DOI: 10.3303/CET23107078 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Paper Received: 14 April 2023; Revised: 02 July 2023; Accepted: 24 October 2023 
Please cite this article as: Kóbor K., 2023,  Social Sustainability Analysis in Szigetköz: A Study of Four Case Locations, Chemical Engineering 
Transactions, 107, 463-468  DOI:10.3303/CET23107078 
  

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING TRANSACTIONS 

VOL. 107, 2023 

A publication of 

The Italian Association 
of Chemical Engineering 
Online at www.cetjournal.it 

Guest Editors: Petar S. Varbanov, Bohong Wang, Petro Kapustenko 

Copyright © 2023, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l. 

ISBN 979-12-81206-07-6; ISSN 2283-9216 

Social Sustainability Analysis in Szigetköz: A Study of Four 

Case Locations 

Krisztina Kóbor  

Széchenyi István University, Apáczai Csere János Faculty of  Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of 

Social Sciences and Sociology, Győr, Hungary 

kobor.krisztina@ga.sze.hu 

This paper is based on research that examined civil and community life in 34 settlements of Szigetköz in 2021 

and 2022. A total of 337 NGOs and countless informal groups operate in the region. The examination is based 

on questionnaire research (43 fillings), interviews (25 pieces), observations (9 times) and document analysis, 

and one of the results is four case studies about four settlements (Dunasziget, Kimle, Mecsér and Győrladamér). 

The goal of this paper is to summarize the knowledge related to social sustainability and analyze its operation 

in these settlements. The principal finding of the research is that the four settlements coped with the challenges 

posed by their geographical location, economic situation and infrastructural capabilities in four ways. These 

roads show creative solutions using local resources, which are the key to the social sustainability of settlements. 

1. Introduction

Sustainability began to be addressed worldwide almost 30 years ago (Mensah, 2019). The concept quickly and 

widely spread, mainly used in connection with urban development and planning, but social sustainability is still 

the most controversial. In the field of sustainability, most researchers do not only mention sustainability itself, 

but rather sustainable development. The concept of sustainable development appears mainly in terms of three 

factors: environmental, economic and social sustainability, placing the concept of sustainability in a holistic 

approach. Although most researchers agree on that social sustainability is a central theme of urban planning 

processes and a widely used concept, there is no agreement on its definition (McGuinn et al., 2020). 

Mensah (2019) considers social sustainability to be one of the pillars of sustainable development, and basically 

unfolds two approaches: social sustainability is identified as the proper functioning of the social institutional 

system, which plays a role in reducing poverty and creating social equality, and as individuals and communities 

being able to recognize their own needs and to create the conditions that make their environment livable. 

According to de Fine Licht and Folland (2019), the definition of social sustainability is so difficult because some 

authors define the concept in a value-laden and complex way, while others only see it as a technical concept. 

Dempsey et al. (2011) add that social sustainability is a dynamic concept that changes over time and place. 

McGuinn et al. (2020) discover two systems for the aspects of social sustainability. One of the systems contains 

the social goals of sustainable development, and procedural aspects determining the achievement of 

development goals. The other examines the issue at the macro (satisfaction of basic needs) and micro 

(community, governance and services) level. The present study uses the second (micro) approach, and agrees 

with Woodcraft’s (2011) definition. ’Social sustainability is a process for creating sustainable, successful places 

that promote wellbeing, by understanding what people need from the places in which they live and work. Social 

sustainability combines the design of the physical realm with the design of the social world – infrastructure to 

support social and cultural life, social amenities, systems for citizen engagement and space for people and 

places to evolve.’ (Woodcraft, 2011) 

According to Dempsey et al. (2011), the social dimension of sustainable development includes physical and 

non-physical factors. Non-physical factors include: education and training, social justice: inter- and intra-

generational, participation and local democracy, health, quality of life and well-being, social inclusion (and 

eradication of social exclusion), social capital, community, safety, mixed tenure, fair distribution of income, social 

order, social cohesion, community cohesion (i.e. cohesion between and among different groups), social 

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networks, social interaction, sense of community and belonging, employment, residential stability (vs. turnover), 

active community organizations and cultural traditions. The physical factors are the following: urbanity, attractive 

public realm, decent housing, local environmental quality and amenity, accessibility (e.g., to local services and 

facilities/employment/green space), sustainable urban design, neighborhood, walkable neighborhood: 

pedestrian friendly. 

This paper’s aim is not to define social sustainability or socially sustainable development, nor to seek a new 

interpretation. The goal is to summarize the concepts of social sustainability and social sustainable development 

in a value-driven and complex approach, based on literature, and to present some of the elements that make 

up social sustainability through the example of the four settlements (Dunasziget, Kimle, Mecsér and 

Győrladamér) and its practical interpretation. The basis of interpretation is the list of Dempsey et al. (2011). 

Among the non-physical factors, the study covers education, well-being, community, community cohesion, a 

sense of community and belonging, employment, active community organizations and cultural traditions. 

The literature mostly interprets social sustainability in a macro-level approach and/or for cities, while this study 

thinks at the micro-level, and its subjects are small settlements with a population between 600 and 2,200 people. 

By focusing on small locations, the research provides a new framework for examining social sustainability. The 

last researches in Szigetköz, focused on community and well-being (Szörényiné, 2000), and community 

organizations (Nárai, 2004), carried out 20 years ago. In the past two decades, social changes took place in the 

region, which greatly influenced social sustainability.  

2. Methods 

Between July 2021 and January 2022, a multi-stage study took place in the 34 settlements interpreted as 

Szigetköz. The research was carried out with the support of the Institute of Advanced Studies in Kőszeg. 

As first step, based on the ‘helyicivil.hu’ database, the Opten database and the websites of the settlements - 

with the exception of the NGOs of Győr and Mosonmagyaróvár - a list of NGO stakeholders was drawn up. The 

list includes 337 civil/non-profit organizations projected for the 34 settlements. The creation of the list caused 

difficulties, because the used databases often contained contradictory and/or different data, and the mayors of 

the settlements and local residents reported on active informal groups (mainly in terms of cultural activities) that 

are not institutionalized, so have no registration. This list of NGOs was the basis of the prepared NGO 

questionnaire, which was sent out online. It was the second step of the research. The questionnaire contained 

questions regarding the basic data, goals, activities, and relations with the local community of the NGOs, and 

their contribution to the social sustainability of the region. 43 fillings were completed, mostly from civil 

organizations operating in smaller settlements. As a third step 25 in-depth interviews were also completed based 

on the list, as well as through personal acquaintances. The interview questions focused on the future 

development and sustainability opportunities of civil organizations and settlements. At the same time, the 

websites and social media pages of the organizations, and the news about them published in daily newspapers 

were analyzed. During the research, document analysis about the region’s NGOs and observation were also 

carried out several times, during appearances at events and workshops of active civil/non-profit organizations 

(9 times). Based on the above research methods, a case study of four settlements in the demarcated area was 

also completed. The selected settlements are located in the lower, upper and middle parts of Szigetköz 

(Dunasziget, Kimle, Mecsér and Győrladamér). 

3. Results 

3.1 Dunasziget –The settlement that ‘invested in people’ 

Dunasziget is a village with 1870 inhabitants, located in Győr-Moson-Sopron County, in the northern part of 

Szigetköz, in Mosonmagyaróvár district, 15 km from Mosonmagyaróvár. It lies along the Danube; most of its 

area is covered by the river's branches (Némethné, 2021). The settlement is located in a wonderful natural 

environment, but from an economic point of view, it does not have a very advantageous geographical location 

and features. The village is developed from the farm world, which is less able to mobilize economic resources 

to create and survive its values, rather the cooperation and unity of the local community has value-creating 

power. There are 344 companies in Dunasziget, but 263 organizations registered as individual enterprises, 

without employees, so micro and small businesses dominate in the settlement. Primary agricultural producers 

and small tourism entrepreneurs are still in the majority in the village. They are mainly engaged in horticulture 

and crop cultivation, some of them in animal husbandry. When it comes to getting a job, the goal is 

Mosonmagyaróvár or Dunakiliti, but the Austrian and Slovak labor markets also appear, mainly people come to 

help the construction industry.  

There are three foundations and 9 associations in the settlement, plus 4 more associations listed on the website 

of the settlement. It is typical that civil organizations aim to preserve traditions, beautify, protect and develop the 

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village. According to the mayor, one of the most important processes in the development of the village is the 

maintenance of community life, the observation of ‘tipping points’ and needs, and respect for the past and the 

future built from the past. They do not try to impose solutions alien to the landscape and culture on the population 

of the settlement but create programs based on their own past. These processes led to social/economic 

innovations such as the Dunasziget Vegetable Community (they produce for the members; they accompany the 

vegetables almost to the plate) or the Szigeti Éléstár market (a program initiated by the local government to 

support local producers and products and to boost community life). Part of preserving tradition is the Mórvető 

Festival, which recalls bricklaying, which used to be a profession in the settlement.  

In the case of Dunasziget, the key factors of social sustainability (and development) are: handing over the school 

and then kindergarten to civil/ecclesiastical maintenance in order to preserve the institutions, real estate 

development with the involvement of investors, support of civil organizations and key persons in the village, 

infrastructural developments (improving the condition of roads, which also helps to increase the main source of 

income of the settlement (income from tourism) and to connect the local community), keeping external and 

internal relations in balance and settlement marketing. Dunasziget stepped away from the traditional path of 

development, it was not afraid to make up for the lack of financial resources with community resources, social 

capital, and new forms of cooperation. This approach, using local community resources, and intervention based 

on local needs, embodies the approach to social sustainability.  

3.2 Kimle – The intersection of civil activity and economic power 

Kimle is a village with 2,205 inhabitants, located in Győr-Moson-Sopron County, in the middle of Szigetköz, next 

to the ancient road connecting Győr and Mosonmagyaróvár, at the junction of Szigetköz and Hanság. 

Kimle stands out among the settlements of Middle Szigetköz. The villages, located here, remain below the 

average of Szigetköz’s settlements both in terms of population, number of economic organizations, and civil 

activity. However, an economic and civil force is concentrated in Kimle, which is clearly reflected in the 

development of the settlement. The OPTEN database gives 339 results for companies, but there is a 

predominance of micro and small businesses (like in Dunasziget). In Kimle, people mainly worked and work 

now in the service sector and in industrial production. One company is engaged in breeding baby chicks, and 2 

agricultural companies (a producer cooperative and a private entrepreneur) are engaged in crop cultivation. The 

settlement has a pub, a grocery store, a campsite and a restaurant. Many of the entrepreneurs work in the 

construction industry, but there is also a car mechanic and a company that employs more than 100 people and 

deals in braiding cable protectors. An industrial park was established on the site of the old producer cooperative, 

mainly Austrian and multinational companies are present here. The settlement benefits from the business tax, 

while the community benefits from the cooperation of entrepreneurs. Another source of revenue for the Kimle 

municipality comes from real estate developments, but this is difficult because the settlement is located in a 

nature reserve. The municipality conducts a lively tendering activity as well, one of the important goals of which 

is to create community spaces according to the interests and age groups of the people living in the settlement 

and to develop the village.  

There are 3 registered foundations and 6 associations in the OPTEN database. In addition, 6 other associations 

are listed on the website of the settlement. During the interviews, several informal groups were mentioned, which 

are not institutionalized, but operate as an important part of community life in the settlement. This mode of 

operation is characteristic of Kimle. The key players in community life stated that they see disadvantages rather 

than advantages in the form of associations, since ‘institutionalization’ also entails constraints and 

administration, which would take the joy out of the activities of the communities currently operating as informal 

groups. Such an informal group is the Kimle Garden Friends Circle, which boasts 70 members who meet every 

two weeks.  

Kimle's story is also the story of nationalities (Hungarian, German and Croatian). Based on nationalities, the 

village has three choirs and three dance groups. Each group is a traditional, non-institutionalized form. The 

public school previously maintained by the school district was taken over by the German National Self-

Government two years ago. Currently, 170 people attend the school, of which 30 are of Croatian nationality, 

and they receive national education according to their culture and language. 

As a consequence of the activities of the ethnic self-government and the active community life in the settlement, 

approx. 40 events will take place every year. Water is also decisive from the point of view of the community, 

and their active NGO is the Kimle Dragon Boat Association, which serves the interests of the village with its 

sports activities as well as tourism-related activities. One of the strongest civil organizations in the settlement is 

the Szigetköz – Mosoni-sík Leader Association. Its goal is the development of local governments, civil 

organizations and entrepreneurs in the region, finding local opportunities and solving problems in five themes: 

village and rural development, renewal; preservation of rural heritage, micro-enterprise development, tourism 

and LEADER title. The partnership of the association consists of 39 civil organizations, 33 main entrepreneurs, 

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and 38 municipalities. The purpose of the association is to connect the developments in a network-like way and 

to ensure that they are built on each other.  

The headquarters of the Szigetköz Nature Park Association is also located in Kimle. It brings together 12 natural 

persons, one limited liability company, 5 civil organizations and 16 municipalities from the Szigetköz area. 

Together with the Szigetköz – Mosoni-sík Leader Association, the Szigetköz Nature Park Association represents 

a concentration of forces in Kimle, which is unique in the Szigetköz civil organization – self-government – 

entrepreneurial sphere. 

In Kimle, the starting points of social sustainability are very close to Dunasziget’s: the operation of the school, 

which is based on the traditions of the village (ethnic school), operating with modern means of generating 

resources (foundation resources, resources of the ethnic self-government, the help of local entrepreneurs), and 

returning the invested resources to the operation of the community, real estate development with the 

involvement of investors, concentration of economic resources in the settlement, exploiting the benefits of the 

settlement's geographical location (close to the Austrian and Slovak borders), its nationality (attracting Austrian 

and German companies) and its economic history (less agricultural, more industrial activity), concentration of 

civil resources operation of "public - private partnership", vibrant tendering activity based on natural and regional 

features, involving local community needs and resources. Kimle is a special settlement of Middle Szigetköz, 

where civil and economic resources are united. Kimle is lucky, because it brings together several people who 

are passionate about the settlement and the region, the Szigetköz, where it is located. This is the main key to 

success: those committed people - entrepreneurs, mayors, local government representatives, NGO leaders - 

who are able and willing to do something for the settlement and the region, are committed to the cause of 

Szigetköz.  

3.3 Mecsér – A small ‘jewel box’ 

Mecsér is a village with 653 inhabitants. The settlement is located in Győr-Moson-Sopron County, in the central 

part of Szigetköz, in Mosonmagyaróvár district, halfway between Győr and Mosonmagyaróvár. The geographic 

location of the village and the condition of the roads make it almost impossible for commuting workers to use 

public transport. There are fewer and fewer agricultural enterprises, and the local people prefer employment 

that involves travelling (Balogh et al., 2020). The OPTEN database gives 120 results for companies in Mecsér. 

Among the enterprises, 1 foundation (Ladikos Public Benefit Foundation) and 4 associations are registered. 

There is one more association on the settlement's website, and the helyicivil.hu database records 1 foundation 

and 1 association. 

The decreasing population resulted in a decreasing number of students in grade school (Thullner and Tuba, 

2014). ‘Based on consideration of rational (economic and organizational) factors, the Mecsér representative 

body decided that as of September 1, 2011, their member school will join the Lébény General Cultural Center. 

The municipality takes care of the kindergarten, which is complete’ (Balogh et al., 2020). 

The Ladikos Festival has the greatest impact on Mecsér's community life. The festival started in 2004 on a local 

civil initiative, where ensembles and groups interpreting the outstanding folk dance and folk music culture of the 

Hungarians of the Carpathian Basin are hosted. The cultural programs are complemented by a gastronomic 

program, so the festival can attract around 2,000 people every year. In the life of Mecsér, the festival has an 

outstanding community-forming power, according to the organizers, since every year more and more local 

residents are involved in the preparations and execution. The settlement survey conducted in 2020 does not 

show such a positive picture of the community life of the village. Although the Village Hall has been renovated, 

the building is rarely open, so the community does not use it as a community space. There are no events that 

appeal to parents with small children. At the same time, it is a positive sign and initiative that the Circle of Friends 

of Gardeners was formed, and a joint mowing was organized in the village in the summer of 2020 (Balogh et 

al., 2020). 

The municipality of Mecsér is trying to help with the deteriorating demographic indicators and the lack of 

resources by selling construction plots designed for young people, but integrating the new residents into the 

village life is not easy. The deep-rooted locals stick to the old, well-established things, while the new residents 

express other needs (e.g., baby-mummy club) regarding the communal life of the settlement (Balogh et al., 

2020). 

Looking at the characteristics of Mecsér, the image of an emerging settlement with resources, but not yet based 

on the local community and civil potential, unfolds. The factors pointing to sustainability, based on which the 

survival of the settlement becomes more certain: making the school in Mecsér stable and again with eight 

grades, for which the mobilization of church and/or civil resources is essential, real estate development with the 

involvement of investors,  support of civil organizations - provision and provision of community spaces for the 

organizations' programs and operations, putting the key people in the settlement (pastor, school director, 

amateur theatre company leader, doctors etc.) in the "situation" - valuing their activities, creating synergies 

between the activities, infrastructural developments – improving the condition of roads, creating facilities and 

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services. In the life of Mecsér, the Ladikos Festival fulfils the task of settlement marketing, promoting both the 

settlement and the surrounding area, Szigetköz. It would be important to add colour to this program from the 

point of view of different generations. Mecsér has every chance to write a success story by taking advantage of 

the above factors (similar to Dunasziget).  

3.4 Győrladamér – ’The urban village’ 

Győrladamér is a village with 1,799 inhabitants, located in Győr-Moson-Sopron County, in the Lower-Szigetköz, 

northwest of Győr, along the Mosoni-Danube, in the Győr sub-region.  

The OPTEN database results 269 companies in Győrladamér. There is no registered foundation in the village, 

but the settlement's website indicates a For Győrladamér Foundation, which, based on the description, appears 

to be a public foundation of the settlement. There are four registered associations in the settlement, and the 

helyicivil.hu database mentions four more associations. 

According to a local resident, ‘Győrladamér is no longer village-like.’ The image of the settlement has changed. 

With one or two exceptions, the lands of the elderly lie fallow, or have been sold as house sites to satisfy the 

land needs of those moving in. Some fit elderly person cultivates "competition gardens", but small backyard 

gardens and animal husbandry are not very common nowadays. The services are comprehensive, everything 

from a nursery to a retirement club can be found in the village. 

The Ladoméri Farm Association was registered as an association in 2010 to pursue community development 

and cultural and nature conservation activities. Their goal is to ‘wake up the sleeping streets of Győrladamér’, 

to introduce the values of Szigetköz, their narrower and wider surroundings, to the long-rooted and especially 

the local residents who are moving in. According to them, Szigetköz needs community-based interventions that 

value local characteristics. In the case of Győrladamér, social innovation and the display of elements of social 

sustainability can primarily be linked to the Ladoméri Farm Association. The space for the community's 

operation, the programs that increase well-being and psychological satisfaction, placed in the authentic 

environment, can be experienced primarily in the association's programs. The non-institutionalized groups also 

show the activity of the local community (retirement club, local group of the Red Cross). The attempt to 

domesticate American football seems to be an important step, which is also an action in response to a need 

from below. Győrladamér, as an agglomeration settlement of Győr, almost integrated into the big city, its village 

character is becoming less and less recognizable. The mass of settlers reshapes the population again and 

again, both from a demographic and relational point of view. The integration of the settlers into community life 

constantly presents challenges to the village's key players. The current challenge of Győrladamér’s community 

is to shape its own community and its identity over and over again, so that it becomes a unit capable of action. 

4. Discussion 

Miszlivetz and Márkus (2013) described that local development managed by the community will play a prominent 

role in the implementation of the EU development policy. According to Vercseg (2020), community intervention 

has three starting points: the world of ideas, civil society and professional historical approach, which are very 

similar to social sustainability factors. 

The goal of the research is to determine the non-physical factors of social sustainability, covering education, 

well-being, community, community cohesion, a sense of community and belonging, employment, active 

community organizations and cultural traditions in the case of four locations. Although all four settlements 

examined in detail have unique characteristics, unique values, and unique needs, they have common factors 

which ensure social sustainability and development.  

One of these factors is education. Eight-grade schools operate in three settlements, with civil and church 

maintenance. While a full range of educational services is natural in a city, maintaining a school in a smaller 

settlement also means maintaining the traditions of the community and being the cohesion power (basis) of the 

location. Another factor is employment. A large number of individual entrepreneurs can be observed in each 

settlement. Their activities are adapted to the traditions and geographical features of the location. The third 

common factor is active community organizations. Szigetköz is characterized by a large number of civil 

organizations and informal groups. Their aim is to preserve traditions, beautify, protect and develop the 

locations. They maintain the community life with programs; observe ‘tipping points’ and needs of the members 

of the community, and keep traditions of the settlement. According to the research in Szigetköz, these are the 

basic factors of social sustainability and development of small locations. 

5. Conclusions 

According to a concise recap of the main results, the research presented four small settlements located in the 

Szigetköz. These locations have 6527 inhabitants, 1072 companies, 40 NGOs and several informal groups. 

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Based on these resources, settlements run 8-grade schools, maintain services from cradle to grave, provide 

jobs for residents and maintain their traditions. Although research results are difficult to quantify, the four 

settlements showed that social sustainability is a dynamic concept, in which elements are common, but its 

manifestation depends on place and time. This research focused on four small settlements in Szigetköz from 

the 34 locations of the region. In future study, it could be interesting to examine all settlements in detail, and/or 

other regions’ locations as well, and prove the countless manifestations of social sustainability factors. 

Acknowledgments 

The research was carried out with the support of the Institute of Advanced Studies in Kőszeg. 

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