Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography

Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography

Producing Peripheries- from Spaces to Processes

Sebastian Lentz

Warsaw Regional Forum 2011

Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography

Arguments

1. Critical view on the traditional role of Geographers/Cartographers in classifying/detecting/constructing centres and peripheries

2. Hints on mechanisms of traditional classifications of centres and peripheries by a stronger focus on processes in society (and space)

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Cultures: The Colonial Perspective

Source: HETTNER, A. (1929): Der Gang der Kultur über die Erde. Leipzig/Berlin. 44f

The Forms of Culture in the Older Age

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Source: HETTNER, A. (1929): Der Gang der Kultur über die Erde. Leipzig/Berlin. 106f

The Europeanization of the Earth

Cultures: The Colonial Perspective

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Mosaic of Civilisations

HinduBuddhisticConfucianMuslimAfricanLatin-AmericanOrthodoxOccidental

Source: http://www.monde-diplomatique.de/pm/.karten/index

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Theory of Central Places in aEuropean Scale 1950

Source: CHRISTALLER, W. (1950): Das Grundgerüst der räumlichen Ordnung in Europa. Die Systeme der europäischen zentralen Orte. Frankfurt (= Frankfurter Geographische Hefte 24:1).

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“Lines of power” in the EuropeanSpace

Source: BRUNET, R. (2002). Lignes de force de l'espace Européen. In: Mappemonde 66, 17.

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German Report for Spatial Planning 2010

Source: Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung (2010). Raumordnungsbericht 2010. Bonn.

Location and structural character of the village community associations

very peripheral, ruralvery peripheral, partly urbanvery peripheral, mainly urban

peripheral, ruralperipheral, partly urbanperipheral, mainly urban

central, ruralcentral, partly urbancentral, mainly urban

very central, ruralvery central, partly urbanvery central, mainly urban

Database: Spatial Monitoring of BBSRGeometric basis: BKG, Gemeindeverbänder 05/31/2005

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Germany Spatial Policy 2005

GuidingPrinciple“Growth”

Source: BBSR (2005): Raumordnungsbericht 2005. BBSR, Bonn. own modification

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Unemployment rates

Germany 09/2011(Kreise)

Source: BUNDESAGENTUR FÜR ARBEIT (2011): Statistische Analysen. Arbeitsmarkt nach Regionen.

http://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de/nn_4236/Statischer-Content/Statistische-Analysen/Analyse-in-Grafiken/Arbeitsmarkt-nach-Regionen/Karten.html

Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography

Unemployment rates

Germany 2010(Kreise)

Source: BUNDESAGENTUR FÜR ARBEIT (2011): Statistische Analysen. Arbeitsmarkt nach Regionen.

http://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de/nn_4236/Statischer-Content/Statistische-Analysen/Analyse-in-Grafiken/Arbeitsmarkt-nach-Regionen/Karten.html

Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography

Conclusions

• „Peripheral“ or „central“ is not only a result of economic and spatial structures but also of communication processes (incl. alien- and self-attribution)

• In the process of peripheralization maps are a very powerful instrument of communication (persistence of images)

• Peripheries are only graspable in the relation to the centers, therefore the principles of centralization need more conscientious consideration