Land speculation that occurs on the urban border can be very problematic to the healthy development of cities—critical to economic growth. Speculative land investors, concerned with profits from trading in landed property, can especially affect developing countries where regulation is often poorly controlled and overly bureaucratic. An investigation into the factors motivating land speculators operating in the urban fringe of the city of Shashemene, Ethiopia is examined. The paper, in addition to contributing to the literature, is the second-known attempt and extension of the authors’ pilot research to study the behavior of land speculators in the urban fringe of a growing Ethiopian city. A theoretical framework and conceptual breakdown are put together with historical reference to early land speculation examples. Two questionnaires were separately administered with a representative random sample of 159 members from the local land developer association (i.e., investors) and 24 senior officials from the study area. A principal component analysis categorized the most significant dynamics in controlling land speculation procurements. Results indicated motivational reasoning as the prime cause for speculative activities. Evidence indicated that land speculation is a critical dynamic for self-worth especially with business-oriented persons. Entropy, the disorder of the communicative data, suggests a possible rethinking of the way government should intervene in the urban property market. As such, developmental smart cities in Ethiopia must thoroughly consider the dynamisms of speculative activities and its effects on local housing as it moves forward–in the 2020s.

A focalized analysis and reporting on the problems of general government debt (GGD) and government deficit (GD) and their influencing factors on economic growth rate tell the story of positive, neutral, and negative economies. Research was conducted over a nineteen-year period between 2000 and 2018 on all eleven post-communist European Union Member States (MS). MSs are divided in to three regional blocks: (1) the Baltic countries, (2) Central and Eastern European countries, and (3) the Balkan countries. Reviewed literature examined different types of GGD and GD with denoted influence on each MS’s economy and government. GGD and GD increase as a result of State intervention by reacting to economic fluctuations needed in creating redistributive-related fiscal policy. A breakdown of the problems of fiscal policy is explained. Datasets were compiled and systematically analyzed using Eurostat indicators. European regulatory benchmarking was used for GGD and GD as a percentage of gross domestic product. Results were divided at the regional group level. Comparative tax systems based on total general government revenue as well as total tax and contribution rate were evaluated. Histo-geographical research was considered and a comparative examination of GGD, GD and growth rate illustrated. In terms of GGD, GD, and growth rate, the Baltic countries were best situated, while all other countries were generally stable—with the exception of Hungary, Croatia, and Slovenia. In all, negative or stagnant periods revealed a general positive trend throughout the study with the exception of the world financial crisis of 2008, in which a deteriorative impact on growth rate was evident in all MS—especially from 2009. In the latter years, MSs’ economic promise signals a high potential for renewed public finance and stability initiatives.

The study investigates the relationship between institutional quality and economic growth in 27 European Union countries over the period 2004–2022, with particular attention to the distinction between Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries and the EU-16. The analysis is guided by the premise that institutional development is deeply rooted in historical and socio-cultural conditions, which differentiates the trajectory of post-communist economies from that of Western Europe. Panel data econometric models were applied, using data from the World Bank and the Fraser Institute database. The modeling was performed with varying parameters for both groups of countries. Five different types of institutions that may influence growth rates were considered. Overall, the results indicate a positive impact of institutional quality on economic growth across the EU, although the effect is markedly stronger in Western Europe. Government size, regulatory quality, and trade freedom were identified as the most influential institutional dimensions in both groups of countries, while the legal system proved to be statistically insignificant – most likely due to EU-wide harmonization. The most notable divergence concerned monetary stability, which strongly supported growth in the EU-16 but did not yield significant effects in the CEE countries. These findings suggest that the rapid growth in the CEE region was primarily driven by the catching-up process rather than by institutional improvements, although the role of institutions is expected to strengthen with further convergence.

Urban rewilding is increasingly recognized as a nature-based solution for restoring biodiversity, mitigating climate risks, and strengthening urban resilience. Yet, empirical evidence on how rewilding is perceived and supported by both policymakers and the public—particularly in post-socialist contexts—remains scarce. This study investigates expert and community perspectives on urban rewilding in Poland through a mixed-method design: a nationwide survey of 32 municipal environmental officials and a visual preference survey with 1,000 residents of the coastal city of Sopot. Expert responses highlight strong conceptual support for rewilding’s ecological and social benefits, but also identify persistent concerns about institutional feasibility, funding, and integration into existing planning frameworks. Community results reveal consistent public endorsement of moderate rewilding, with more cautious acceptance of intensive ecological designs in highly symbolic civic spaces. Taken together, the findings suggest that urban rewilding in Central and Eastern Europe is both socially viable and ecologically desirable, but its successful implementation will depend on adaptive governance, participatory planning, and the strategic use of visual engagement tools to bridge policy ambition with public expectations.

The association of local and regional self-government is examined in regard to the decentralization of state administration. This study extrapolated data from 36 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries and analyzed whether decentralization of the state assists in economic growth and development. Administrative decentralization is explored through defining a precedence from the literature. A systematic literature review was conducted and macroeconomic OECD data using nominal gross domestic product was analyzed for the period of 1995–2018. The results confirmed that decentralization does not positively correlate with the level of tax independence of local government and, in eff ect, is not an advantage. Territorial administration is highlighted throughout the paper as a key factor behind tax autonomy in relation to fiscal decentralization levels.

Cel. Kraje europejskie są zróżnicowane gospodarczo, biorąc pod uwagę takie wielkości jak np. poziom PKB per capita i udział w światowym PKB. Poznanie przyczyn zróżnicowań gospodarczych, które wpłynęły na taką sytuację stały się celem pracy. Czynnikiem, który poddano analizie była historia gospodarcza Europy od 1500 roku, ze szczególnym zwróceniem uwagi na okres tzw. rewolucji przemysłowej i podział Europy na dwa wrogie bloki po II wojnie światowej (kapitalistyczny i komunistyczny). Przyjęto hipotezę, że uwarunkowania historyczne (polityczne, społeczne i gospodarcze) wpłynęły na późniejszą pozycję gospodarczą poszczególnych państw. Metoda. Przegląd i systematyzacja literatury dotyczącej historii gospodarczej Europy. Analiza trendu sytuacji gospodarczej państw europejskich na podstawie PKB per capita i udziału w światowej gospodarce. Analiza krytyczna przyczyn zróżnicowań gospodarczych w Europie na bazie wydarzeń historycznych. Wyniki. Zmiany społeczne, gospodarcze i polityczne które zaczęły się pod koniec średniowiecza przyczyniły się zróżnicowania rozwoju gospodarczego Europy. Takie uwarunkowania jak: odchodzenie od poddaństwa, feudalizmu, absolutyzmu władzy, pojawienie się samorządów miejskich, swobody gospodarczej, industrializacja (rewolucja przemysłowa z XIX wieku), innowacje technologiczne oraz adaptacja podstaw gospodarki rynkowej przyniosły wyraźny podział na Europę Zachodnią i Wschodnią. Państwa reprezentujące Europę Zachodnią w większości wykorzystały i przyjęły podane czynniki sprzyjające postępowi gospodarczemu. Funkcjonowanie systemu komunistycznego w Europie Środkowo – Wschodniej utrwaliło podział na lepiej rozwinięty Zachód Europy i gorzej rozwinięty Wschód Europy. Wskazana sytuacja dostrzegana są współcześnie (druga dekada XXI wieku).