Local climate zones and their importance for Czech cities, by Michal Lehnert & Jan Geletič
One of the manifestations of climate change in Central Europe is a more frequent occurence of heat waves. Cities are looking for measures to eliminate the impact of temperature extremes on the population. When studying urban temperature conditions and planning the measures for adaptation, the first step is to identify the locations where higher air temperatures can be expected, due to their physical structure. The world standard for climate typology at the local level (e.g. for a block of buildings) is the concept of local climate zones (LCZs). This article introduces the concept of local climate zones to professionals and describes the basic rules of the spatial distribution of LCZs, using examples from the cities of Brno, Hradec Králové, Olomouc and Prague. The spatial distribution of LCZs in these cities show that measures should be taken in order to (1) increase the share of high plant areas (LCZ A, dense trees; LCZ B, scattered trees) to the exclusion of low plant areas (LCZ D); (2) decrease the share of impervious and built-up surfaces (3) restrict the development of new, large areas of low-rise buildings (LCZ 8) in compact urban areas.
Mining tradition as a subject of Bohemian-Saxon cross-border collaboration, by Lukáš Novotný
Dealing with the mining industry and its importance for current Bohemian-Saxon cross-border collaboration, this article presents the results of a survey carried out in both the Czech and the Saxon parts of the Ore Mountains. The research was aimed at examining the potential of the mining tradition for tourism and future territorial collaboration of Czechs and Saxons. The following questions were asked in the survey: What role can be played by the mining industry in cross-border cooperation? How is the mining tradition represented in the minds of Czechs and Saxons? What do local inhabitants know about this tradition and other traditions in the neighbouring country? What potential and what challenges does tourism in the Bohemian-Saxon border area create in terms of this tradition?
High Line: Implementation principles, sustainability and the social context, by Jiří Palacký, Michal Krištof and Šárka Kubínová
New York’s High Line is one of the most visited public areas in the world. Thousands of people go there every day to experience a nature-based park in the gallery quarter of West Manhattan. There had not been many of such places at the time when Ricardo Scofidio and Matthew Johnson of the Diller Scofidio + Renfro studio designed the park in cooperation with Piet Oudolf and James Corner. It is said that almost sixty projects, inspired by the success of High line Park, were carried out over the first seven years after the completion and opening of the High Line. The intentions of the designers for the reconstruction of this unique transportation structure and the difficulties with implementing the project in the context of sustainability were the focus of an interview with designers Ricardo Scofidio and Matthew Johnson, conducted on 2 November 2015 in the Diller Scofidio + Renfro studio in the Starrett–Lehigh Building in Chelsea, New York. This interview concludes a series of three interviews with the planners and developers of public areas and parks in New York.
The spatial plan of Pilsen has been approved and published; What was the last stage of the process like? by Irena Králová & Jiří Borkovec
The working process of the spatial plan of the city of Pilsen was presented in this journal more than two years ago. At that time, the draft was prepared for debate. After two years of standard consultations according to the Building Act, the spatial plan was approved on 8 September 2016 and came into force on 1 October 2016. As a pleasant surprise for the designers, the new approach was highly appreciated by the public and, in most cases, by professionals as well. As could be expected, most objections referred to changes in the type of development such as “housing” instead of “field” but the number of objections (less than 300 for a city with a population of 170,000) was relatively low. The current task is to learn how to use the plan, perceive and approach any possible uncertainties cautiously and react to challenges in a positive manner.
The impact of changing settlement structure on spatial plans in the region of Hlučín, by Martin Kuchař
As part of the Region of Moravia-Silesia, 27 municipalities (including three with extended powers) make up a historical district around the town of Hlučín. Located half-way between the cities of Ostrava and Opava, it is closely linked to Ostrava’s industrial agglomeration and its economic, social and spatial development. The aim of this study was to verify how perceptible this influence is in terms of elaboration of spatial planning documents and the changing settlement structure in the region of Hlučín. Available data were analysed and evaluated in order to find suitable solutions for prospective spatial planning and adapt spatial planning documents to address the current needs of these municipalities and the region as a whole.
Motivation of private businesses to participate in the reconversion of industrial buildings, by Stanislava Vyletelová
This article deals with the problems of industrial brownfields and the options of their sustainable reconversion that can be useful for participating stakeholders. On one hand, abandoned and decaying industrial buildings have a negative impact on the quality of life of those living nearby, while also depreciating the value of their property. On the other hand, the interests of these people should be protected by the representatives of state or local administration, who have to deal with increased costs and inevitable non-system investments in the elimination of safety and health risks. Efficient solutions for such situations are often brought forth by private investors, in spite of the fact that such proposals mainly focus on their own economic interests. Therefore, the question is how to motivate private investors to consider risky investments in brownfield reconversion. The article points out factors affecting the success rate of reconversion projects, with an analysis of current knowledge on the subject and a case study of New Lab, an American reconversion project. As an example of good practice, this article presents a link between a promising business plan and a modern architectural solution and combines the interests of the public sector with those of private investors.