Dr Martin BarthelUniversity of Eastern Finland

Tales of Periphery

The economization of the peripheral location

The Case study of Przemysl

„Europejski Fundusz Rolny na rzecz Rozwoju Obszarów Wiejskich: Europa inwestująca w obszary wiejskie.”Projekt opracowany przez Ministerstwo Rolnictwa i Rozwoju Wsi

Projekt współfinansowany ze środków Unii Europejskiej w ramach Pomocy Technicznej Programu Rozwoju Obszarów Wiejskich na lata 2007-2013Instytucja Zarządzająca Programem Rozwoju Obszarów Wiejskich na lata 2007-2013 -

Minister Rolnictwa i Rozwoju Wsi

Periphery

❖ Indicators for peripheral regions:

❖ Location: low density of settlements, remoteness, no real regional centre, inadequate infrastructure, weak educational and health infrastructure

❖ Economy: mono structured, small enterprises, high unemployment, low investments, weak GDP, less innovation and high tech industry.

❖ Demographic: migration, overageing, brain drain, low level of education

Question

❖ Which local strategies are used to deal with peripheral location?

❖ Which discourse on periphery is present at remote locations?

❖ Is periphery seen as obstacle or chance?

Case Study Przemysl

❖ Location: located on the border with Ukraine (triple periphery), no state university, no sufficient highway, nearest centre Rzeszow

❖ Economic: -9,1% investment, compared to Voivodship, 18,2% unemployment 2012,

❖ Demographic: 2010: 65.000, 2012: 64200, -4,9% migration saldo in 2012,

Fieldwork

❖ In-depth interviews with local stakeholders

❖ Newspaper and literature analysis

❖ Analysis of the "strategic sukseu" of the city of Przemysl

Using the periphery

❖ Periphery as chance:

❖ Use of untouched environment for the development of tourism

❖ Border Crossing in Medyka as "overland harbor" ( Woznyak 2000)

❖ Cross-border trade, SME

❖ Low cost of work as driver for investments

❖ Cross-Border Cooperation

Border Trade

❖ Professionalisation of informal economy

❖ 1. Suitcase trade (1980s - 1990s)

❖ 2. Mrowki ( from 1990s)

❖ 3. Basar Trade

❖ 4. Trade companies

❖ A third of commercial space located on the Basar, roughly a third envolved in trade

Tourism in the periphery

❖ Strategic development of Agro- and Ecotourism

❖ Border Tourism ( e.g. Basars, fortification, curzon line, multicultural heritage)

❖ Promoting Przemysl as hub to Ukraine ( first city in EU)

Conclusions

❖ The peripheral situation is realized as a challenge

❖ Tourism and Trade are seen as resources

❖ The Border is main determination for regional development

❖ Peripheral location is used

For Przemysl the peripheral location is an accepted truth. The city seeks

to economize the periphery in order to foster its development.

martin.barthel@uef.fi

Thank you for your attention

Dr Martin BarthelKarelian InstituteUniversity of Eastern Finland