Population distribution and change in the coastal Baltic cities

Abstract

Coastalisation - the concentration of population and economic activities on the coasts of the World Ocean - has been investigated since the mid 19th century. Coastalisation studies focusing on the Baltic region do not date back a long time. However, the region per se has been studied extensively since the 1990s when it underwent dramatic geopolitical changes and became a hub for integration processes. Researchers have established how the vicinity of the sea affects parts of the Baltic Sea that differ in environmental and socioeconomic conditions and belong to different states. However, it has not been examined how coastalisation influences networks of coastal cities. This article studies the spatial features of the emergence and development of coastal city networks. The authors use Eurostat data, national statistics of the Baltic region states, research literature, and coastal city websites. The study uses mapping and statistical analysis. The findings may be used in spatial planning in the Baltic region and in university programmes.