The essence of the concept of "urbanised areas" in the context of public administration

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Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas

The essence of the concept of «urbanised areas» in the context of public administration

Prokipchuk Artur Andriyovych

Introduction

In the 21st century, urbanisation processes have become a global trend of social development. According to the World Bank [17], in 2022, the urban population accounted for 56,9 % of the world's total population. At the same time, the share of the urban population is constantly increasing, which indicates the dynamic growth of urbanised areas. Sustainable development of cities and communities was included in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, approved at the UN Summit in September 2015 and reflected in the Summit Outcome Document «Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development». The rapid pace and irreversibility of urbanisation changes create a number of challenges facing the public administration system, which, in turn, necessitates its transformation.

Cities are powerful engines of the global economy, and thus large cities are a concentration of large capital, talent, innovation, technology and labour. All of this, on the one hand, contributes to development, but on the other hand, generates inequality in both social and economic terms, which manifests itself in a number of problems, such as imbalances in urban income, urban poverty, lack of urban housing and access to it, the existence of slums and the development of slums, and urban crime. The infrastructure problems of cities include inefficient housing and communal services in terms of access to quality and adequate drinking water, adequate wastewater treatment, transport systems, including public transport and parking space, availability and adequacy of shelters and bomb shelters in cities, as well as problems of urban sprawl and urban heat islands. The above list of infrastructure and economic problems of cities is not exhaustive, but the identification and assessment of these problems will be the basis for finding public administration tools to overcome them and and minimising their consequences [9, p. 143].

Urbanization is a complex social phenomenon that has been studied by scholars in various fields of knowledge for several decades, as evidenced by the bibliometric analysis of scientific papers published in the international SCOPUS database (the first paper dates back to 1946) [8, p. 315]. Since 1966, scholarly interest in urbanisation has grown significantly. Thus, in 1966, 10 papers were published, and each subsequent year their number increased, and now we have thousands of scientific publications [7, p. 100].

Presentation of the basic material

Modern scholars tend to consider urbanisation from different perspectives - social, economic, geographical, demographic, etc. Different approaches to the interpretation of this concept are mainly related to the scientific specialisation and ideological beliefs of scientists. However, most researchers define urbanization as an irreversible historical, global and multifaceted process.

Representatives of various scientific circles have been and are still studying urbanization processes. This led to the emergence and further development of various urban theories. The main ones are: the theory of urban ecology by R. Park and E. Burgess, the theory of «urbanism as a way of life» by L. Wirth, the compositional theory of G. Hans, the theory of subculture by K. Feather, etc.

Urban ecology (R. Park, E. Burgess) and its representatives believe that cities grow in accordance with the peculiarities of the environment, not chaotically. At the same time, the development of different urban areas occurs due to the adaptation of their inhabitants, who are struggling for their own existence, and the peculiarity of placement and movement in the urban environment is similar to that in the natural environment.

In their view, the formation of the city in general can be seen as a reproduction of successive concentric circles that represent urban areas divided into sectors: in the centre are the areas of the «inner city», outside them are residential areas, and then the suburban zone. In the sectors of the concentric circles, the processes of capturing an ecological niche and consolidating in it are taking place. However, according to contemporaries, the concept of urban ecology has a major drawback in underestimating the conscious design and planning of urban development, which considers urban development as a natural process [6].

L. Wirth's concept of «urbanism as a way of life» defines its three main features: the size of the city territory, density and heterogeneity (disparity) of the population. L. Wirth gave great importance and priority to the study of the social structure of cities and identified a significant differentiation of people, which causes a weakening of social ties, loss of group cohesion, and increased loneliness. He singled out the psychological effects of urban life and their impact on the social structure and the individual as factors that determine the worldview of city dwellers. He considered mutual indifference, lack of support due to weakened interpersonal ties among city dwellers, and increased emotional stress, which leads to anxiety, nervousness, and defiance, to be negative factors. At the same time, people in cities feel freer and have the opportunity to live at their own discretion [16].

Representatives of the compositional theory (in particular, G. Hans), in contrast to L. Wirth, who pointed to the destruction of ties between people and groups and the stratification of the population, argue that people live in small groups (family, circle of friends, neighbours), around which there are so-called social worlds that weaken destructive processes and isolate people from the environment (city). Therefore, it is much more important to analyse factors such as life cycle stage, social class, and ethnicity to understand the social life of urban residents than to study the size of cities, population composition, and density.

К. Feather and his theory of subculture assumes that cities also create conditions for the creation and strengthening of social groups. Although the city's environment does affect people's private lives. The urban environment is favourable for the development of subcultures precisely because of differentiation. Many groups are created that share common interests and each of them can become a kind of subculture centre. In big cities, it is always easier for a person to find friends or join a group with common interests. Proponents of this theory believe that the urban environment is characterised by a tendency towards social conflict, but its source is contradictions between stable subcultures, not the breakdown of groups [3, p. 16].

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) started in 1976 with the UN Conference on Human Settlements in Vancouver, Canada, at a time when the governments began seriously to perceive the cities under their jurisdictions as «emerging futures» in their own right. Opening the event, Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau aptly summarized the worldwide (and ongoing) challenge as follows: «Human settlements are linked so closely to existence itself, represent such a concrete and widespread reality, are so complex and demanding, so laden with questions of rights and desires, with needs and aspirations, so racked with injustices and deficiencies, that the subject cannot be approached with the leisurely detachment of the solitary theoretician».

There were two major outcomes of this pathbreaking event. The first was the Vancouver Declaration, which urged both countries and the international community to commit to human settlements policies which would combine spatial planning with elements of economic, social and scientific thinking in order to alleviate the worst conditions of «uncontrolled urbanization» within a framework of social justice. The second outcome, announced in a UN General Assembly document of December 1977, was the establishment of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements.

Two decades later, in June 1996, in Istanbul, the Second UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), further contributed to raising global awareness about urban and human settlements issues. Habitat II was the last in the series of UN global conferences that took place in the 1990s, and marked for the first time in a UN conference the invitation of NGOs and civil society organizations to speak and participate in drafting the recommendations. Behind all the organization and planning that went into Habitat II were trends and changes that were demanding the world's attention. Many of these themes were summarized in An Urbanizing World: The Global Report on Human Settlements 1996.

Among the myriad issues raised in this landmark document, the most important were:

Cities had come to the forefront in strategies for development;

But Poverty and poor housing conditions were increasing in incidence;

Cities desperately needed competent and accountable governance;

Citizen groups, community organizations and NGOs were more important and needed more attention;

Since Governments would in the future be enablers much more than providers [14, p. 18].

Urbanization as a global process and modern theories of its study focus on the fact that urbanism is to some extent conditioned by political and economic factors, and is not an isolated phenomenon.

For example, D. Harvey [4] believes that: urbanism is one of the aspects of the environment generated by the development and flourishing of industrial capitalism; the differences between the lifestyles of urban and rural populations in modern society are much blurred than in traditional society; in modern urbanism, as large firms choose locations for their production, research centres, and private interests, space is constantly reorganised, and this affects the purchase and sale of houses and land.

L. Van den Berg defines urbanization as a process of rapid growth of urban population, increasing the concentration of population, jobs, production, and services in the main city (metropolis), while the surrounding settlements are losing their residents [15, p. 16].

The 11-volume Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language defines urbanization as «the historical process of rapid growth of old and new cities and the emergence of their role in the economic and cultural life of society» [2, p. 474].

T. Zastavetskyi notes that «urbanization is a process that manifests itself not only in an increase in the share of the urban population and the growing role of cities in the development of the region, but also in the impact of cities on people's lifestyles, their livelihoods, and the existence of the entire area adjacent to the city» [18]. The author extends the scope of urbanization factors to the areas adjacent to cities.

А. Buryachenko interprets this phenomenon a little more broadly, noting that it should be understood not only as urban growth and an increase in the urban population, but also as «a new stage of society development characterised by the concentration of economic, demographic and political potential, which allows concentrating and controlling significant amounts of financial resources, creating new technologies, new types of services, and carrying out innovative activities» [1, p. 87].

At the same time, N. Omelchenko defines urbanization as «a multifaceted and very ambiguous process that (in addition to increasing the share of the urban population and intensive formation of cities as a special type of settlements with a large number of people concentrated in a relatively limited space) entails the transformation of the entire spatial and structural organisation of the population's life» [5, p. 59].

O. Topchiev considers urbanization as a process that determines the development of cities over time, when socio-economic functions of cities evolve, social needs for the quality of the urban environment change, and new requirements and principles of spatial ordering of cities appear [12, p. 265].

British scholars S Tacoli, G. Mc Granahan, D. Satterthwaite [11] studied urbanization from the perspective of demography and migration from rural to urban areas, i.e. an increase in the share of urban population compared to rural. The authors believe that the main motive for such migration is economic, and cite the relationship between urbanization and economic growth as an example. Characterising urbanization as a certain process, we can agree with scientists. However, this approach characterises urbanization only as population flows and in no way defines the specifics of the functioning of urbanized areas.

These approaches to the study of urbanization indicate its multidimensionality and importance from the point of view of studying social relations, on the one hand, and ensuring their safety and security of human life, on the other. Each approach has the right to exist, which is determined by the goals set for the researcher and the aspects that he or she studied, in particular: socio-economic phenomenon; historical process; demographic migration process; the process of city formation, which is determined by the specifics of the population's life; artificial (not natural) process; global multilateral process; increasing importance of cities and urban population. Another factor that determines the diversity of scientists' views is that urbanization, urbanized areas, urbanization processes and their consequences are the objects of research in various fields of science.

Due to the dynamic growth in the share of urban population and the increasing role of cities, urbanization has been on the agenda of various global organisations. However, given the multidimensional nature and complexity of this phenomenon, even at the global level, there is no single approach to interpreting this concept.

In particular, the WHO defines urbanization as one of the leading global trends of the 21st century, which has a significant impact on health. According to WHO, the world today has a unique opportunity to manage urbanization and other major urban development trends in order to protect and promote health [13].

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs) considers urbanization as a global phenomenon, that changes the landscape of human settlement and has a significant impact on living conditions, the environment and and has a significant impact on living conditions, the environment and development.

Urban development refers to the planned and sustainable growth of cities and metropolitan areas. It encompasses a wide range of activities and initiatives aimed at enhancing the physical, economic, social, and environmental aspects of urban areas. The primary goal of urban development is to create livable, vibrant, and resilient cities that can accommodate the needs of their current and future inhabitants.

Urban development is of paramount importance for several reasons:

Economic Growth: Well-planned urban development can stimulate economic growth by attracting investments, businesses, and job opportunities. This, in turn, can lead to increased income and a higher standard of living for urban residents.

Infrastructure Improvement: Urban development projects often involve the construction and upgrading of infrastructure such as roads, public transportation, utilities, and healthcare facilities. These improvements enhance the overall quality of life in cities.

Environmental Sustainability: Sustainable urban development practices focus on reducing environmental impact, conserving resources, and mitigating climate change. They promote green spaces, energy-efficient buildings, and public transportation systems, leading to a more eco-friendly urban environment.

Social Inclusion: Urban development can address social inequalities by providing affordable housing, improving education, and ensuring access to healthcare. It promotes inclusivity and diversity within urban communities [10].

According to various researchers, urbanization has both positive and negative impacts on sustainable development. Positive impacts can result in attracting investment, developing innovation, human capital, and improving livability and and quality of life.

At the same time, urbanization processes can cause environmental, economic and social problems. These include environmental pollution, rising crime rates, deteriorating quality of life in rural areas, etc. To address the above problems, a clear public policy should be developed and public administration decisions should be made, which will ensure sustainable development of territories in the context of urbanization changes.

Today, large cities with original master plans do not meet modern requirements and the needs of an evergrowing population. On the other hand, the transformation of urban space is a complex issue for both urban architects and the system of public administration and regulation. Domestic cities often lose their identity and comfort for their residents due to the lack of a plan and/or inconsistency with the declared urban development standards. The main reason for this is the quality of public administration decisions in this area, which, as a result, is reflected in non-compliance with the norms and requirements for urban development, including through lobbying for developers' interests, corruption, etc. All of this causes a number of problems related to urban safety and the safety of the population in such cities, including overloading of existing housing and communal services, transport systems, urban logistics, public access to social infrastructure and the natural environment, and problems with greening and the emergence of urban heat islands [9, p. 155].

Urbanization causes negative social consequences in terms of access to infrastructure, social and administrative services, and the comfort of urban residents. The World Economic Forum has compiled a social mobility index that reflects the level of development of a country's human capital and is based on indicators of health, education, access to technology, employment opportunities, working conditions and fair wages, social protection and inclusiveness.

Cities and urbanised areas are primarily foci of the spread of various epidemics and, as a result, require appropriate public administration measures to prevent, minimise and combat them. Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic that has shaken the whole world has become a threat to the livelihoods of urban residents, especially, and a threat to the security of urbanised areas and cities, in particular. This challenge has led to the need for urgent measures to be taken by public authorities to prevent the epidemic and control its spread, and it is also a serious challenge for the healthcare system, the provision of medical services, food security, and humanitarian security of the population in general and cities in particular. As a result, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the need to build and guarantee safe urban space, and, accordingly, cities and their governance systems that can function effectively in a crisis, meeting the needs and rights of social groups. In response to this, the concepts of urban development and, accordingly, the task of developing public administration tools for their practical implementation have been updated, in particular, the concepts of inclusive, resilient and sustainable cities [9, p. 187].

The consequences of urbanization pose a threat to the national security system, the security of the urbanised area and the safety of the inhabitants of such areas. In its turn, the security of an urbanized area is a component of national security, and the security of the life of its inhabitants is a key element of both the security system of an urbanized area and the national security system in general. The system of public administration in general and the processes of formulation and implementation of state policy in particular, focusing on the needs, interests, rights and freedoms of citizens, their health and life as the highest social value, in the context of developing a strategy for overcoming the negative effects of urbanization, ensuring the development and security of urbanized areas, should take into account the specifics of the constituent elements of the national security system and the security of urbanized areas.

Many cities across the world feature vast quantities of open, fragmented spaces with an urban fabric that is made of disconnected patches and large areas of vacant land. Poor planning systems, wasteful and disorderly urban expansion, land speculation, and various forms of sprawl are the main factors behind such fragmentation.

Both built and natural environments are affected by these practices that work against environmental sustainability and the ecology of open spaces inside cities. Various other cities suffer from unused or undeveloped areas that often include vacant lands, or properties in undesirable locations or in prime areas that are prone to speculation.

Planned City Infills (PCI) can act as effective remedies to these problems in cities with low densities, various forms of segregation, poor connectivity and inefficient use of existing infrastructure.

Through the New Urban Agenda, planned city infills have the potential to transform central and middle urban areas into vibrant places for a more intense community life, as existing vacant sites and underused areas are (re)developed or re-used. PCI is a major alternative to produce housing solutions that meet the needs of current and future residents, keeping costs down while adding to the variety of available options. These interventions can take the form of area densification, brownfield development, building conversions or transitoriented developments. Local authorities can implement urban infill projects at relatively low costs through a fresh look at the rules, regulations and ordinances affecting urban development in these areas, such as targeted code changes, land readjustment protocols, zoning bylaws that govern lot coverage, and the height and grade of buildings. These projects provide the foundation for public and private investments and for more complex future interventions that improve accessibility for the urban poor. PCI can enhance local revenue collection through higher local taxation, through land value capture and sharing that is accrued by these interventions [14, p. 205].

Conclusions

Thus, urbanization is a global and multidirectional process, the approaches to defining which differ depending on scientific fields and disciplines.

Having analysed different approaches to the interpretation of the essence of urbanization, we consider it appropriate to highlight its main features:

historically determined nature;

an increase in the number of cities and their growing importance in socio-economic development;

an increase in the share of urbanized areas;

concentration of economic, demographic, financial, social, cultural and political potential.

Continuous urbanisation processes affect the development of public administration, causing its transformational changes in the course of overcoming new challenges and problems. Thus, the study of the mutual influence of the processes of public administration development and urbanisation is becoming increasingly relevant to ensure the sustainable development of cities and other territories. urbanization housing transport

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