Strategies for revitalization the the coutryside settlements in peripheric regions

This diploma thesis explores possibilities for revitalising rural settlements in peripheral regions, focusing on the relationship between settlements, landscape and social conditions. Its aim is to summarise the issues affecting contemporary Czech rural areas, identify tools and strategies applicable to their development, and examine selected approaches in the model area of the town of Úterý. The theoretical part addresses the historical development of the Czech countryside, its current social, economic and environmental challenges, and the tools of strategic, spatial and landscape planning, including participation, that can be applied in responding to these challenges. Based on case studies of four rural localities in the Czech Republic and Germany, strategies are defined for further examination in the conceptual part of the thesis. The concept is based on spatial analyses as well as a consultative session with children from primary school in Úterý. It focuses on the management of the stream, pedestrian connections, public spaces, the use of local institutions and, more broadly, the conditions for a good quality of life. The thesis demonstrates that landscape planning cannot in itself resolve the social and economic problems of peripheral rural areas. However, it can create spatial and organisational conditions that support quality of life, cooperation and relationship to the place.