Structural changes in size of settlements in Serbian mountain regions

Abstract

The authors emphasize significance of hierarchy of mountain settlements by size, as well as the significance of regularity of their structure for estimation of the development level of determined spatial area. It has been shown that in undeveloped areas the process of growth of small villages appears, especially ones from up to 100 inhabitants. Evidently, this process is the consequence of empting the area and makes the renewal and revitalisation of rural areas more difficult. All negative trends, like reducing the number of bigger settlements and increasing the number of smaller ones, are most intensive in Mountain regions of Serbia (defined as territory over 600 m above sea level) in relation to Central Serbia.

U radu se ističe značaj hijerarhije naselja po veličini i njihove pravilne strukture kao indikatora ocene nivoa razvijenosti određene prostorne celine. Ukazuje se da na nerazvijenim područjima dolazi do porasta broja malih sela, posebno onih veličine do 100 stanovnika, što znatno otežava obnovu i revitalizaciju ruralnih područja, a posledica je njihovog demografskog pražnjenja. Negativni trendovi smanjivanja broja većih naselja i povećavanja broja manjih naselja intenzivno su izraženi na planinskim područjima, u odnosu na Centralnu Srbiju u celini.