Možnosti využití demografického poklesu v městech k řešení inherentních prostorových problémů typických druhů městských struktur v České republice

Ing. arch. Jiří Mika, Ing. arch. Markéta Káňová

15118 Ústav nauky o budovách, 15129 Ústav navrhování III

As part of the research on the impact of urban depopulation on different types of urban structures, this paper focuses on one of the common types of urban development in Central Europe: post-war housing estates of solitary apartment buildings. The basic premise of the research is that the reduction of pressure on the territory caused by the population decline (the phenomenon of "shrinking cities") makes it possible to saturate some inherent deficits of these urban structures that are difficult to address in the situation of "normal" growing cities. Several reference neighborhoods of post-war settlements are selected, we collect their analytical data and monitor their change in relation to shrinkage. The variables monitored for the data analysis are a) spatial (public space and urban composition, hierarchy of privacy levels of public spaces), b) cultural (historical value, symbolic meaning), c) functional (diversity of functions, availability of amenities, capacity of technical and transport infrastructure), d) demographic (population density). The data obtained on the urban districts affected by shrinkage are confronted with the inherent deficits of each type of structure defined in the existing literature. On this basis, the possibilities of using shrinkage (a form of quantitative decline) to qualitatively grow post-war solitary urban structures are proposed. It seems possible to enrich the spectrum of public space types (reduced in this period of development compared to previous periods), to enrich the possibilities of housing types, to enrich the functional structure or to reflect the change in the need for transport infrastructure capacity due to lower population density.

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Ing. arch. Jiří Mika

The paper deals with the problem of "TOADS" (temporarily obsolete, abandoned, and derelict sites) and "TLUs" (temporary land uses), which in the Czech debate is, among other things, the question of gap-sites. Gaps are an integral part of many central districts, not only in Czech cities. To a large extent, they are either not used in any way or are temporarily used to saturate the number of parking spaces needed. However, many examples show that the range of their temporary use is considerably wider. The existing literature on the subject emphasises the need for an information base similar to that provided in the form of spatial plans or spatial analysis documents, which would focus specifically on gaps and thus facilitate their temporary use. The paper looks for which characteristics of gaps are essential for building the information base and how they influence the spectrum of their use. It focuses mainly on the spatial, functional and legal aspects of gaps. It is shown that the physical form of the gaps, whether they are temporarily used or not, plays a crucial role not only for the gap itself but also for its surroundings, influencing, for example, property prices in the neighbourhood. Similarly, maintenance plays a crucial role. The paper therefore then presents a set of spatial characteristics of gaps that are most manifested in their surroundings. The paper also works with a set of examples of temporary use of gaps from Czech and foreign cities.

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Ing. arch. Jiří Mika

The paper briefly presents the course and basic conclusions of the local branch of the global debate on shrinking cities and then verifies whether any of them have turned into concrete projects or policies. The paper analyses the strategic plans and spatial planning documentation of several dozen Czech cities that can be described as shrinking. While the naming of the problem in terms of strategy is no longer an exception, the debate has so far only rarely made its way onto the subject of specific rules.

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Ing. arch. Jiří Mika

The existence of temporarily vacant lots (gaps) is a frequent manifestation of the shrinking cities phenomenon, which offers opportunities to add missing elements to the city's fabric. The paper clarifies the options for the temporary use of these gaps within the central urban areas, what they can provide to their surroundings in the short term, and what hinders their use. I address how to provide qualitative improvements in conditions of quantitative nongrowth through the flexibility and adaptability of temporary arrangements and describe it using the examples of Ostrava (CZE) and Leipzig (GER) analysing the selected neighbourhoods with gaps on two levels: on the one hand its existing structure and on the other hand its missing part (gaps). In the case of gaps, I examine their position in the neighbourhood, size, infrastructural coverage, ownership, physical form (surface, boundaries) or status in the land use plan. By combining these analyses, I identify „spatial supply and demand“ and try to find out why they are not currently saturated, even though they largely overlap. The current use of the gaps is dominated by parking and fallowing, but conversely, there is demand for other uses besides parking: community gardens, sports facilities, playgrounds and more. The intersection of supply and demand is hampered by waiting for the ideal solution, ownership, legislation, and the fear of petrifying the temporary use. In shrinking cities, it is not always possible to target a final solution, but it is also necessary to explore interim measures that can open the door to a long-term settlement.

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