A SZUBURBANIZÁCIÓ TÉRBELI ÉS IDŐBELI FOLYAMATAI A HAZAI VIDÉKI NAGYVÁROSOK KÖRNYÉKÉN, KÜLÖNÖS TEKINTETTEL A 2011 UTÁNI FOLYAMATOKRA

Absztrakt

The suburbanization processes that emerged in Hungary during the 1990s have played a significant role in restructuring the spatial distribution of the population around the major cities, including areas within their administrative borders. In a previous study, we identified the main stages of suburbanization in Hungary, distinguishing a first and second growth phase separated by an intermediate phase of decline. The publication of sub-municipal data from the 2022 census now makes it possible to extend the analysis of suburbanization trends to the most recent period. Accordingly, this paper examines the spatial and temporal dynamics of suburbanization based on population change in the 14 largest regional suburban zones between 1990 and 2022, with special focus on the period following the 2011 census. The aim of the study is to explore the current role of central inner areas, other inner areas, and inhabited outskirts in population growth. In addition, the paper assesses how recent sub-municipal-level processes relate to trends identified at the level of independent settlements and to developments observed over the preceding two decades. The results indicate that other inner areas and inhabited outskirts continue to play a significant role in the new phase of the process, although the rate of population growth is lower than in earlier periods. Furthermore, sub-municipal-level data confirm that, in the current phase, geographical location and socio-economic development have become increasingly important determinants of the intensity of suburbanization around the examined major cities.