The State of Public Space in Small Towns in Terms of its Users’ Risk Groups

Abstract

At the beginning of the 3rd millennium, the issue of small towns is still a very problematic area in terms of urban planning which lies on the fringes of the interest of the professional public. The issue of the quality of public space in small towns is not tackled and its current development is in some places unprofessional because it is determined mainly by the local community instead of experts. Public space in small towns is massively subordinated to the needs of individual car transport and as a result, this space is aesthetically and functionally degrading, and at the same time, it contributes to the deterioration of the health of a population that does not move enough especially the most commonly used part - walking. The aim of this paper is to approach the needs of adaptation of public space in small towns for risk groups of the population, which are mainly seniors, children, and people accompanying children under 5 years of age.