In this paper the authors attempt to answer the question of which location and site-specific factors have a decisive influence on the successful regeneration of brownfields. Using data from the South Moravian Region (Czech Republic), we analyze the spatial and functional distribution of brownfields, and test the correlation between the development potential of municipalities and the distribution of the brownfields that have already been regenerated. We then compare the structure and characteristics of existing and regenerated brownfields to identify significant drivers and barriers in the regeneration process. The findings indicate that regenerated brownfields are more likely located in municipalities with a higher local development potential (represented by the rate of local business activities, spatial peripherality - proximity to the regional centre and the main road network, and the quality of local infrastructure). It is also demonstrated that the large size of brownfields, their previous industrial use and the existence of contamination are not determinative barriers for regeneration if the brownfields are located in attractive areas and their ownership relations are not complicated.

The Rodl-Kaplice-Blanice fault system (RKB) of Variscan shear origin, repeatedly active since the Late Paleozoic to the Recent, is expressed by a number of lithological contacts, distinct geophysical gradients and many landforms. A general trend of the RKB as well as linear configuration of its internal architecture is fairly similar to those of topical near Rhine Graben and Alpine-Carpathian transition area as the two other consistent recently reactivated large-scale tectonic structures in the extended (thinned) crust of central Europe. In middle part of the RKB, the occurring linear topographic and geological features parallel to the main RKB sections point to the existence of a wide tectonic zone in the crust following the fault system. Our multidisciplinary study includes a summary of corresponding basic geological data, overview of seismic, regional geophysical and geomorphological conditions, primary model of recent kinematic activity in the RKB area derived from the space (Global Navigation Satellite System—GNSS) monitoring and terrestrial (repeated high precision levelling) geodetic data and comparison of these various information.The obtained knowledge indicates that the RKB is active up to ~ 1.0 mm horizontally and > 0.5 mm vertically. The fault system area in the Bohemian Massif can be subdivided into the three parts of diverse tectonic structure and block kinematics. Sinistral horizontal movements are highest near the southern surface sections (Rodl-Kaplice, Rudolfov and Drahotěšice faults), whereas noticeable vertical differentiation is going on mainly along the Blanice and Kouřim faults in the north where the RKB activity is gradually decreasing towards the extensive Elbe shear zone with transverse movements. The middle part of the RKB is dislocated by a large active transverse tectonic structure of the South Bohemian Basins (SBB) with variable horizontal velocity vectors of surface GNSS stations. Most of the weak regional earthquakes have been recorded west of the RKB. Besides faults of the SBB, these were mainly associated with the RKB-subparallel Lhenice fault. Based on the earthquake distribution and foci depths, the latter fault can have similar structural position as the RKB related to lower part of the Variscan level in the ~ 10–12 km depth.

Evropa a ?esk? zem? st?ly po t?m?? 200 let v pop?ed? v?roby ?epn?ho cukru. Zaveden? p?stov?n? cukrov? ?epy znamenalo z?sadn? zm?ny vyu?it? p?dy v ???n?ch niv?ch a v jejich bezprost?edn?m rovinat?m okol?. V dob? cukrovarnick?ho boomu pracoval...

Since 2019, the quality of soil and water as two basic environment components has been monitored in the southern foothills of the Liten?ick? Upland. The research focuses on the transport of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and pesticides in...

The industrial city of Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic (402,739 permanent residents as of 31 December 2024) and the core of the country’s third largest metropolitan area, following Prague and the industrial region of Ostrava. Brno has had a metropolitan character since the High Middle Ages, and experienced extraordinary development during the Industrial Revolution in the second half of the 19th century. From a medieval core of just over 1 km², the city expanded in multiple stages to its current area of nearly 230 km². During this expansion, Brno absorbed smaller towns as well as numerous rural municipalities. As a result, large tracts of forest and agricultural land became part of the city. Land adjacent to the historic core was often converted, while the central parts of the incorporated villages retained a relatively rural appearance. Former agricultural plots in these areas were gradually transformed into residential quarters, consisting of villas or apartment buildings. Under state socialism, large housing estates of prefabricated blocks were constructed on the city’s inner periphery. At the same time, farmland was nationalised and consolidated into large-scale cooperative fields. This pattern persisted even after the political changes of 1989. Nevertheless, within the administrative boundaries of Brno, remnants of very old rural landscapes survived, often preserving the parcel structure of medieval small-scale agriculture. These areas are today largely maintained by gardening associations and individual gardeners. Between 2016 and 2020, these remnants were inventoried and classified. A total of 34 sites of varying size were identified. Based on their state of preservation, they were divided into two groups: (1) relatively well-preserved and (2) heavily degraded, through comparison with the situation around 1830, when detailed cadastral mapping was conducted. Well-preserved segments of the pre-industrial landscape were analysed and evaluated in GIS. Their survival has been influenced by natural factors (geological substrate, slope, exposure, elevation, topoclimatic conditions, soil quality), location (distance from the city centre, proximity to forests), land ownership (private, municipal, state), as well as the personal and recreational interests of residents. Interestingly, more remnants of the old landscape have been preserved inside Brno than in its rural surroundings, largely due to the role of urban gardening. Finally, the study assesses the prospects for the continued existence of these landscape relics. From the perspective of city administration and developers, they represent land reserves for other uses. Brno also hosts numerous modern allotment colonies, established either on former agricultural land or on abandoned and degraded sites (e.g. quarries, devastated or reclaimed areas) to meet the recreational needs of the urban population.