Martin Šveda. (source: Archive of M. Š.)
The phenomenon of population flight from cities to villages has affected almost every big city in Slovakia, especially Bratislava. In an interview, MARTIN ŠVEDA, from the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the Comenius University and the Institute of Geography of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, talks about how the area around the capital has grown over a quarter of a century, what life in the suburbs offers and how Bratislava is responding to this trend.
For some, suburbanisation may be a new concept. Can you define it?
It's the process of the population and economic growth of a city's outskirts, during which the city expands and absorbs its surroundings, gradually subjugating it. It's a natural process happening everywhere in the world, though it's accompanied by undesirable effects. Our duty as scientists and researchers is to draw attention to what's happening in society, the negative effects and how to prevent them.
The population of the Bratislava region has grown by 90,000 in recent years. Is this an accurate figure?
We have official data from the population register. It turns out that its hinterland has grown by about 90,000 inhabitants. We can assume that there are even more people. Many of those who live there have not registered a permanent residence. On the other hand, there are those who may be registered in Bratislava and its surroundings, but actually live in, for example, Austria or Hungary, or have lived abroad for a long time.
Is it a lot or a little?
By Slovak standards, this is a large number. If a hundred thousand people move in a country of five million, it's a significant process. Not only does it convey something about Bratislava and its development, but also tells us about the decline of other parts of Slovakia in terms of population outflow. Those people are missing somewhere.
Does this phenomenon affect other larger cities in Slovakia as well?
