The course has a theoretical-methodological and applicative character and aims to synthesize knowledge about the principles and methods of regionalization and apply them in delimitation of functional regions singled out upon functional complementarity, compatibility and symbiosis of the urban settlements and their surroundings.

The outcome of the course will be to enable the student - the future spatial planner, on the basis of relevant theoretical and methodological bases, in practice and concrete geo-space, to identify and solve the problems of connections and relations between urban settlements and their spatial and functional environment.

Theoretical lectures

1. Introduction to the problem of functional regionalization and its application in spatial planning: The notion of a functional region and functional regionalization; Functional paradigm in regionalization and regionalism; Functional regions as the instruments of regional development and regional planning.
2. Principles and methods of delimitation of the functional regions: Principles – system approach, nodality, complementarity, compatibility, competitiveness, hierarchy. Methods - general scientific methods (analytic, synthetic, quantitative, cartographic, etc.) and specific (socio-economic and socio-geographical)
3. Factors of functional homogenization of the city and its regional surrounding and their spatial implications - industrialization, urbanization, deagrarization, traffic development and public-sector infrastructure.
4. Spatial processes, connections and relations in functional regions
5. Concepts of the functional regions` development
6. Types of functional regions and their networking: Morphological regions - agglomerations, conurbations, megalopolises; Socio-geographical regions - metropolitan regions; Functional urban regions - daily urban systems.
7. Structure of functional regions (core - central urban settlement, zone of agglomeration, gravitational sphere, field of influence);
8. Functional regions in domestic and foreign theory and spatial planning practice (functional regions in: USA, Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia ... European Union)
9. Functional regions as the instruments of regional planning and regional integration and differentiation of the European Union

Practical lectures

Based on the examples of domestic and foreign experiences will be elaborated the models of allocation of nodal - functional regions of different territorial units and functional significance, as well as different hierarchical levels and taxa. The emphasis will be on spatial, demographic, economic and social indicators for the determination of the processes that regionally and functionally integrate the city core with settlements of immediate and wider regional surroundings. In the first part of the teaching, on the basis of these indicators, the boundaries of the nodal regions will be determined, i.e, functional-urban regions, their structures and processes that homogenize and (or) differentiate them. Logical order will be followed: classic metropolises and their spatial-functional organization (Greater London, Greater Paris ...), metropolitan areas, daily urban systems, functional regions, metropolitan areas, NUTS regionalization. In the second part of the teaching, models of functional relations, complementarity, competitiveness and networking of nodal regions will be studied. The acquired knowledge is applied in the seminar work on a particular nodal region or on the system of regions in Serbia.

Tošić, D. (2013): Principi regionalizacije, Geografski fakultet, Beograd
Veljković, A., Jovanović, R., Tošić, B. (1995): Gradovi Srbije centri razvoja u mreži naselja. Geografski institut ''Jovan Cvijić'' SANU, posebna izdanja knj.44. Beograd
Vresk, M. (2002): Urbani sistemi u svijetu. Školska knjiga Zagreb
Grčić, M., Sluka, N. A. (2006): Globalni gradovi. Geografski fakultet Univerziteta u Beogradu i Geografski fakultet MGU ''M.B. Lomonosov'', Beograd
Carter, H. (1995): Urban geography. Arnold London. (Poglavlja o funkcionalno urbanim regionima)