23. Air Distance of a Community to Bratislava Figure 24. Air Distance and Road Distance of the Communities in the Myjava and Skalica Counties to the Nearest County Seat Figure 25. Air Distance and Road Distance of the Communities in the Myjava and Skalica Counties to the Nearest Town Figure 26. Settlement Density in the Communities of Slovakia - Regular Method Figure 27. Settlement Density in Slovakia - Kernel Method Figure 28. Settlement Density in the Communities of Slovakia - Kernel Method Figure 29. Settlement Density in the Communities in the Myjava and Skalica Counties Regular and Kernel Method Figure 30. Methodological Design Figure 31. Results of Correlation Analyses Figure 32. Relationship between Unemployment Rate and Air Distance to the Nearest District Seat - Slovakia Figure 33. Relationship between Unemployment Rate and Air Distance