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.

中文翻译：

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区域认同与空间行政结构的更新：以乌克兰波多利亚为例

摘要本文研究了地域身份与行政区划之间的关系，试图揭示地域身份作为行政区域改革手段的可能作用。这项研究的重点是Podolia，这是乌克兰历史悠久而复杂的重要地理区域。一项对整个地区居民的调查显示，大多数受访者对历史地区和现代行政单位都有很强的认同感。但是，“旧”和“新”身份之间的紧密相互作用导致了它们的相互改变，特别是在历史区域的可感知边界的变化中。这意味着“旧的”历史身份具有很强的持久性，但同时又能经受住不断的转变，纳入所谓的“薄”元素，这符合动态区域制度化和混合领土身份形成的概念。因此，尽管可以使用领土身份来使人们更容易理解行政领土单位，但是基于混合身份（包括粗细元素）的现代行政单位的发展可能是使利益相关者参与区域发展的另一种可行解决方案。