Landscape dynamics in the Brno’s surrounding between 2001 and 2011

Abstract

In surroundings of the larger cities there are possible to observe one of the symptoms of today’s postmodern society – suburbanized surface. A number of primary and secondary negative effects of this process are undisputed. To identify these influences in specific locality, analyze of structural and functional changes of territory are appropriate to make first. Spatial indicators are a suitable analytical tool for the synthetic evaluation of these changes. The indicators are simple and able to document the changes within land use categories in the time period, to identify just those categories with the most significant transformations and to objectify the main landscape processes. In frame of the suburbanization, Brno’s agglomeration is polarized (northern and southern part with individual development) with redistribution of dominant functions (residential and commercial). To rationalize land use and to balance the spatial disparities by planning tools, it is just this specific phenomenon which is detailed analyzed by these indicators (with emphasis on the period between 2000 and 2011) and on their basis are derived recommendations for strategic development. The greatest changes recorded in the studied territory relate to agricultural land resources. Should we take into account the surveyed territory as a whole, the loss of arable land between the years 2001 and 2011 was ca. 1% and the proportion of built-up area increased by about the same.

Keywords

• landscape change
• suburbanization
• sustainable spatial development
• indicator/index
• Brno’s surroundings
• Czech Republic