Discussion Papers 2007.
Social Inequalities in Urban Areas and Globalization.
The Case of Central Europe. 105-108. p.
CONCLUSIONS: THE SOCIO-SPATIAL INEQUALITIES
OF EUROPEAN AND HUNGARIAN URBAN AREAS AND
THEIR SPECIAL FEATURES IN CENTRAL EUROPE18
Similarly to their European counterparts Hungarian metropolitan areas are also
playing an increasing role in national (and international) economy, in social proc-
esses and in global social and economic competition. The results of the compara-
tive analyses of our research are also verifying the outstanding strategic impor-
tance of Hungarian metropolitan areas in them. Hungarian cities successfully
tackled down the socio-economic crisis originating from the historic eras before
the regime change and were able to manage the whole process of economic re-
structuring. Today they are the driving engines of economic development in Hun-
gary. Our socio-statistical analyses have demonstrated the relative competitive
advantages of some urban areas in the fields of economic, social and infrastruc-
ture development in comparison with the national average. They have also
pointed out that mostly high qualified and the richest social classes are concen-
trated in metropolitan areas. It has also been revealed that there are big differ-
ences among Hungarian metropolitan areas concerning their regional and histori-
cal background and their skills to integrate into global economy. Socio-economic
differences among metropolitan areas are partially originating from the develop-
ment differences between the metropolitan area of Budapest and other Hungarian
cities. In this latter group of provincial cities the urban areas of Gy r and Székes-
fehérvár have achieved the largest advancement in economic development while
18Besides the above-presented research results this summary is based on the following background
studies and papers: Baráth G. – Molnár B. – Szépvölgyi Á.: A várostérségi területi egyenl tlensé-
gek rendszere. Kutatási résztanulmány [The System of Spatial Disparities in Urban Areas. An
Interim Research Paper], MTA RKK NYUTI, 2005.; Balázsné Varga M.: A várostérségek
társadalmi egyenl tlenségei – társadalomstatisztikai elemzés. Kutatási részjelentés [The Social
inequalities of Urban Areas – A Socio-statistical Analysis. An Interim Research Report] , MTA
SZKI, 2005.; Molnár B.: A nagyvárosi térségek gazdasági egyenl tlenségei Magyarországon [The
Economic Disparities of Urban Areas in Hungary]. MTA RKK NYUTI, 2006.; Szirmai V. –
Váradi Zs. (2006): A nagyvárosi térségek urbanizációs egyenl tlenségei Magyarországon [The
Urbanizational Disparities of Urban Areas in Hungary].. MTA SZKI, 2006.; Balogh E. – Huszár
Á.: A magyarországi várostérségek gazdasági és társadalmi versenyképessége [The Economic and
Social Competitiveness of Urban Areas in Hungary]. MTA RKK – SZRVA, 2007.; Szirmai V.: A
globalizáció és térbeli társadalmi szerkezet alakulása: nemzetközi trendek [The Socio-spatial
Structure of Globalization: International Trends]. MTA SZKI, részelemzés, 2007.; Szirmai V.: A
globalizáció várostérségi hatásai Magyarországon [The Impacts of Globalization on Urban Areas
in Hungary]. MTA SZKI, részelemzés, 2007.
105
Szirmai, Viktória : Conclusions
In:Social Inequalities in Urban Areas and Globalization. The Case of Central Europe.
Pécs: Centre for Regional Studies, 2007. 105-108. p. Discussion Papers, Special
the urban areas of Miskolc, Nyíregyháza and Kecskemét are lagging far behind
them. Regarding development potentials traditional regional centres such as De-
brecen, Pécs and Szeged are in an intermediary position, though their develop-
ment was fairly good during our research period. Our research results indicate
significant development differences between the internal parts of urban areas as
well. The division of socio-economic development resources within metropolitan
areas is rather inhomogenous between cities and their environment as well as
within the inner parts of urban areas.
The socio-spatial inequalities of Hungarian urban areas are all following the
overall European trends of global urbanization and the mechanisms of global
economy but their outcomes have also been influenced by the special historical
background of the Hungarian society. This is even true for comparnig their simi-
lar and different features with those in the state socialist regime of the past.
Global trends originating partially from the past, such as socio-economic concen-
tration, the high density of urban population, the concentration of economic ac-
tivities and global capital resources in metropolitan areas are true for Hungarian
urban spaces as well. However we can also see country size dependent differences
in the processes we have investigated (Illés 2002, 74). The degree of residential
concentration in cities (and in the capital city) is the highest in Poland with over
100 thousand inhabitants as an average. Poland is followed by Hungary and the
Czech Republic in the ranking of the residential concentration of big cities (and
the capital city). It is the citizens of Austria who live in the least populated cities
with 25–55 thousand inhabitants as an average. (The number of Austrian cities
with over 100 thousand inhabitants, including Vienna, is 5 only.
The intensive, space consuming expansion of urban agglomerations, the in-
creasing commuting and transport activities are typical phenomena of our time
but they are extensively damaging the environment and reducing the territory of
green areas. It is mostly the metropolitan area of Budapest that is most badly hit
by these phenomena but the urban areas of Gy r Székesfehérvár and Nyíregy-
háza, the provincial cities most involve areas of global economy driven dynamic
development are neither excluded from these processes.
The intensity of suburbanisation and the outmigration of middle classes from
city centres to suburbs have significantly increased not only in Hungarian but also
in Czech cities. The new trends of economy (the inflow of foreign direct invest-
ments) and social changes increased land values in certain suburbs and periurban
settlements. All they have reshaped the relationship between core areas and pe-
ripheries and also changed the attitudes towards them.
The signs of ‘dual’ spatial society (Castells 1993) and its different internal
structures, the different chances of integration to global economy with their ad-
vantageous and disadvantageous socio-spatial processes as an impact, can clearly
be identified. The intensive development of big cities and their urban areas is
106
Szirmai, Viktória : Conclusions
In:Social Inequalities in Urban Areas and Globalization. The Case of Central Europe.
Pécs: Centre for Regional Studies, 2007. 105-108. p. Discussion Papers, Special
shadowed by the increasing socio-spatial polarization between core areas and
peripheries and between the different parts of cities. The results of Hungarian,
Austrian, Czech (and other international) comparative researches can be summa-
rized by stating that the basic features of socio-economic inequalities of urban
areas are following a similar trtend. The social positions of citizens living in the
different zones of urban areas are very different: the presence of high classes is
dominating in core areas while peripheries are mostly inhabited by low or poor
classes. This trend however does not seem to contradict to the fact that suburban
zones also provide homes for high classes and low classes: they (low educated
groups with low salaries employed mostly in the industrial sector) are rather lo-
cated in the external parts of cities (preferably in transitional zones or suburbs)
and in less favoured periurban settlements. However some differences can also be
discovered in the spatial location of poor classes in central urban quarters as well.
A case study in Vienna revealed that the ratio of poor classes (the unemployed) in
the inner parts of cities is by far higher than in Hungarian big cities (Unemploy-
ment is concentrated in the city of Vienna approaching a ratio of 10%. This figure
is about hal fin the neighbour regions of Vienna. Unemployment in the Hungarian
big cities involved in our research is everywhere lower than in their neighbour-
hood.
Comparative researches have verified that on the ecological slopes of cities in-
volved in our research citizens living in different urban zones are adapting and
integrating their life to global processes in various ways, therefore it differs how
they utilize the benefits of integration for their own purposes. High and upper
middle classes living in the elite residential quarters of urban areas are more
tightly embedded into global (or national and local) socio-economic environment:
it is they are who most heavily use the modern metropolitan infrastructure and
institutional facilities, and it is they are who can turn employment chances offer-
ing high salaries and opportunities for running independent businesses with the
highest efficiency for their own benefits, and it is also they are whose lifestyle is
less bound to a concrete place of residence. People living in the urban quarters of
lower middle classes or in workers’ districts (frequently through a deep depend-
ency system or being even in a defenceless situation) are less embedded into their
global (or national and local) environment and they less intensively utilize the
advantages their urban area offers for their own purposes than the members of the
previous group and their life is more strongly bound to their place of residence.
The marginal (partially city centre and partially suburban or periurban) parts are
the areas of handicapped classes having been ‘pushed off’ from the labour market
and of underclasses who not (or very rarely only through the state’s or the local
municipality’s social aiding programme can utilize the socio-economic advan-
tages of their global (and national or local) environment, of modern infrastructural
and institutional facilities for their own benefits. Thus, spatial dimension is a key
107
Szirmai, Viktória : Conclusions
In:Social Inequalities in Urban Areas and Globalization. The Case of Central Europe.
Pécs: Centre for Regional Studies, 2007. 105-108. p. Discussion Papers, Special
component of the transmission mechanisms of global impacts and of social ine-
qualities. The socio-spatial units formulating in the ecological and social slopes of
metropolises (indicating differences in infrastructural, institutional supply and
economic development level) are both indicators and creators of social inequali-
ties at the same time.
108