BRNO: THE CITY’S CURRENT SITUATION, VISIONS, AND PROSPECTS. An interview with Jiří Löw
An architect, urban designer, teacher, environmentalist, city councilor, regional administration deputy, and member of the UPSD editorial staff, Jiří Löw is a man of many professions. It is certainly worth listening to his ideas and opinions about the Brno area’s urban planning issues. New industrial or housing zones, the construction of the Brno University campus, and the regeneration of the city centre are the topics under discussion, as well as the questions of urban, regional, or high-speed international transportation.
INSTANCES OF MICRO−REGION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
Strategic development programmes of micro-regions have been elaborated since the end of the 1990’s, in view of the Czech Republic’s involvement in the EU pre-entry programme called SAPARD. (More about the SAPARD programmes to be found on the Ministry of Regional Development’s web site: http://www.mmr.cz.) The Department for Spatial Development is currently monitoring the elaboration process of these documents. Having finished the inquiry, comprehensive information on significant documents will be published. The articles on the Sedlčany and Ležáky micro-regions are brought herewith, being examples of specific formulations of questions, judgements, and recommendations given by such documents.
The Development Programme of the Sedlčany Region, by Jan Přikryl & Jiří Burian
The foremost objective of the state administration authorities must be a well-balanced development of municipalities, regions, and – consequently – the state, disregarding the current level of the quality of the administration system or the extent of the transformation the system is undergoing. The adopted development strategies, at any stage of the public administration system, normally become the basis of regional development programmes. Since 2000, these programmes have been supported by legislation. Though the Development Programme of the Sedlčany Region originated before these laws were in vigour, the document was elaborated, discussed, and approved in perfect accordance with such legislative framework. The Programme could therefore become an important development document of the region.
A Strategic Development Study of the Ležáky Micro-Region, by Vendulka Růžičková
This micro-region is located south-east of the district town of Chrudim. It is a thoroughly rural area, only two of the associated settlements, Miřetice and Prosetín, being populated over 1,000. Most of the remaining settlements do not exceed 500 inhabitants. The centre of the area is the reverent territory of Ležáky. Part of the micro-region is situated within the protected highland resorts of Žďárské vrchy and Železné hory.