POPULATION REDISTRIBUTION OF MEDIUM-SIZED CITIES IN SLOVAKIA IN THE PERIOD 1991-2011 (AS A CASE OF ZILINA)

Suburbanization processes in Slovakia don't take place only in larger cities, but they are present even in smaller cities as a natural result of a higher quality-of-life preferences. The aim of this paper is to analyze changes in population distribution in medium-sized cities in Slovak territory (as a case of Zilina) in the period 1991-2011 within the cities' boundaries and their background. The analyzed units are the basic residential units and city boroughs. We have considered the background of cities as a set of municipalities located in their functional urban regions, as a region based on daily commuting. During the first decade, when the socialist housing construction was terminating, the boroughs with the housing blocks and the suburban boroughs of cities with an attractive rural character were growing. During the second decade there is a significant growth of those settlements located close to both cities and those located especially along major transportation lines.