Morvay Szabolcs (p), Szentes Veronika

Ewa Kacprzak

Many disciplines deal with the analysis of the spread of epidemics (or pandemics), and regional science is no exception. Spatial relations and regional inequalities are the determining variables of the intensity, extent and severity of the spread of an epidemic, so it is essential to investigate epidemics from a regional perspective. Mathematical, statistical, network, and spatial simulation models can be used as methodologies for investigating the spatial spread of epidemics, but in this study, statistical methods are used as a basis. A possible way to reduce the severity of epidemics - be it health or economic effects - is to slow down the intensity of the spread. To this end, we carried out the research that served as the basis of this study and examined the Győr-Moson-Sopron county during the period when the pandemic caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus was most intense in our country, just as it was in most countries of the world, too. The purpose of the research was to register the intensity of the spread of the today's epidemics, and therefore the dynamics of the negative effects caused by the epidemics. Among the statistical methods, we used the mapping methodology as the first, separating the five waves of the Covid-19 pandemic in the case of the Győr-Moson-Sopron county. The next part of the analysis contains cross tables that differentiate the severity of the epidemic by gender and age with distribution ratios. Finally, as the quintessence of the study, we characterized the differences between the five waves in terms of the intensity of the spread of the epidemic with dynamic intensity ratios. During the modeling, the spatial relations appears in such a way that the large city of the examined area, its agglomeration, and the rural area were demarcated in order to register the influence of territorial differences on the intensity of the spread of the epidemic.

Begoña Cueto, Matías Mayor (p), Patricia Suárez

Morvay Szabolcs

In the last 15 years, economies have been shaken by two economic crises of very different origins: The Great Recession and, more recently, the COVID pandemic. During the Great Recession, interest in the analysis of regional responses to this crisis was revived and the study of regional resilience and its determinants gained great importance and interest.
This interest is felt not only in the academic sphere but also in the political decision-making sphere, resulting, for example, in the design of the Recovery and Resilience Facility by the European Commission to mitigate the economic and social impact of the coronavirus pandemic and make European economies and societies more resilient and better prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the green and digital transitions.

Regions' previous growth paths condition their responses to shocks and thus their greater or lesser level of resilience. Resilience is therefore a dynamic, path-dependent process. Consequently, the analysis of regional behaviour (in terms of employment, in this case) in the last crises has to be studied taking into consideration where we come from, i.e. the different adaptation processes that have taken place in the regions in the face of the different shocks. (Martin, 2010; Boschma, 2015; Evenhuis, 2017; Henning, 2019; Webber et al., 2018;). The aim of this paper is to analyse and compare the performance of Spanish regions in terms of employment during the last 4 crises in order to deepen the role of path-dependence.

Magdalena Szczepańska (p), Ewa Kacprzak (p)

Matías Mayor

AGs allotment gardens are a multifunctional space that, by combining recreation with food production, contribute to urban resilience. Their potential was particularly evident during social and economic crises. The COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to revisit allotment gardening in the midst of an unprecedented health crisis. This article aims to identify the significance of AGs during the COVID-19 pandemic and to assess its impact on the functioning of AGs and allotment communities. The city of Poznań (Poland), which has been characterised by a shortage of plots for many years, was studied in detail. We attempted to answer the following research questions:
Did the pandemic affect the increased interest in plots, and to what extent?
Has the pandemic changed the profile of the plot holder?
How has the pandemic affected the functioning of AGs and the development of plots?
What are the benefits of owning an plots in times of crisis?
Has the pandemic affected the approach of municipal authorities to allotment gardening, and to what extent?
A survey of new plots holders and in-depth interviews were conducted with AGs managers, representatives of PZD OZ Poznań and municipal authorities.
Our research indicates an increased interest in plots in AGs under the influence of the health crisis. Demand far outstripped supply and, as a result, their prices increased 2 - 3 times. The pandemic had a 'rejuvenating' effect on the gardeners community. Plots during the pandemic were mainly purchased by people aged 36-50. Half of the new plot holders had children. AGs were available to plot holders and their relatives throughout the pandemic. During the height of the restrictions, they became practically the only place in the city where it was safe to be away from home. Massive events were abandoned during the lockdown period. It was found that the plot during the pandemic - isolation and lack of access to other green spaces, was helpful in maintaining mental and physical health. It was seen as a safe space for recreation and gathering. For half of the respondents, the plot was a place for contact with nature. It was much less common for respondents to identify the opportunity to produce food as a benefit of having plot. The research indicated that the pandemic did not so much change the attitude of the municipal authorities towards AGs as it 'sharpened' the general trend of caring for urban green spaces.