TY - JOUR A1 - Szirmai, Viktória T1 - The social characteristics of Hungarian historic city centres Y1 - 2007 DO - 10.23689/fidgeo-710 PB - RKK CY - Pécs N2 - The results of the representative sociological research of Hungarian cities and their centres are showing a Hungarian way in the general development tendencies of the European and East Central-European city centres. The processes of transition, the impacts of European and global economic integration have adjusted the characteristic features of Hungarian big city centres to the inner space character of European big cities. According to the results of research the central areas of Hungarian big cities following the major features of West European big cities re concentrating high social classes: people with high educational level and high professional qualifications and with high incomes. The marketable, younger and more active demographic groups also prefer settling down in the internal zones of urban space10. The presence of low social classes is higher in suburbs and in backwarded urban peripheries. However handicapped social classes are present in city centres as well and the members of high social classes have also emerged in urban peripheries. The controversial situation of European and East Central European city centres can be well illustrated by the fact that Hungarian big city centres are concentrating not only high social classes and advanced economy (with high-tech infrastructure and sophisticated institutional system and services) but the majority of physical and social problems as well. The central zones of Hungarian big cities are facing much more social problems than their suburbs and peripheries. The further we are moving away from city centres the lower severity of social problems we meet ... UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-1735-0000-0001-335A-8 ER -