Ivy, Russell L.

Transportation plays a crucial role in the location and development of economic activity. Early transportation network development models discussed by Taaffe, Gauthier and O'Kelly (1996) as well as Lowe and Moryadas (1975) help to illustrate the important relationship between the two. These bodies of work clearly show that the most accessible places in a region are associated with a relatively higher level of economic buildup than those places disadvantaged by either the imposed transport network (such as being bypassed by the U.S Interstate highway system), or the lack of transport infrastructure altogether. This relationship between transportation and economic development is often considered to be a chicken-and-egg problem. In other words, does the creation of transportation arteries become an important stimulus for the attraction of economic activity, or does the presence of a potentially exploitable economic resource or comparative advantage (such as mining, agriculture, or even tourism) generate demand for the buildup of a transportation network?

Tourism development in post-communist East Central Europe is characterized by growing numbers of international visitors. The region, however, has inherited infrastructural and policy limitations that perpetuate two distinct tourism spaces within most nations. International tourists remain very concentrated in the capital cities and a few resort locations, while domestic tourists display a much more diffused pattern of travel. The infrastructure that international tourists demand, and the information they require in making holiday decisions, is still quite geographically limited in East Central Europe.

The building of private sector economies in East Central Europe is receiving a great deal of attention in both the business and academic worlds. Thus far, most of the focus has been on the sale of older, state-owned enterprises to the private sector (privatization). However, enterprises newly created by local enterpreneurs, often small in scale, are making contributions to the private economy as well. This paper will discuss both aspects of private sector development using data from the Slavic Republic. Specifically, it will discuss the relationships among the growth of newly-created enterprises, the privatization of state assets, and regional economic differences (measured by unemployment statistics). It will be shown that a healthy local entrepreneurial climate can ease the transition to a market economy, and should therefore be given greater attention in the planning and policy-making of local governments and international aid agencies

Air transportation is a viral component of economic interchange. This paper explores changes in the European air transport network that have occured since the political and economic reorientation of the former Eastern bloc and restructuring of the European Union. Using basic connectivity measures, it was found that East-West nodal linkage within the network has improved, leading the way for full economic integration of the region.

Ports in the United States compete in a relatively free market system. Because shipping lines are free to choose the ports they utilize, port authorities have to continually upgrade their facilities to keep pace with changes in the industry. The container revolution altered the entire shipping network system, and ports have been called upon to respond to the needs of the shipping companies. Thirty U.S. ports in the South Atlantic and Gulf regions arc examined in this study. Variables that determine a successful port in competing for high-volume tonnage are tested and found to have different weights in 1965, the early days of the container revolution, compared to 1999.

This paper discusses the relationship between policy changes in the EU regarding the liberalization of air traffic, and the resulting spatial changes that are emerging in the transport networks of Europe's national airlines. Traditionally, Europe's largest carriers have been organized as discrete networks. Creation of the Single Air Market in Europe, however, will allow carriers to expand their geographic coverage, thus changing from a domestic market focus to a pan-European focus. Various planning strategies for such expansion are discussed. A graph theoretic approach utilizing basic aggregate connectivity measures is used to show the advantages of carrier partnerships and alliances using the network of Austrian Airlines as a case study.

It is argued that the development of small economic enterprises is vital for a transitioning economy (Gibb 1993: Gibb and Haas 1996). Small businesses provide an outlet for many specialized workers to start their own firm, thus providing a foundation for a newly transitioning economy(Erutku and Vallee 1997). This philosophy has led to "a very substantial growth of the micro-small business sector over the past half-dozen years" (Charap, quoted in Gibb 1993.,p. 461). and this growth is the reason for the expansion of many new firms, particularly in the service sector (Gibb 1993). Tourism development is playing a strong role in the service sector boom. Research suggests that the tourism industry can be an area of high growth during economic transition, due to the low requirements of human capital needed to gain entry (Szivas and Riley 1999)

Alternative or gay tourism is receiving greater attention in both the business and academic worlds. This segment of the tourism market is found to travel more frequently than the ‘straight’ market and is more recession-proof in their travel behaviour. Studies have indicated that gay tourism is, however, rather spatially concentrated in the United States and Western Europe. This research focuses on gay-orientated infrastructure as opposed to tourists. The paper looks at the spatial distribution of gay tourism and recreation establishments around the world. It was found that even though the clustering of such infrastructure does indeed occur in the USA and Western Europe, certain places exist as ‘islands’ of regional importance in the gay travel network. These ‘islands’ could be marketed as emerging gay centres in efforts to broaden the gay travel market.

The community of Sotiras on the Greek island of Thasos has experienced two distinctive periods of economic boom during the twentieth century separated by a long period of decline and abandonment. Early in this century, a mining economy flourished, while today the community functions as a haven for seasonal visitors. This paper compares the socio-economic and spatial impacts of both periods via personal interviews and examination of letters of long-time inhabitants of the village. These sources seem to imply that the current growth period is less welcome by the native Sotirans.

A vibrant entrepreneurial climate can assist post-Communist European countries in making the transition to a market economy. However, many of these nations are burdened with industrial districts organized into single large industrial complexes that are experiencing tremendous difficulty competing in the new market-driven, keenly competitive environment (Smith 1994; Hughes and Hare 1992). There is a growing consensus that true economic success for East Central Europe will come from newly formed small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Due to their simple yet flexible structures, SMEs adjust more easily to the rapidly changing demands of the global economy (Brunner 1993; Fitzroy 1993; Julien 1993). Thus, policies that encourage the growth of SMEs can be an important component of regional economic development for post-Communist Europe.