<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The relationships between territorial identities and administrative divisions are investigated in this article, in an attempt to reveal the possible role of territorial identity as an instrument for administrative-territorial reform. The study focuses on Podolia – a key Ukrainian geographical region with a long and complicated history. A survey of residents living throughout the region showed that the majority of respondents had developed strong identification with both historical regions and modern administrative units. The close interaction between “old” and “new” identities, however, caused their mutual alterations, especially in changes in the perceived borders of historical regions. This means that the “old” historical identities have strong persistence but simultaneously survive constant transformations, incorporating the so-called “thin” elements, which fits the concept of dynamic regional institutionalisation and the formation of hybrid territorial identities. Consequently, although territorial identity may be used to make administrative territorial units more comprehensible for people, the development of modern administrative units based on hybrid identities, which include both thick and thin elements, may be another feasible solution that involves stakeholders in regional development.</p></abstract>

The relationships between territorial identities and administrative divisions are investigated in this article, in an attempt to reveal the possible role of territorial identity as an instrument for administrative-territorial reform. The study focuses on Podolia – a key Ukrainian geographical region with a long and complicated history. A survey of residents living throughout the region showed that the majority of respondents had developed strong identification with both historical regions and modern administrative units. The close interaction between “old” and “new” identities, however, caused their mutual alterations, especially in changes in the perceived borders of historical regions. This means that the “old” historical identities have strong persistence but simultaneously survive constant transformations, incorporating the so-called “thin” elements, which fits the concept of dynamic regional institutionalisation and the formation of hybrid territorial identities. Consequently, although territorial identity may be used to make administrative territorial units more comprehensible for people, the development of modern administrative units based on hybrid identities, which include both thick and thin elements, may be another feasible solution that involves stakeholders in regional development.

Regional identity and the renewal of spatial administrative structures: The case of Podolia, Ukraine

Department of Social and Economic Geography, Faculty of Geography

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

Laboratory for Regional Economics and Politics

Moravian Geographical Reports

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The relationships between territorial identities and administrative divisions are investigated in this article, in an attempt to reveal the possible role of...

Regional identity and the renewal of spatial administrative structures: The case of Podolia, Ukraine

Published Online: Apr 11, 2018

Page range: 42 - 54

Received: Apr 18, 2016

Accepted: Nov 20, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mgr-2018-0004

Keywords
territorial identity, regional institutionalisation, administrative-territorial division, decentralisation reform, Podolia, Ukraine

© 2018 Anatoliy Melnychuk et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Regional identity and the renewal of spatial administrative structures: The case of Podolia, Ukraine

Published Online: Apr 11, 2018

Page range: 42 - 54

Received: Apr 18, 2016

Accepted: Nov 20, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mgr-2018-0004

Keywordsterritorial identity, regional institutionalisation, administrative-territorial division, decentralisation reform, Podolia, Ukraine

© 2018 Anatoliy Melnychuk et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
territorial identity, regional institutionalisation, administrative-territorial division, decentralisation reform, Podolia, Ukraine