Analysis of Public Space and Landscape of Czech Small Towns Based on Emotional Maps

In Europe, many small towns (? 20 000 inhabitants) are facing a number of current challenges. These include considerable stagnation, suburbanisation, and loss of connection to the place. One’s relationship to a small town is closely linked with the ease of orientation, understanding the place and its environment, and identifiability with the place. An emotional mapping survey is a way to engage locals and make them aware of their relationship to the town. We performed emotional mapping of two selected Czech towns with contrasting landscape characteristics – the North Bohemian town of Duchcov, located in a devastated post-mining landscape, and the town of Vodňany, situated in a harmonious landscape of South Bohemia with plenty of ponds. Our analysis was based on a field survey combined with a personal contact with residents who responded to our questionnaire. The analysis using emotional maps seems to be a very timeless form of how to involve local inhabitants in the development planning of individual urban quarters and places as well as the city as a whole including adjacent landscape. The method can be further improved and adapted to specific goals to address a specific town or environment. It can be used for small town development planning.