CZ-1 :: Urban sprawl and consequent land-use changes in the hinterland of big cities

Development on greenfields has many legislative obstacles but in reality it is very fast. Report about state of environment Czech Republic from 2013 (2014, p. 101) for example mentioned, that number of built-up areas increased in period 2000-2013 by 3,5 % (28,7 thousands hectares. The development on greenfields is the most intensive in the hinterlands of large cities (effect of both residential and commercial suburbanisation), but it is often common even in shrinking regions, where is decline of population. These shrinking regions (many of them with structural problems) have usually policy, which is oriented according needs of potential investors, who usually prefer development on the new industrial zones located in proximity of highways or main traffic roads. From short-term economic perspective, it is development on greenfields logical, because construction of new buildings on greenfields is usually cheaper and faster than construction the same building on brownfields or previously develop lands, where is necessary to pay additional costs (e.g. demolitions of previous structures, decontamination). From long-term perspective, this kind of development brings negative consequences as losses of agricultural fields and losses of future agricultural production or decrease retention ability of landscape (danger of floods).
Specific research questions (following the conceptual model of INSPIRATION):
Land Management:
• Improving the process understanding – and improvement of sharing of that understanding – of the development on greenfields
Why: The better we understand the functioning of the development on greenfields – and especially the role of decision-making processes – the more effective in spatial management nad role of public administration of this issue.
Demand:
• Developing/testing/demonstrating new technical solutions for building activities on greenfields respecting needs of SSW systems – for example permeable concrete or asphalts, development of system catching and using rain-water from building as supply water, green roofs, buildings with law energetic and water consumptions or passive houses
Why: There are probably one of the most urgent challenges to address. If the development on greenfields is not possible to completely prohibited, how to do it in an intelligent way.
Net-impacts:
• Social costs and benefits of development on greenfields, identify the examples of “best practices” or demonstration project from other EU countries and from Czech Republic l
Why: The demonstration projects provides the arguments to see that long-term solutions are possible.