
Methodological Guidelines for the Implementation of the 2008 Czech Spatial Development Policy, by Filip Novosád, Daniela Lešková
Cooperating with the Institue for Spatial Development, the Ministry for Regional Development prepared two sets of guidelines last year within its methodological activities in physical planning in order to facilitate the implementation of the 2008 Czech Spatial Development Policy, which is a nationwide physical planning tool approved by the Czech Government on 20 July 2009.
NUTS 3 and EDORA: On the Typology of Urban and Rural Regions, by Kamila Matoušková
The Czech Republic has in recent years been using the OECD-based NUTS 3 typology of regions for the delimitation of rural areas in the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy and the Rural Development Programme. For regional policies, the original NUTS 3 typology of regions is being used, distinguishing among predominantly urban, mixed, and predominantly rural regions. The definition at the level of municipalities (LAU 2) is used to delimit settlements of under 2,000 or, in some cases, 3,000 inhabitants. The size of settlements populated under 2,000 or under 500 was also used as the demarcation line for the subsidies from the Rural Development Programme and the Structural Funds. A disadvantage of multiple typologies is the difficult comparability of data and structures. Also, in case of individual approach to the delimitation of rural regions at the national level, there is difficulty in comparability of data among countries and the EU. Such difficulties are perceived by the European Commission, so endeavour was made to create a new typology.
Results of the Questionnaire Survey of Changes in the Municipal Housing Stocks of Selected Towns and Cities (2008, 2009), by Dana Chlupová, Marie Polešáková, Ludmila Rohrerová
In 2010, the Institute for Spatial Development carried out another questionnaire research for the Ministry for Reginal Development in order to collect and update the necessary data about the municipal housing stock. The survey was focused on five items which are usually not covered by the Czech Statistical Office, namely housing stock privatization, shifts within the municipal housing stock, payments related to the usage of municipal dwellings, costs of the administration of the municipal housing stock, and additional data.
Main Squares of Small Towns in the Czech Republic, by Zuzana Ambrožová, Zora Kulhánková
Towns and their squares are the bearers of our cultural identity and places of the everyday life. The main feature of squares spontaneously shaped by centuries as well as those centrally planned is the presence and communication of people, which is the essence of the whole society. Squares, notably in small towns, are the places of work, housing and social life. The social and cultural milieu of a small town is predominantly influenced by commercial and cultural activities in the main square. So, the design and maintenance of such important public space is the right way to prosperity. For the development of historic areas it is necessary to respect its genius loci and the character of buildings, reflecting the historical marks but creating an attractive place for today’s inhabitants. The current access to information and unlimited travelling make it easy for us to compare various approaches to the renovation of historic areas.
Development and Spatial Distribution of Olomouc’s Housing Stock, by Petr Kladivo, Petr Šimáček
The quality, development and spatial differentiation of the housing stock belongs to the basic indicators of a functional urban structure, having impact on the shaping of a variety of social phenomena in the urban environment. The example of Olomouc clearly illustrates how a town has been evolving since the end of the 19th century when it ceased to be an important military fortress with all its life taking place within the walls. Any construction works and related development of the town was conditioned and heavily limited by its military function as long as till the abolotion of the fortress status (and the partial demolition of the fortification) in 1886. This contribution endeavours to evaluate the development of the current structure of Olomouc’s housing stock, assessing its quality and spatial differentiation and especially focusing on the housing construction in specific periods of the 20th century. Based on the data of the housing stock from the 2001 census, a typology of specific town quarters form the viewpoint of the quality of housing was proposed.
Tools of the Building Act for the Restriction of Suburbanization in the Czech Republic, by Marek Janatka
Suburbanization represents a serious problem in the use of territory and the development of settlements in the Czech Republic and abroad. The negative impacts of this phenomenon are reflected in all the pillars of the sustainable development of the society. One of the ways to moderate the manifestations of suburbanization is a consequent utilization of available legislative tools. This contribution describes a few tools provided by the Building Act.