Emergence of Centralized (Collective) and Decentralized (Individual) Environmentally Friendly Solutions during the Regeneration of a Residential Building in a Post-Socialist City

Our paper deals with a micro-study of one residential building in the city center of Brno (Czech Republic) where we strived to identify and better understand the main factors behind the successful implementation of environmentally friendly solutions during the regeneration process. We followed the unique, complicated, and often conflictual story of the regeneration (conducted during the years 2010-2020) of the residential building, which was originally built in the 1930s. In total, 18 solutions were discussed-all four solutions on the state level of centralization were realized, only two of six solutions on the building level of centralization were materialized, and six of eight decentralized solutions were realized during the regeneration process. In the field of energy savings requiring high investments, a significant dominance of centralized solutions (on the state level) was identified. Centralized solutions on the building level such as heat pumps or solar panels were not realized. In the area of waste management and care for community greenery (that did not require large investments), we see as the most beneficial the promotion of decentralized solutions in the form of community-funded communal composting or the planting of new greenery. The formation of various regeneration options, which is discussed in detail, appeared as an integral instrument for dealing with conflicts among residents during the planning phase

Auswirkungen aktueller demographischer Veränderungen auf die soziodemographische Binnenstruktur von Brno und Ostrava

Der Beitrag beinhaltet eine Analyse der gegenwärtigen demographischen Veränderungen in den Innenstädten der mährischen Großstädte Brno und Ostrava. Die Untersuchung kleinräumiger soziodemographischer Strukturen erfolgte auf der Ebene der so genannten Basissiedlungseinheiten. Von den Daten der beiden letzten Volks-, Gebäude- und Wohnungszählungen (1991 und 2001) wurden vor allem Daten zur Alters- und Qualifikationsstruktur der Bevölkerung sowie zur Haushaltsstruktur herangezogen. Dem Vergleich demographischer Daten mit der aktuellen physischen Struktur der beiden Städte diente die Analyse des Wohngebäudetyps (Eigenheime oder Mehrfamilienhäuser) sowie deren Baualter. Die Ergebnisse bestätigen, dass die Innenstädte altern, während die jüngste Bevölkerung in Plattenbausiedlungen aus den 1980er Jahren und in den Zuzugsgebieten der Suburbanisierung am Stadtrand wohnt. Die günstigeren demographischen Strukturen in Ostrava – im Vergleich zu Brno – sind auf die massenhafte Zuwanderung von Industriearbeitskräften nach dem Krieg zurückzuführen. Es scheint, dass die Differenzierung der Qualifikationsstruktur (und damit gewissermaßen auch die soziale Differenzierung) nicht entlang der räumlichen Grenzen von innerer Stadt und Vorstädten verläuft. Dies erlaubt die Schlussfolgerung, dass die innere Stadt in Bezug auf die Qualifikations- und Sozialstruktur der Bevölkerung keinen monolithischen Komplex darstellt, sondern selbst stark differenziert ist.This article is an analysis of the present demographic changes in the city centres of the big Moravian cities of Brno and Ostrava. This study of sociodemographic structures in limited spaces was made on the level of what are known as basic settlement units. Data on the age and qualification structure of the population and the household structure were primarily used from the two last censuses of population, buildings and flats (1991 and 2001). Analysing the type of residential building (owner-occupied houses or multiple-family dwellings) and the age of the building were used to compare demographic data with the current physical structure of these two cities. Findings confirm that the city centres are ageing while the youngest population lives in concrete-slab settlements from the 1980’s and the influx areas on the suburbanising fringes of the city. Ostrava has better demographic structures than Brno which may be attributed to the massive immigration of industrial workers after the war. It seems that the differentiation in the qualification structure (and therefore to a certain extent the social differentiation) does not run along the spatial borders of the city centre and suburbs. Therefore, we can draw the conclusion that the inner city is not a monolithic complex in the population in terms of qualification and social structure, but is also substantially differentiated

Local Communities' Energy Literacy as a Way to Rural Resilience – An Insight from Inner Peripheries

Energy transition is surely not only about the technological change, but it also has to necessarily reflect socio-cultural and environmental transformations on the local level. Hence, local communities’ energy literacy belongs to the crucial elements in designing successful energy transition and strengthening rural resilience. Energy literacy is a concept widely related to the multifaceted phenomenon of energy consumption, both in its individual and collective dimensions. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to analyse the level of energy literacy in rural conditions, considering its three key dimensions (awareness, attitude, and behaviour). Our reflective considerations about energy literacy build on the current knowledge that stress its importance for the reinforcement of rural resilience. The case study, Zławieś Wielka, in the north-central Poland, was selected where a social survey (N = 300) on the relation between energy literacy and rural resilience was conducted. By means of employing the cross-tabulations method for data analyses, our results signal that certain indications of the ecological awareness among the rural residents are being formed. Our findings clearly suggest that, on the one hand, the needs for more environmentally reasonable management with energy, including electricity and heat, come to the fore. On the other hand, various types of investments in improving the energy efficiency of residential buildings and utilising energy generation from renewable energy sources are observed. It seems that the surveyed community has a clear potential to become the vector for sustainable and just energy transition of the countryside. The essential conditions that urgently need to be implemented to ensure the viability of rural energy transition are the educational reinforcement within the community and more generous long-term institutional support from the central government, targeted on endogenous development and enhancing the local social capital

Conversion of post-socialist agricultural premises as a chance for renewable energy production. Photovoltaics or biogas plants?

We aim to contribute to in-depth comprehension of the factors and preferences behind the reuses of large-scale underused or abandoned former collective farms from the 1950s–1980s for biogas plants and solar photovoltaic power plants. As a case study, three regions in the southern part of the Czech Republic have been selected. Our findings signal that the residents’ attitudes towards the mentioned energy sources are rather negative. Similarly, farmers’ interest in photovoltaic power plants is low. More interest has been detected in the case of biogas production; this is especially true for large agricultural companies and farmers, who own underused or abandoned premises. Biogas plants are frequently located in agricultural areas with warmer or just slightly colder climates as a consequence of the potential to process locally grown maize. On the other hand, photovoltaic power plants are found on more fertile plains with high levels of insolation, but, surprisingly, also in mountain regions which typically have low emissions. Both renewable energy solutions were found to be problematic as there is strong opposition to both types of installations among local inhabitants. This indicates the need for “soft” forms of planning. Stakeholder engagement and inclusive participation in all phases of the planning process are essential requirements for arriving at the best possible outcomes for the new renewable energy solutions and their acceptance by the public

Deployment of creative actors and varieties of their impact on the quaternary sector and regional growth: a case study of NUTS2 regions of the Czech Republic

The current era acknowledges the immense impact of creativity on economic growth and regional development. There is an ongoing debate about the position of creativity and its sources and implications in regional economies when thorougly examining regional disparities. We contribute to the debate by piloting an investigation of five groups of creative actors whose links and consequences for regional growth and the quaternary sector were explored. As a case study, the NUTS2 regions of the Czech Republic were selected for analysis (2015-2017). Given the nature of selected indicators, the causality results and the substantive importance of our investigation, the selected time period is not a limiting factor for our analyses. The empirical conclusions of the conducted study clearly confirmed the theoretically and logically defined thesis on the diverse importance of creative actors in regional economies.European Commission, EC, (SK-FR-19-0009); Vedecká Grantová Agentúra MŠVVaŠ SR a SAV, VEGAEuropean Union [CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/17_049/0008452]; APVV [SK-FR-19-0009]; VEGA [1/0380/20

The importance of vulnerable areas with potential tourism development: a case study of the Bohemian forest and South Bohemia tourism regions

The significance of the vulnerability of nature-rich areas with high development potential for tourism was studied using three types of data: 1) spatial distribution of tourist attractions, 2) the appeal level of these attractions, and 3) the number of visitors. The Bohemian Forest and South Bohemia were chosen as study areas. Nine types of landscape spatial appeal were identified in the study area. Two most important types were defined based on their appeal where there are rare relic features in the natural environment dominated by the presence of peat bogs and natural habitats with scrub undergrowth or virgin forests. These types were also found in the areas with the greatest potential for tourism development. However, these areas are also the most important from the point of view of nature conservation and landscape protection in Central Europe

Best practice forever? Dynamics behind the perception of farm-fed anaerobic digestion plants in rural peripheries

Anaerobic digestion (AD) plants undoubtedly represent an integral and irreplaceable element in rural energy transition and sustainable waste management. In our study, we focus on an advanced understanding of the dynamics behind the changing perceptions of AD plants in host communities in Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. The surveyed AD plant case studies were selected to represent best-practice examples of AD plant operations in their countries. By means of a comparative survey in three host communities, we seek to learn more about the shift in perceptions of AD plants between their planning and operational phases. We find that, although our cases are considered best-practice examples of AD plant operations, their overall support in their communities dramatically dropped in the operational phase consequent to real-life experience with living in the neighbourhood of an AD plant. Additionally, our findings indicate that respondents who reported the most severe deterioration of AD plant perceptions were, surprisingly, those who had participated in the planning process more than other respondents. The most frequently mentioned type of participation in the planning phase was reported to be visits to the local administration office to inspect an AD plant's planning documentation. We argue that deteriorating perceptions of best-practice examples of AD plant operations negatively impact the further development and acceptance of the biogas sector in Eastern Europe. The element of acceptance by the locals of AD plant operations urgently requires reflection in the definition of best practices to inspire and upgrade both existing and planned biogas energy projects.Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness; State Research Agency of SpainSpanish Government; Regional Development Fund [CSO2017-86975-R, VEGA 1/0514/21]Vedecká Grantová Agentúra MŠVVaŠ SR a SAV, VEGA: 1/0514/21; European Regional Development Fund, ERDF: CSO2017-86975-R; Ministerio de Asuntos Económicos y Transformación Digital, Gobierno de España, MINEC

Zemědělské příhraniční oblasti v Moravskoslezském kraji: sociální a ekonomické změny po roce 1990

The border regions are areas of countries, where the possibility of common development is influenced and made difficult by existence of the state borders. The barrier effect of this border was strongly strengthened and development of those areas limited during the period of socialism. In those times the development of rural border areas of this region was not perceived as priority despite their location along borders with socialistic Poland. In context of central planned economy and contemporary political decisions it meant constantly increasing level of marginality for these rural border areas. Their one-sided orientation on state supported farming (also in sub-mountain and mountain natural condition in spite of unfavorable natural condition) should in future give rise to social, demographic and economic problems in these areas. This situation can not be of course compared to situation in border region along the iron curtain at those times, however truth is that studied rural border regions faces complicated period of adaptation to new economic conditions after 1989. There appeared new possibilities for development – alternative farming, development of tourism, enterpreneurship, cross border cooperation etc. On the other hand shift from central planned economy to market economy brought along problems (crisis of traditional industrial branches and traditional agriculture as well). It meant loss of working opportunities for local population that can not be compensated by offer of local entrepreneurs. Social consequence of this process is unemployment. Rural border areas started to be spatially differentiated after 1989. Different natural, social, economic conditions lead to different development of these rural areas