<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> Some fifty years in the development of ideas about the definition and use of functional regions are elaborated in this article, as an introduction to this Special Issue of the Moravian Geographical Reports. The conceptual basis for functional regions is discussed, initially in relation to region-organising interactions and their behavioural foundations. This paper presents an approach to functional regions which presumes that such regions objectively exist and that they are based on more or less tangible processes (however, a different view of regions is also briefly described). A typology of functional regions is presented and the development of methods for finding a definition of functional regions is discussed, as well as a typology for these methods. The final part of this article stresses the importance of functional regions in geographical research, and introduces some emerging new prospects in the study of functional regions.</abstract>

Conceptualising patterns of spatial flows: Five decades of advances in the definition and use of functional regions

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> The use of different objective functions in hierarchical aggregation procedures is examined in this paper. Specifically, we analyse the use of the original Intramax objective function, the sum-of-flows objective function, the sum-of-proportions-to-intra-regional-flows objective function, Smart’s weighted interaction index, the first and second CURDS weighted interaction indices, and Tolbert and Killian’s interaction index. The results of the functional regionalisation have been evaluated by self-containment statistics, and they show that the use of the original Intramax procedure tends to delineate operationally the most persuasive and balanced regions that, regarding the intra-regional flows, homogeneously cover the analysed territory. The other objective functions give statistically better but operationally less suitable results. Functional regions modelled using the original Intramax procedure were compared to the regions at NUTS 2 and NUTS 3 levels, as well as to administrative units in Slovenia. We conclude that there are some promising directions for further research on functional regionalisation using hierarchical aggregation procedures.</abstract>

Intramax and other objective functions: The case of Slovenia

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> Due to confidentiality considerations, the microdata available from the 2011 Spanish Census have been codified at a provincial (NUTS 3) level except when the municipal (LAU 2) population exceeds 20,000 inhabitants (a requirement that is met by less than 5% of all municipalities). For the remainder of the municipalities within a given province, information is only provided for their classification in wide population intervals. These limitations, hampering territorially-focused socio-economic analyses, and more specifically, those related to the labour market, are observed in many other countries. This article proposes and demonstrates an automatic procedure aimed at delineating a set of areas that meet such population requirements and that may be used to re-codify the geographic reference in these cases, thereby increasing the territorial detail at which individual information is available. The method aggregates municipalities into clusters based on the optimisation of a relevant objective function subject to a number of statistical constraints, and is implemented using evolutionary computation techniques. Clusters are defined to fit outer boundaries at the level of labour market areas.</abstract>

International Economics Institute, University of Alicante, Spain

International Economics Institute and Department of Applied Economic Analysis, University of Alicante, Spain

Delineating zones to increase geographical detail in individual response data files: An application to the Spanish 2011 Census of population

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> The definition of functional meso regions for the territory of the Czech Republic is articulated in this article. Functional regions reflect horizontal interactions in space and are presented as a useful tool for various types of geographical analyses, and also for spatial planning, economic policy designs, etc. This paper attempts to add to the discussion on the need to delineate areal units at different hierarchical levels, and to understand the functional flows and spatial behaviours of the population in a given space. Three agglomerative methods are applied in the paper (the CURDS regionalisation algorithm, Intramax, and cluster analysis), and they have not been used previously in Czech geography for the delineation of functional meso regions. Existing functional regions at the micro-level, based on daily travel-to-work flows from the 2001 census, have served as the building blocks. The analyses have produced five regional systems at the meso level, based on daily labour commuting movements of the population. Basic statistics and a characterisation of these systems are provided in this paper.</abstract>

Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic

Department of Regional Economics and Administration, Faculty of Economics and Administration, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

A functional interaction approach to the definition of meso regions: The case of the Czech Republic

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> An attempt to provide a procedure for the assessment of the efficiency of various regional systems for the purposes of spatial analysis is presented in this paper. Functional regions as well as approximated functional regions and the existing administrative regions in the Czech Republic are evaluated, as examples of regional systems to be compared and assessed. Functional regions and approximated functional regions are defined according to the adjusted third variant of the CURDS regionalisation algorithm, using the latest knowledge on the operation of the constraint function. The comparisons of individual regional systems are based on LISA maps and particularly on the assessment of regional variability, including the measures of internal homogeneity and external variability in the regional systems.</abstract>

Department of Social Geography and Regional Development, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic

The efficiency of areal units in spatial analysis: Assessing the performance of functional and administrative regions

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> Accessibility measures are useful for studies in Economic Geography. For example, accessibility to potential customers can be used in a study of firm behaviour. In such a study, it would be relevant to consider where potential customers live. This can be accomplished by splitting the accessibility measure into three parts: accessibility within the municipality, in other municipalities within the functional region, and in other regions. Many studies have proved this to be a very useful way to incorporate the spatial structure of the economy into economic studies. This paper deals with the issue of finding the distance-friction parameters needed to calculate such accessibility measures. There is a particular distance-friction parameter for interaction within the municipality, between municipalities within the functional region, and between regions. One way to find the distance-friction parameters is to solve a constrained gravity model, in which the functional regions are used as constraints. Both the models and the optimisation procedures in matrix form, and the Matlab programs used in the research are presented. The spatial constraints are gradually introduced into the models, which empowers the researcher to make such adjustments on their own. The data set used is available for downloading, and the reader can then try the models before creating a data set of their own.</abstract>

Functional regions in gravity models and accessibility measures

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Moravian Geographical Reports

 The Moravian Geographical Reports [MGR] is a peer-reviewed international journal that has been published in English continuously since 1993 by The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geonics, through its Department of Environmental Geography. The journal followed the traditions of the Reports of the Institute of Geography of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, a journal which was published from 1963 to 1992. The title of the journal celebrates its origins in the historic lands of Moravia in the eastern half of the Czech Republic. Since 2023, the MGR is co-published by Palacký University Olomouc, Faculty of Science through its Department of Geography.  The MGR has been indexed in the SCOPUS database since 1993. In 2012, the MGR was selected for coverage in the WEB OF SCIENCE (Thomson Reuters/Clarivate Analytics) products and customs information services. Beginning with Volume 19 (2011), this publication is indexed and abstracted in the Social Science Citation Index ®, Current Contents Connect ®, and Journal Citation Reports/Social Science Edition ®.  The Moravian Geographical Reports is a non-commercial open-access journal, publishing electronic articles in the “platinum” open-access mode (i.e., no fees for readers and no article processing charges or publication fees for authors). MGR is published four times per year -- at the end of every third month of the year. Beginning with Volume 21 (2013), the electronic contents are published also on the De Gruyter/Sciendo publishing company website. Starting with Volume 28 (2020), the journal is published only in electronic form.  As a general purpose geographical journal, MGR receives and evaluates articles contributed by both human and physical geographers, as well as by other researchers who specialize in related disciplines, including the social sciences (environmental studies, regional and urban planning, etc.) and geosciences. The MGR aims to publish rigorous and impactful research on topics responding to the role of regions and localities in a globalized society, given the geographic scale at which they are evaluated.  We recognize the challenges that our society needs to cope with during the current environmental crisis and emphasize the unique role of Geography in understanding the processes of sustainability transition and climate change adaptation, by paying attention to particular geographic settings, spatial configurations, and the dynamics of networks within which the processes are contextualized. Several inter-related questions are stressed: problems of regional economies and society; society in an urban or rural context; spatial organization of geographical systems; the quality of life and spatial behaviours; regional perspectives on the impacts of human activities on landscapes and environments; energy sustainability and environmental restoration; and geographic processes in landscape evolution, including the evaluation of hazards. Theoretical questions in geography are also addressed, especially the relations between human and physical geography in their regional dimensions.  The journal has a distinct regional orientation, broadly for countries in Europe, with a special emphasis on issues that are different for Central and/or East-Central Europe. Submissions dealing with regions outside of Europe are not accepted, except for invited contributions to thematic Special Issues. For a detailed description of the types of papers accepted for publication, our review process and indications for the preparation of submissions, see the Guide for Authors.  ACCESS TO THE JOURNAL: Information on the Journal’s aims and scope, Instructions for authors, Calls for Special Issues, and full contents are available free online at: http://www.geonika.cz/mgr.html and https://content.sciendo.com/view/journals/mgr/mgr-overview.xml  Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 