Urban sprawl in Prague Metropolitan Area: Comparison of compact and sprawl suburban development
Abstract
A typical feature of suburban development in the Czech Republic is its sprawl-like pattern. Impacts of sprawl development and experiences from foreign countries show us, that continuing sprawl development can create high social, economical and environmental costs. One of proposed forms of alternative development is concentration of suburban development around suburban activity centers served by frequent public transit (known as Transit Oriented Development).
The proposed research project’s goal is to compare Transit Oriented Development to sprawl development by studying development in model area and its impacts on land conversion, accessibility of services and transportation. During the first year, we will focus on theoretical approach, defining model area and land conversion analysis. During the second year we will focus on accessibility of services analysis, transportation analysis and final synthesis.
News
Empirical results of the project were presented at "32nd International Geographical Congress Cologne 2012" held at University of Cologne on 26 - 30 August 2012. Presentation: Mares, J.: Transit Oriented Development: An Alternative to Suburban Development in Post-Socialist Metropolis?"
Abstract:
Despite North American and Western European long-term experiences with negative impacts of suburbanization and numerous efforts to regulate suburbanization, post-socialist suburban development appears to enjoy many problems associated with rapid unregulated suburban growth. One of the most prominent strategies aimed at reduction of negative impacts of suburbanization is Transit Oriented Development (TOD), employed throughout both North America and Western Europe. Since there is historically dense rail network in the Czech metropolitan areas recently enjoying significant improvements and there is abundance of rail brownfields, TOD might be a good solution for suburban development issues as well as for ensuring efficiency of public money spent on rail transit infrastructure and operation.
The paper assesses the potential of TOD to reduce negative impacts of suburbanization by comparing suburban development at four rapidly developing model areas in the Prague metropolitan area representing: 1. traditional suburban centre with rail connection (Ricany), 2. suburban village with rail connection (Zelenec), 3. emerging suburban centre with no rail connection (Jesenice), 4. villages with no rail connection. The model areas are compared by: 1. land use analysis, 2. accessibility of services analysis, 3. transportation analysis.
The first two model areas (Ricany, Zelenec) represent possible results of minimalist TOD implementation (since it developed around rail stations), while the other two represent typical sprawl-like suburbs emerging with low linkage to public infrastructure. The research question is whether rail suburbs show more sustainable and citizen-friendly characteristics than sprawl-like suburbs.
The paper will conclude by discussion of development needs of studied areas and possible tools for encouraging TOD and in general more sustainable suburban development in post-socialist metropolis.
Contact
Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science
Department of Social Geography and Regional Development
Albertov 6, Praha 2, 128 43
Czech Republic
Tel: +420 221 951 970
e-mail: J.Mares@seznam.cz