The study of the vision of spatial development at different scales can often suggest different solutions, due to the different priorities imposed by the distinct territorial governance levels. In this respect, it can be useful to point out the meanings of the terms like urban growth, urbanisation, urban expansion or urban sprawl and their relevance for the future of a defined human settlements system. The presentation of the case of Brasov city and its agglomeration emphasised some of the problems of urban dynamic.

This paper focuses on the fact that Republic of Macedonia has faced for many years a high unemployment rate of over 30%. The indications that average third of the unemployed are aged 25 to 34 years are alarming; almost half of the unemployed are without qualifications; and over 80% of the unemployed wait for employment for over 11 months. Obviously, these situations differ on a regional level, depending on the demographic and economic characteristics of the region. This paper emphasizes the need for further knowledge of the structural characteristics of the contingent of unemployed persons in Macedonia as a basis for further planning in the field of economy and non-economic sector, providing additional guidance in education, forming a strategy for equally regional economic and demographic development, which largely depends on the ability or inability of the person to be employed in some place.

This paper focuses on the legal and institutional aspects faced by practitioners during their professional actions. There are two situations: parcelling for private housing on private terrains promoted by private promoters and parcelling for young people housing on local council lands. Urban plans have been and still are facing the gloomy reality of suggested changes inside the legislation and methodology of approving the urbanism documentation, the LAP (Local Area Plan) and UDP (Urban Design Plan). In order to establish differentiated responsibilities for local administration and private developer (initiator of the Local Area Plan) regarding the ensuring of necessary resources so that the urban plan should be applied and without whose completion the building permit cannot be issued. To further illustrate the issues, a successful operation of building a 240 apartment housing development on 11.00 ha given in Chitila, Ilfov County is presented. The involved project partners were: Chitila Local Council which provided with the land and pledged to carry out the infrastructure works, architects’ design office which produce the parcelling plan and provided the execution projects for a set of 6 types of buildings and the young beneficiaries.

Urban sprawl limitations are objectives of public policy of all European Community documents referring to urban and territorial planning. Nowadays clear and stable boundaries between the areas of towns built during the communist period are replaced by their fragmentation and perpetual transformation. Presently, the strategies and instruments of urban sprawl control depend largely on the legal tools and the efficiency of the cooperation between local public administrations in urban and metropolitan areas.

The paper focusses on the analyses of the recent development concerning post-socialist urban transformation of Bucharest, the Romanian country capital. The paper describes the spatial typology of metropolitan landscapes, and underlines the changes occurred inside the residential, commercial, services and industrial areas. The most noticeable occurrence is the urban sprawl and multiplication of the buildings and implicitly the diminishing of the agricultural area., It has been confirmed, at least theoretically, that spatial development of the largest cities determined a continuous decreasing of agriculture in the metropolitan area, landowners preferring selling or seeking to sell their land. The paper is empirically trying to argue the fact that post-socialist development of the land market in Bucharest metropolitan area determined a decline of agriculture in the city’s proximity. It is also showing that at increasing distance from the Bucharest city agriculture still has its importance as subsistence activity – in the south-eastern part, or as market oriented – in the south-western part or in the northern border.

This paper addresses the problem of Brownfield sites in Craiova City. The brownfield sites are of primary importance because they do not only influence the natural environment but also have socio-economic influences on the city in broad meaning: problems in attracting investors, decreasing the attractiveness of real estate properties, the increased rate of unemployment or the consumption of greenfields. Despite this, there is a lack or insufficient information among the decision makers. The general urban plan of Craiova City does not identify the existence of any brownfield site. Moreover, the official planning papers developed by the local authorities (such as The Local Development Strategy and the Integrated Plan for Urban Development) make no references to the brownfield sites. In this respect, the first part of the papers addresses the concept of brownfield and also identifies and maps the types of brownfields in Craiova. Based on specific and relevant case studies, the second part is critically examining the evolution patterns of the brownfield sites within the last decades. Specific management solutions for the reuse and redevelopment of the brownfield sites are also put forward. The paper addresses primarily the and use planners, in order to provide them with a better understanding of what brownfield site are, their nature, scale and patterns.

Within the context of tourism development in the countries of contemporary Central and Eastern Europe, this paper briefly discusses the challenges for industry and key issues for researchers within six broad topic areas. These are: climate change adaptation and mitigation; integration with sustainable development strategies; coping with globalization; differentiation/ uniqueness; innovation; and collaboration / partnership / networking. Practical cases are drawn from Western European experience to exemplify potential opportunities, and recent published research is identified to inform fruitful research directions. It is concluded that challenges and issues are similar across Europe, and that those relating to climate change adaptation and mitigation are, in the wider context, the most important to understand and address

After two decades of deregulated free market economy the post-socialist rural mountain areas are being unprecedently commodified. Landscapes of tourist consumption with specific behaviour patterns are produced and reproduced. The paper explores how landscapes are transformed due to massive investments into tourist infrastructure with questionable impacts on quality of life and environmental sustainability. Power relations and related production of space are analysed in three case studies in the selected mountain areas in Slovakia. First, the Oščadnica case study reflects on rural landscape rapidly transformed by massive ski resort development and deforestation. Second, the Tále golf course development case study describes commodification and gentrification processes in Central Slovakia. Third, the High Tatras case study explores how power structures push on the transformation of the oldest and most visited National Park in Slovakia.

Tourism in the former socialist countries can be best characterised as a rollercoaster ride since the regime change around 1989-1990. After the changes they lost their appeal for the ‘Western’ tourists and also a large share of visitors from the socialist countries as it became possible to travel to countries beyond the ‘friendly’ countries. The social tourism schemes operating in these countries have been abandoned or changed. The EU accession has helped to revive tourism and roughly at the same time the introduction of low cost airlines opened new markets for the former socialist countries. The introduction of the Euro has impacted on the tourism of some of these countries as they have temporarily become cheaper or more expensive than other (neighbouring) countries. This paper will focus on the factors that have had an impact on the competitiveness of Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania.

Landscape heritage of the Romanian Carpathians is emphasized through protection activities, but in the same time it represents an important pool of resources suitable to the numerous forms of tourism. Conservation is in line with sustainable tourism and its alternatives, ecotourism. The present study aimed on analyzes several features of the Carpathian protected heritage and how activities function through environmentally friendly tourism. Results showed a great diversity of understanding and implementation of ecotourism in the Carpathian Mountains, with numerous actions of organization, but also with a series of measures that are absolutely necessary for the proper functioning of this tourism alternative. The study provides several models to estimate some characteristics of ecotourism resources, which provide returns for consumer satisfaction as well as improve the management of protected areas.