Level of urban development of demographic areas in Serbia

In: Stanovništvo: Population = Naselenie, Band 36, Heft 3-4, S. 89-114

Open Access

Abstract

The main aim of this analysis was to determine the demographic effects of the
process of urbanization (as measured by the level of population
concentration in, formally speaking, urban settlements) on the regional
division of Serbia (made more than three decades ago) into standard zones
for demographic research. Likewise, the aim of the investigation was to
determine (as accurately as possible) the extent to which this scheme of
regional division could be used as a basis for demographic regionalization
of the territory of the Republic. This two-tier scheme divides the area of
Serbia into thirty I-tier (I) zones (regions) and seven II-tier zones
(regions) by combining some, usually modified, geographic criteria and
(fully applying) the carefully selected strictly demographic criteria, but
not applying those of the spatial-demographic character (like densities,
migratory features, urbanization). Demographic effects of the process of
urbanization (as a strictly demographic parameter) on this regional division
were investigated only in terms of the I-tier zones and not at lower
(subregional) spatial units - municipalities. The changes were analysed for
the period from 1971 to 1991 only, which was estimated as representative
enough for this process. Based on the investigation results, the following
was concluded: - despite strong demographic effects of the process of
urbanization, most standard zones for demographic research have managed to
keep the relatively high degree of homogeneity, which makes the current
regional division of Serbia quite acceptable with some slight modifications;
- modifications of this scheme, as determined by the demographic effects of
the process of urbanization, would mostly go into the direction of
intra-regional changes in regions to which the major urban agglomerations of
Serbia belong because, as large concentrations of population, they form a
new spatial demographic structure of these zones (regions); - the modified
scheme (adjusted to the actual demographic state and the structure of the
zones) would represent a proper base for demographic regionalization of the
Republic of Serbia.