Functional types of suburban settlements around two differently sized Czech cities

Abstract

While the suburban landscape around the North American cities is typical with a large functional diversity of settlements, around the Czech cities this diversity is still small. Recently, some Czech suburban settlements have gained new functions. Their suburban-residential function was step-by-step supplemented by service, commercial, working or leisure-time functions. The paper describes and explains the current functional differentiation of suburban settlements around two different-sized Czech cities – the capital city of Prague (transect south of Prague) and the regional capital city of České Budějovice (hinterland of city). Suburbs and semi-suburbs only with suburban residential function predominate in both case study areas. But in the transect south of Prague, new small suburban towns with services for surrounding settlements have evolved. In addition, new hypermarkets, retail centres and warehouses were created alongside the highways as a consequence of commercial suburbanisation. Residential suburbanisation there also encounters recreation in second-home cabins. Settlements in the suburban zone of České Budějovice have even smaller functional diversity. This regional capital city provides them with services and job opportunities.