The role of nodal-functional organization of Hrvatsko Zagorje and Varaždin Podravina in regional development

The thesis discusses the connections between systems of central settlements, demographic resources and the degree of spatial development. In terms of these concepts, the thesis surveys the development of central settlements system and their structure, determines the main employment areas and their commuting areas. It also explores the direction towards which places along the border gravitate in order to see to what extent administrative-territorial organization corresponds to the real functional organization of the area. It researches the concepts of regional development and their utilization in the spatial-planning documents of The Republic of Croatia and The European Union. The results have shown a high degree of correlation between the development of central settlements, spatial distribution of demographic resources and general development of the area. The typology of the area according to development has shown that the heart of the region is the strongest central settlement Varaždin, while secondary cores consist of subregional centres. That directly implies the importance of the system of central places in regional growth and it also clearly shows the direction towards which the politics of regional development should be designed.The thesis discusses the connections between systems of central settlements, demographic resources and the degree of spatial development. In terms of these concepts, the thesis surveys the development of central settlements system and their structure, determines the main employment areas and their commuting areas. It also explores the direction towards which places along the border gravitate in order to see to what extent administrative-territorial organization corresponds to the real functional organization of the area. It researches the concepts of regional development and their utilization in the spatial-planning documents of The Republic of Croatia and The European Union. The results have shown a high degree of correlation between the development of central settlements, spatial distribution of demographic resources and general development of the area. The typology of the area according to development has shown that the heart of the region is the strongest central settlement Varaždin, while secondary cores consist of subregional centres. That directly implies the importance of the system of central places in regional growth and it also clearly shows the direction towards which the politics of regional development should be designed