Roland J. Fuchs

The Postwar Mobility Transition in Eastern Europe

In this article we shall examine the decline of migration and its replacement by commuting in Eastern Europe specifically in the advanced industrial nations of the Soviet Union the German Democratic Republic Czechoslovakia Poland and Hungary. Since World War II these countries have experienced changes in mobility that are characteristic of the passage in Zelinskys model from the Early Transitional Society phase through Advanced Society phase and even exhibit elements in the attempts to control mobility of his Future Superadvanced Society. We however view the degree and rate of this transition as the result not of inexorable and universal process but of deliberate government interventions in the economies of the socialist nations. These interventions have severely affected the characteristics and consequences of the mobility transition resulting in distortions in Eastern European patterns that raise questions as to the wide applicability and utility of the mobility transition hypothesis. (excerpt)

Urbanization and urban policies in Pacific Asia

This is a collection of papers by various authors on aspects of urbanization in Asian countries bordering the Pacific. The papers were presented at a conference held April 8-12 1985 in Honolulu Hawaii. The 16 papers are grouped under 8 general headings: the implications of demographic and economic change for urbanization; the international economy and national urbanization; mobility labor markets and the welfare implications of urbanization; effects of implicit policies and institutional factors; effectiveness of decentralization policies; urban management issues and policies; national urban goals and policies; and issues for further research.

Population distribution policies in developed Socialist and Western nations.

The population distribution policies and instruments used in the developed European countries with particular reference to Poland Hungary the German Democratic Republic Czechoslovakia and the USSR and the developed marked and mixed economies of Western Europe North America and Australia are examined. The development of population distribution policies and policy objectives in each group of countries is discussed along with a detailed comparison of policy instruments. A review of selected evaluation studies and discussion of the implications for policy and research is included. The population distribution policies of both Eastern and Western countries appears to suffer from being directed at populations-at-large while migration theory would suggest that policies would be more effective if targeted at specific subgroups of the population taking advantage of known migration differentials by age education levels and cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Policies would be more successful if they explicitly incorporated knowledge regarding directional and distance biases in migration streams. The experience of population redistribution attempts in developed countries suggests that knowledge in many areas is below the level necessary to accurately guide policymakers and further research is required on such subjects as the determination of optimum settlement and population distribution patterns the redistribution mechanism and the theoretical and empirical analysis of policies and policy impacts.

Rethinking population distribution policies.

Developed and developing nations are generally dissatisfied with the spatial distributions of their populations. Dissatisfaction is particularly acute on the part of developing nations which view their problems of population distribution as more serious than those of natural increase. The overwhelming majority of governments have already adopted policies to affect rates and patterns of internal migration or the configuration of their rural and urban populations. However, recent reviews of these policies suggest they have been only partially successful. Apparent policy deficiencies are reviewed and possible remedies suggested in regard to the need for intervention, the scope of policies, their objectives, instruments, and evaluation.

COMMUTING IN THE USSR

The number of commuters in the USSR is estimated to have reached 10–12 million in 1970. Commuting remains understudied by Soviet scholars because of a lack of agreement on its role in relation to migration and other forms of mobility, and inadequacies in available data sources. Analysis of 1970 sample census data show rural commuting to be relatively most important in the western areas of the country and least important in Siberia and Central Asia. While in absolute terms, the largest numbers of commuters are found in large cities, there is some evidence that commuting is relatively more important in small cities. Over 90 percent of commuter movements employ public transportation and the growth in number of commuters has been largely accommodated by an increase in bus routes and capacities. Commuting distances have become extended and many commuters must now spend a substantial time in daily travel. In-commuters are not representative of the labor force but are biased toward young, low-skilled workers, oc...

George Demko, 1933–2015: Engaging, Emphatic, Empowering

O ur memorial to a longtime friend, George Demko, looks at his career accomplishments through the eyes of some of his former students, colleagues, and a publisher. In their own words, rather than our detailing his professional career and describing significant publications, they inform George Demko’s generation and succeeding ones what he contributed to advancing geography as discipline. They also describe his years in the U.S. Department of State and his focus on U.S. foreign policy and its linkages with scholarly communities in the social, environmental, and policy sciences. The memorial concludes with listing some of his important publications. The voices attest to his high levels of creative energy, professional caring, and lifelong explorations into the geographies of the unknown, including his pursuit of mystery landscapes in his final years.