THE SETTLEMENTS AND THE IMPACT OF SUBURBANIZATION ON THE DEMOGRAPHIC AGE STRUCTURE IN SIBIU COUNTY, ROMANIA
Raularian RUSU1*, Ciprian MOLDOVAN1, Titus-Cristian MAN1, Elena-Manuela BÎRSĂNUC1, Cosmina-Daniela URSU1, Adina-Maria PATIȚA1
1 Centre for Regional Geography, Faculty of Geography, Babeș-Bolyai University, 5-7 Clinicilor Str. 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
* Corresponding author: raularian.rusu@ubbcluj.ro
ABSTRACT. – The Settlements and the Impact of Suburbanization on the Demographic Age Structure in Sibiu County, Romania. The process of suburbanization has had an impact on the settlement system in Sibiu County. Demographic data collected from the last two censuses (2011 and 2021) as well as from the National Institute of Statistics show that the cities of Sibiu and Mediaș experienced a demographic decline in the last decades, while their suburban areas increased demographically. The highest growth has been recorded in the commune of Șelimbăr and in the town of Cisnădie, as well as in other communes around the city of Sibiu (Șura Mare, Șura Mică, Cristian, Roșia). While there is no data regarding the age of the migrants from the core cities to their respective suburban areas, the analysis shows that most of them are young adults and their (future) children. This has led to a sharp change in the age structure of the population both in the core cities and in the suburban settlements. On the one hand, the cities of Sibiu and Mediaș experienced a decline in young and adult population, and an increase of the weight of the elderly population. On the other hand, suburban settlements have registered not just an increase in terms of population, but also in the weight of the young and adult population. Therefore, we witness a process of sharp rejuvenation in the suburban settlements (mostly in Șelimbăr and Cisnădie), at the same time with the intensification of demographic ageing in many parts of Sibiu County, including the two cities, Sibiu and Mediaș. At the same time, suburbanization brought along a number of issues, such as the insufficient number of educational institutions in the suburban areas and increased traffic due to the large number of commuters.
Keywords: suburbanization, settlements, cities, age structure, Sibiu County, Romania.