Prague Metropolitan Area Research Articles

Movement matters: uncovering life-course similarities and differences in residential environment perspectives

Neighbourhoods play a crucial role in residents’ everyday lives. People become attached to neighbourhood attributes throughout their lives and various activities performed within residential environments. Everyday time-space mobility routines actively impact how residents connect with their neighbourhoods. This paper aims to analyse residents’ links with their residential surroundings arising from their everyday spatial behaviours. It examines the topic in two dynamically transforming neighbourhood types in the Prague Metropolitan Area and from the perspectives of two population groups: older children from the suburbs and older adults from the gentrifying inner city. The study adopted qualitative data analysis using semi-structured interviews. Both groups fulfil neighbourhood attachments through various obligatory and optional movement types as well as accompanying social ties that constitute an important part of such moves. The neighbourhood links achieved through movement are shaped by complex mechanisms that occur at various spatial and temporal scales adding to the variety of functional and affective meanings of everyday mobility practices. They emerge along life-course shifts of individuals, changes in the neighbourhoods and activities happening within these spatial contexts. Residents then use numerous adaptive strategies to adjust their movements (and in turn their links with the neighbourhoods) to the combined effects of those conditions.

Having a garden or being in the city? The trade-offs and strategies of young middle-class families in Prague

ABSTRACT In recent decades, evolving residential preferences among young middle-class families have diversified spatial mobility patterns, challenging the traditional suburban inclination with the emergence of reurbanization tendencies. Our study employs the concept of life course and explores the decision-making process of housing relocation in a post-socialist city and how housing needs and preferences are confronted with what is affordable for young middle-class families. Through semi-structured interviews in the Prague Metropolitan Area, our findings reveal heterogeneous mobility responses to family transitions and housing market dynamics. A significant trade-off is identified between having a garden and residing in the city without a commute, highlighting variations in parental perceptions of an ideal childhood. Our research underscores distinctions in residential preferences and housing choices in post-socialist cities compared to Western counterparts, driven by factors such as privatism, unique perceptions of suitable housing for young families, and historical development influencing intergenerational transmission of residential preferences.

The representation of greenery in the boundaries between the open landscape and residential areas in suburbanised rural settlements: development from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century

The rapid development of rural settlements into commuter towns in the hinterland of large cities, coupled with intensive agriculture and climate change, may negatively affect the prosperity of these areas. The presented analysis focused on randomly selected rapidly growing settlements in the Prague metropolitan area, examining their development with a focus on the peripheral parts of such settlements. Settlement margins constitute a specific part of rural settlements as it typically contributes to the rural character by providing the gradual gradient between the settlement and the open landscape. The representation of water-absorbing and non-water-absorbing areas and their suitability for the development of taller vegetation along the margins of three randomly selected suburbanised settlements in the hinterland of Prague are analysed from the perspective of the possibility to maintain the traditional character of the settlement margins. Historical maps, aerial photographs, spatial planning documents, and data on current land use and landscape cover were used for the analysis of the settlements’ development over the last approx. 200 years. In order to determine whether an area is water absorbing or not, a manual approach was used for historical maps and a machine learning process for present orthophoto maps. The automated machine learning classification process could be utilised, because the used orthophoto imagery includes a near-infrared portion of the spectrum (i.e. NIR imagery). We have observed the trend of decreasing plot size and of reduction in the water-absorbing surfaces suitable for planting taller vegetation, especially in the twenty-first century residential developments, which disrupts the traditional rural character of these settlements. The utilisation and stabilisation of the current vegetation in the historical areas, together with the creation of the vegetation belts along the margins of the newly developed areas, could improve the environmental quality of these settlements, promote ecosystem services, and increase biodiversity.

Changes in children’s rhythms of everyday life during the COVID-19 pandemic in a small town in the Prague metropolitan area

ABSTRACT The restrictions imposed in response to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected people’s everyday life, including those of children. For an extended period, children had to deal with the closure of schools and subsequent online teaching, which disrupted their daily rhythms. This study aimed to determine how children coped with the changes in the rhythms of their everyday life. This study provides insight into the diverse coping mechanisms employed by children during challenging times and highlights the importance of rhythm in establishing a sense of normalcy and stability in everyday life. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with children aged 12–17 years living in a small town in the Prague metropolitan area. The results show that the coping strategies adopted in response to the change in baseline rhythm varied greatly among children. Introducing new rhythms into everyday life was a long process, and some children tried to maintain the rhythms created even after returning to classroom teaching.

From suburbanization to reurbanization? Changing residential mobility flows of families with young children in the Prague Metropolitan Area

ABSTRACT Contemporary housing preferences and related behaviour are highly diverse due to the variety of lifestyle cultures in cities, dissimilarities in residents’ resources, and urban changes. In recent years, the Prague Metropolitan Area in Czechia has seen gradual changes in residential mobility patterns. While suburbanization remains the most significant type of residential change, other processes have emerged. The aim of the article is to examine changes in the residential mobility patterns of families with young children living in and moving between different residential zones in the Prague Metropolitan Area. Migration data relating to individuals are used to examine spatial and temporal shifts in mobility flows. Even though suburbs are still the main destination for families with young children, the authors identified a certain degree of diversification in residential behaviour. They conclude that this finding points to the emergence of reurbanization tendencies towards the housing estates and intensifying mobility within residential zones with housing that is similar in appearance.

Temporality of urban space: daily rhythms of a typical week day in the Prague metropolitan area

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to reveal, describe, explain, and map variations in diurnal population in the metropolitan area of Prague. We use an alternative data source to traditional census-based cartographic presentations and employ location data from mobile phones to identify types of daily rhythm that shape the region at different times during a typical weekday. These rhythms are influenced especially by residential and commercial suburbanization and the consequent dynamic development of new working centres, services, and leisure-time facilities within the metropolitan region. The main output consists of three maps. The first map contains a typology of the main functions – residential, work, transportation, and services – and is used as the main analytical tool for sorting settlements, resulting in classification of nine types of settlement in all. The other two maps show a plastic image of the day- and night-time populations of the metropolitan area.

Deciding where to live: case study of cohousing-inspired residential project in Prague

In addition to the still significant suburbanization process, the Prague metropolitan area is also seeing the emergence of reurbanization. While existing studies in this field are mainly concerned with the resulting spatial patterns, the present work focuses on the process of selecting a new place of residence. This topic is of significance because of the importance of reflecting residents’ requirements and ideas in urban planning. The Alfarezidence residential project was inspired by the notion of cohousing and is located in the inner city. The aim of the study was to explore reasons that led participants to choose Alfarezidence, the alternatives they considered and the role Alfarezidence’s specific characteristics played in the decision-making process. A series of deep semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the results show that no participants chose Alfarezidence because of cohousing. Instead, they perceived the common areas, small scale and spatial layout to be desirable aspects; furthermore, accessibility, architectural layout, and character were also key to the decision-making process. Proximity to the workplace was also particularly important in prioritizing Alfarezidence over alternative family housing in the suburbs.

A synthetic approach to the delimitation of the Prague Metropolitan Area

ABSTRACTThe main objective of this paper is to apply a synthetic approach to the delimitation of metropolitan areas, which combines traditional commuting data from the population census with alternative approaches. The presented delimitation, which was originally realized in response to a request from Prague’s planning authority, is based on three methodological pillars: the use of economic and social aspects of metropolization; suburbanization; and daily mobility within the Prague Metropolitan Area. Integrated systems of centers calculated from population census data are complemented with the use of mobile phone data. There was a surprising level of similarity in the spatial patterns gained from the two methods. Zones of residential suburbanization and time spent in the core city provided a complex perspective on the daily urban system within the Prague Metropolitan Area. A synthetic map based on the four methods is provided, accompanied by five analytical maps on a smaller scale.

Correction to: Analysis of environmental flow requirements for macroinvertebrates in a creek affected by urban drainage (Prague metropolitan area, Czech Republic)

Correction to: Analysis of environmental flow requirements for macroinvertebrates in a creek affected by urban drainage (Prague metropolitan area, Czech Republic)

Analysis of environmental flow requirements for macroinvertebrates in a creek affected by urban drainage (Prague metropolitan area, Czech Republic)

The habitat suitability index and environmental flow requirements were assessed for ten species of macroinvertebrates in a 2 km length section of the urban Botic creek (average flow 0.4 m3 s−1) in Prague. Botic creek has been affected by two combined sewer overflows (CSO). Spring, summer and fall seasonal environmental flow requirements were identified using the Physical HABitat SIMulation System (PHABSIM) approach for the whole macroinvertebrate community: Spring – optimal flow 0.32–0.38 m3 s−1, minimal flow 0.20–0.21 m3 s−1 and maximal acceptable flow 0.91–0.93 m3 s−1; Summer - optimal flow 0.42–0.45 m3 s−1, minimal flow 0.19–0.21 m3 s−1 and maximal acceptable flow 0.95–1.00 m3 s−1; Fall - optimal flow 0.38–0.48 m3 s−1, minimal flow 0.22–0.23 m3 s−1 and maximal acceptable flow 0.95–0.98 m3 s−1. The seasonal variability of environmental flow for all three categories is approximately 10%. Environmental flow requirements of the studied species and their life stages vary with depth, velocity and bottom substratum. Due to inflow from the CSOs, the optimal and maximal acceptable flow are not maintained and the maximal flow is exceeded by more than twice its value. Although the Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM) was primarily designed for large impounded rivers, the study proved its applicability in small streams affected by urbanization and urban drainage.

Metropolization and regional development in Czechia during the transformation period

Roughly 60% of the population of the state and almost 70% of its economy are concentrated in metropolitan areas. Fundamental social changes after 1989 encouraged an increase in their development dynamism, but also deepened the differences in it. Significant polarity of the growth dynamism between the Prague metropolitan area on the one hand, and four metropolitan areas with a dominance of heavy industry (metropolitan areas of Ostrava, Ústí nad Labem, Most and Karlovy Vary) on the other, were typical of the first transformation decade (1991–2001). In the second decennium (2001–2011), the regional differentiation of development was smaller, but the total dynamism of territorial concentration of both the population and economy kept growing. The Prague area may have retained the fastest development, but not on such an extreme level as in the first decade. The main development polarisation shifted to the level “metropolitan areas – other non-metropolitan areas”.

Effects of combined sewer overflows and storm water drains on metal bioavailability in small urban streams (Prague metropolitan area, Czech Republic)

The aims of the study were to evaluate the effect of combined sewer overflows (CSO) and storm water drains (SWD) on metal bioavailability in small urban streams in Prague and to evaluate levels of metals in water, sediment, and macroinvertebrates. The following working hypotheses were adopted: (a) sites dominantly affected by SWD are less polluted by metals, and (b) sites dominantly affected by SWD have higher bioavailability of metals. Physical and chemical parameters (pH, conductivity, NO3-N, NH4-N, COD, alkalinity, and water hardness) and concentrations of the metals Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, and Cr were determined in samples of water and sediment at five to six sites on four target streams—Zatisský Creek, Kosikovský Creek, Botic Creek, and Rokytka Creek—three to five times per year during the period 2002–2004. The sites from all studied creeks were categorized into five groups according to the prevailing type of urban drainage impact. Macroinvertebrates were sampled and analyzed for metals at each site for a period of 1 month. The concentration patterns of metals were interpreted by partition coefficient (Kd), hazard quotient (HQ), cumulative criterion unit (CCU), and biota sediment accumulation factor (BSAF). Concentrations of metals in water as well as in sediment at sites receiving water from SWD were lower than at sites where creeks receive water from CSO, except for Pb. Concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Pb in sediment were higher at sites affected by CSO. Concentrations of metals in aquatic macroinvertebrates, expressed as BSAF, indicated higher values at sites affected by SWD. Frequencies of high BSAF (>1) were lower in CSO compared to SWD. This finding was explained by (a) a decrease of pH on SWD sites compared to the increase of pH on CSO sites during rain events, (b) a greater resuspension of sediment at SWD sites during rain events, and (c) an abundance of organic matter in CSO available for sorption of metals and a corresponding reduction of their bioavailability. In the study area, the type of urban drainage affects the bioavailability of metals—while SWD increase metal bioavailability, CSO cause its decrease. The sediments in SWD sites do not indicate risk to the benthic community according to the applied environmental quality standards. Water and sediment in creeks affected by SWD are less polluted by metals. Both working hypotheses were therefore supported.

Toxic Metals in Urban Reservoirs in the Prague Metropolitan Area (Czech Republic)

Levels of selected toxic metals (Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, Mn, Fe and Al) were determined in water, sediment and different species of fish in twelve reservoirs of the Prague metropolitan area. These reservoirs are affected by different types of urban drainage systems, which alter the level and fate (properties, availability, accumulation, toxicity) of toxic metals in the aquatic environment. Measurements of toxic metals were complemented by analysis of basic water quality parameters. Environmental quality standards (EQS) were exceeded in more than 50% of the studied reservoirs for the fol- lowing chemical parameters: total organic carbon (TOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and phosphate (PO 4 3- ). These parameters indicate a significant organic pollution and a high eutrophication level. Copper was identified as the most haz- ardous pollutant among the selected toxic metals in water. Other metals (Zn, Fe, Mn) exceeded the EQS only exception- ally. High concentrations of copper and zinc resulting in exceeded EQS were also identified in the sediment of most reservoirs. In a few cases increased concentrations of chromium, cadmium and lead were exceeded the EQS. A high variability of metal levels was detected in fish species, according to their age and food habits. The highest levels of toxic metals were found in the Kyjský reservoir (Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd and Pb), Strnad reservoir (Zn, Cu, Cr and Fe) and the retention reservoirs Stodůlecký N3 (Zn, Cu and Cr) and Hajecký RN3 (Zn, Cu, Cr and Pb). These reservoirs are highly affected by different anthropogenic activities, such as printing industry, traffic (Prague's ring road) and wastewater treatment plants.

A city in motion: time‐space activity and mobility patterns of suburban inhabitants and the structuration of the spatial organization of the prague metropolitan area

.This contribution attempts to reveal the relations between new suburban areas and other parts of the Prague metropolitan area by investigating the time‐space activity and mobility patterns of the inhabitants of newly built suburban districts. The focus on some aspects of the everyday life of people in new suburbs helps us to identify the impact of suburbanization on the changing geography of the metropolitan region and to better understand how the spatial organization of the Prague metropolitan area is produced, reproduced and transformed. We use several interrelated concepts, which serve the theoretical foundation of our work, namely time geography, structuration theory and the post‐communist city. The empirical data utilized are primarily based on 262 diaries completed by eighty‐eight individuals from thirty‐eight households, accompanied by household questionnaires and interviews with the heads of households. The research confirmed the implicit, generally unspoken view that new suburbs in the Prague metropolitan region are heavily dependent on the core of the metropolitan area for the provision of jobs and services. However, newly built suburban shopping facilities to some extent disrupt this pattern, keeping some daily activities of inhabitants within the suburban zone. In addition to empirical observations, the key purpose of this contribution has been to discuss and apply time geography concepts and methods to the research of urban restructuring, and to understand the structuration of metropolitan spatial organization.

Work motivation and the municipality size

The article shows the results of the grant project of Czech Science Foundation 406/03/0896, which focused on the survey of work motivation and quality of working life issues in the Czech country. The results concern an analysis of variation and a range of coefficients and show statistically significant differences in motivational coefficients in sets that differ in the respondents size of residence. The main aim of the survey was to find out if it is possible to identify the differences in work motivation between people from large cities and people from small municipalities, namely between inhabitants of the Prague metropolitan area and smaller municipalities placed near to the national boundary. The survey was conducted by means of the EDMK questionnaire, which is described elsewhere (see references). Some specific questions were added by the present authors. Statistical analysis of the data obtained resulted in the findings, as follows: (1) questionnaire scales used are sufficiently reliable (as proved by the Cronbachs’ alphas statistics); (2) statistically significant differences were identified in the motivational patterns of the Prague Metropolitan Area and small municipalities inhabitants; (3) the quality of working life in Czechia was found as a rather low; it results in lower perceived responsibility and job involvement found in the whole sample of Czech responses.

Specificities of suburbanisation in post-socialist context: New housing construction in metropolitan region of Prague 1997-2005

The article analyses residential suburbanisation in Prague metropolitan region using data about new housing construction in the period of 1997-2005. Findings show that despite suburban areas account for large share of newly constructed housing, its majority is built within the compact city. Large share of new housing construction in the compact city indicates the vitality and strength of urban alternatives to suburbanisation. In addition, the paper illustrates the strengthening position of Prague metropolitan area within the country and discuses characteristics of new housing construction in the relation to the increasing distance from the city centre.

Shopping Travel Behaviors in an Era of Rapid Economic Transition: Evidence from Newly Built Malls in Prague, Czech Republic

The rapid transformation in both the location and type of retail provision in the Prague metropolitan area, Czech Republic, between 1997 and 2001 offers a unique opportunity for examining the relationship between land use and shopping travel behavior. The case of Prague is unique. Although the Czech capital has the compact form and transit-rich environment sought by many planners, after rates of motorization rose steadily in the early 1990s foreign developers began constructing shopping malls on the city's fringe in 1997. Although retail provision was being remade on highway-adjacent locations outside the traditional central business district, there were few changes in Prague residential and employment locations. Thus, the shift in shopping land use occurred in relative isolation. Shopping travel behavior before and after the introduction of the fringe shopping malls is examined by using research based on 1,649 surveys collected in four new malls in 2001. Mall visitors reported current demographic information and mall travel behavior as well as their travel habits for the same trip purposes before the introduction of the surveyed mall. The before-and-after data demonstrate how shopping travel behavior has changed with the changing retail land uses. Specifically, shifts in three travel behavior variables (trip frequency, shopping duration, and mode split) disaggregated by key demographic characteristics (age, gender, income, car ownership, and household size), are analyzed. Several striking shifts are apparent: people shop less often and for longer periods of time and are less likely to walk to shopping locations.