Regional identity and the renewal of spatial administrative structures: The case of Podolia, Ukraine

Abstract

The relationships between territorial identities and administrative divisions are investigated in this article, in an attempt to reveal the possible role of territorial identity as an instrument for administrative-territorial reform. The study focuses on Podolia - a key Ukrainian geographical region with a long and complicated history. A survey of residents living throughout the region showed that the majority of respondents had developed strong identification with both historical regions and modern administrative units. The close interaction between "old" and "new" identities, however, caused their mutual alterations, especially in changes in the perceived borders of historical regions. This means that the "old" historical identities have strong persistence but simultaneously survive constant transformations, incorporating the so-called "thin" elements, which fits the concept of dynamic regional institutionalisation and the formation of hybrid territorial identities. Consequently, although territorial identity may be used to make administrative territorial units more comprehensible for people, the development of modern administrative units based on hybrid identities, which include both thick and thin elements, may be another feasible solution that involves stakeholders in regional development.