ZAGREB, Aug 7 (Hina) - The Zagreb-based Institute of Social Sciences "Ivo Pilar" has recently published a collection of papers on medium-sized towns and the process of urbanisation in Croatia. The collection includes works and essays
written by economists, sociologists, lawyers, demographers, urban planners, architects and other scholars and experts.
ZAGREB, Aug 7 (Hina) - The Zagreb-based Institute of Social
Sciences "Ivo Pilar" has recently published a collection of papers
on medium-sized towns and the process of urbanisation in Croatia.
The collection includes works and essays written by economists,
sociologists, lawyers, demographers, urban planners, architects
and other scholars and experts.#L#
A doctrine about the importance of developing of medium-sized towns
appeared at the turn of the 60-ties when the abrupt spreading of
cities caused many problems, while small towns failed to offer
sufficient possibilities of employment, cultural life and
education.
In 1997 year, 122 residential areas were incorporated as towns in
Croatia. Scholars and scientists stressed that this selection had
not been done in accordance to criteria usually known in the
public.
Under a strategy of the physical planning in Croatia, medium-sized
towns will be places between 20,000 and 1,000,000 residents. In
this way, there will be 16 medium-sized towns in the country.
According to data released by the United Nations, in 1994 Europe had
73 percent of the urban residents, while the world had 45 percent.
In Belgium, even 97 percent of the population lived in cities and
towns, 89 percent was the urban population in Great Britain and the
Netherlands each, 86 percent in Germany, 85 percent in Denmark.
That year, 64 percent of Croatians lived in towns and cities, and
the same percent of the urban population was in Hungary. In Slovenia
63 percent of the population was urban and 56 percent in Austria.
According to some estimates in 2025, the world will have 61 percent
of the urban population and Europe 83 percent.
The developed countries are to experience a further growth in the
number of residents in towns and cities.
According to the UN sources, Croatia can expect 81 percent of
citizens in towns and cities in 2025, while its neighbours Slovenia
and Hungary each will have 79 percent of the population in urban
residential areas.
(hina) ms