GeographiesPub Date : 2023-12-22DOI: 10.3390/geographies4010001
Apostolos G. Papadopoulos, Pavlos Baltas
{"title":"Rural Depopulation in Greece: Trends, Processes, and Interpretations","authors":"Apostolos G. Papadopoulos, Pavlos Baltas","doi":"10.3390/geographies4010001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/geographies4010001","url":null,"abstract":"Depopulation is caused by low fertility rates and out-migration, and it applies to countries, regions and smaller areas. Rural depopulation is defined as a sharp population decline that falls well below an adequate population size and indicates that an area has lost its demographic reproductive capacity. This paper discusses the socioeconomic and territorial aspects of rural depopulation, attempting to do justice to the spatial dimensions of the phenomenon. Greece exhibits all the symptoms of demographic transition, leading to labour shortages, declining economic productivity, and increasing demands on the health and welfare system. The study on rural depopulation in Greece focuses on the changes and dynamics observed at the municipal and regional levels. A typology has been developed to identify rural communities in Greece. The main source of demographic data for our study is the Greek censuses (1991, 2001, 2011, and 2021). Demographic and socioeconomic trends in Greece are interlinked and show different regional and local dynamics. Rural depopulation is closely related to the study of (international and internal) migration, even though the latter does not provide a permanent solution to depopulation. An empirical analysis has shown that there is a need to revitalise rural areas through socioeconomic improvements, infrastructure investments, and policies that directly impact rural communities.","PeriodicalId":505747,"journal":{"name":"Geographies","volume":"65 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139163778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GeographiesPub Date : 2023-12-17DOI: 10.3390/geographies3040044
R. Bridgelall, Ryan Jones, D. Tolliver
{"title":"Ranking Opportunities for Autonomous Trucks Using Data Mining and GIS","authors":"R. Bridgelall, Ryan Jones, D. Tolliver","doi":"10.3390/geographies3040044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/geographies3040044","url":null,"abstract":"The inefficiency of transporting goods contributes to reduced economic growth and environmental sustainability in a country. Autonomous trucks (ATs) are emerging as a solution, but the imbalance in the weight moved and ton-miles produced by long-haul and short-haul trucking creates a challenge in targeting initial deployments. This study offers a unique solution by presenting a robust method that combines data mining and geographic information systems (GISs) to identify the optimal routes for ATs based on a top-down approach to maximize business benefits. Demonstrated in a U.S. case study, this method revealed that despite accounting for only 16% of the weight moved, long-haul trucking produced 56% of the ton-miles, implying a high potential for ATs in this segment. The method identified eight key freight zones in five U.S. states that accounted for 27% of the long-haul weight and suggested optimal routes for initial AT deployment. Interstate 45 emerged as a pivotal route in the shortest paths among these freight zones. This suggests that stakeholders should seek to prioritize funding for infrastructure upgrades and maintenance along that route and the other routes identified. The findings will potentially benefit a broad range of stakeholders. Companies can strategically focus resources to achieve maximum market share, regulators can streamline policymaking to facilitate AT adoption while ensuring public safety, and transportation agencies can better plan infrastructure upgrades and maintenance. Users globally can apply the methodological framework as a reliable tool for decision-making about where to initially deploy ATs.","PeriodicalId":505747,"journal":{"name":"Geographies","volume":"78 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139176329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GeographiesPub Date : 2023-12-14DOI: 10.3390/geographies3040043
Vassilios Krassanakis, Andriani Skopeliti, Merve Keskin, Paweł Cybulski
{"title":"Geovisualization: Current Trends, Challenges, and Applications","authors":"Vassilios Krassanakis, Andriani Skopeliti, Merve Keskin, Paweł Cybulski","doi":"10.3390/geographies3040043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/geographies3040043","url":null,"abstract":"Geovisualization (or Geographic Visualization) represents an interdisciplinary scientific field spanning cartography, geographic information science (GIScience) and technology, computer science and human–computer interaction (HCI), psychology, and cognitive science [...]","PeriodicalId":505747,"journal":{"name":"Geographies","volume":"372 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139179314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GeographiesPub Date : 2023-11-20DOI: 10.3390/geographies3040040
I. Stanciu, D. Ioane
{"title":"Geomorphological and Neotectonic Structures Studied in the Southern Part of the Moesian Platform in Romania","authors":"I. Stanciu, D. Ioane","doi":"10.3390/geographies3040040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/geographies3040040","url":null,"abstract":"The Moesian Platform represents a major tectonic unit of the foreland of the Carpathians and Balkans, spanning across the southern part of Romania and the northern part of Bulgaria. Although the Moesian Platform is considered to be a stable tectonic unit, it has played a significant role in the geological history of the region, influencing the development of the surrounding Carpathian and Balkan mountain ranges, making it an area of interest for studying tectonic history, geological structures, and landscape evolution. In the southern part of the Moesian Platform in Romania, delineated to the north and to the east by the steep slopes of the Argeş River valley and to the south by the steep slopes of the Danube River valley, an elevated and W–E promontory-looking geomorphological feature identified by the local inhabitants as “hill” is distinct from the neighbouring flat relief of the Romanian plain. This study is the result of a comprehensive investigation into the geomorphological features and neotectonic structures within this region. An intriguing outcrop displaying a filled fault, cutting and displacing the Quaternary sedimentary formations of the recently named Argeş Promontory, shed light on recent tectonic activities that have influenced the landscape. By integrating field observations, geological, and tectonic data, as well as satellite geodetic data, our results contribute to a better understanding of the study area’s regional geodynamics, emphasizing the significant role of tectonic activity in shaping the present-day landscape.","PeriodicalId":505747,"journal":{"name":"Geographies","volume":"35 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139259113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}