Sprawling post-communist metropolis: commercial and residential suburbanisation in Prague and Brno, the Czech Republic

SÝKORA, L., OUŘEDNÍČEK, M. (2007): Sprawling post-communist metropolis: commercial and residential suburbanisation in Prague and Brno, the Czech Republic In: Razin, E., Dijst, M., Vázquez, C. (eds.): Employment Deconcentration in European Metropolitan Areas: Market Forces versus Planning Regulations. Dordrecht, Springer. pp 209-233. ISBN 978-1-4020-5761-8.

In this chapter, we review the development of suburbanization in Prague and Brno metropolitan areas in the Czech Republic with particular attention paid to specific features of suburbanization in post-communist cities. Residential deconcentration brought about the spatial redistribution of the population within metropolitan areas while the overall population stagnated. The suburbanization of non-residential functions in the form of out-of-town greenfield developments has been more dynamic, influenced by the massive inflow of foreign investments expanding on new markets. Employment in core cities is shrinking while it is expanding in suburban areas, particularly in retail, warehousing, and - in Brno - also in industrial sectors.