PREDICTED DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY OF NITRA IN SOUTHWESTERN SLOVAKIA BASED ON LAND COVER-LAND USE CHANGES AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

The aim of this paper is to predict possible future development of the city of Nitra, southwestern Slovakia. We proposed three scenarios of possible further development of the city (negative, progressive and realistic) based on mapping and evaluation of land cover and land use changes in Nitra from 1949 to 2015. Also taking into account the socio-economic development of the city with an emphasis on the current state and recent changes. The SWOT analysis in three domains (social, economic, environmental) was prepared and used for scenario development as well. The spreading of a built-up area is a natural consequence of city development. It is connected with processes of urbanization and industrialization that are accompanied with loss of agricultural land. Changes caused by these processes are clearly visible in Nitra and also within its vicinity. The structure of land use development has varied over the years. At the beginning of the period studied, changes connected with agriculture production dominated, while presently, the changes that prevail are connected with urbanization and industrialization.