New “Emotional Map” Measures Public Opinion of Brno’s City Districts

For a newly published “Emotional Map” of Brno, the City Authorities turned to the people who know it best: the local residents. Images: MMB.

Brno, Jan 31 (BD) – The map was created between Spring and Autumn 2018, and comes two years after the first map of this kind. However, this time the survey used different questions and focused more on individual urban districts. Questions used for the new map included:

  • What places do you like, and want to see stay as they are?
  • What places do you dislike and want to see change?
  • Where do you consider to be the centre of your home district?
  • Where should your neighbourhood continue to grow in future?
  • What is missing in the city, and where?

The opinions of residents were collected online, at stands in the streets of the city centre, and via interviews conducted on the street in the various local districts. 7,500 comments were collected in individual districts, with 745 respondents participating online and 412 at the stands in the centre.

Deputy Mayor Tomas Koláčný (Piráti) summarised the results: “The results are clear: people like districts with a lot of greenery, such as Lužánky, Špilberk, Kraví hora, Holedná, or Palackého vrch, places with a higher quality of living such as Medlánky or Kohoutovice, or districts such as Masarykova čtvrť with a combination of both characteristics.” These places were often described as “quiet and relaxing, with a pleasant atmosphere.”

At the same time, the map confirmed the findings of the 2016 map project, that the city’s most troubled areas are the area around the railway station, Cejl, and Mendlovo namesti. The words most commonly associated with these areas include “dirt, stress, fear, unpleasant surroundings, bad smells, rubbish, and excessive advertising.”

In general, respondents commented that the city needs more greenery instead of asphalt and concrete, as well as public toilets and benches for rest and shade during the summer months. Brno residents would also appreciate more available drinking water, and more information signs in the subway under the railway station.

The survey indicates that “Brňáks” see the historical center of Brno, along with the adjacent areas of Špilberk and Lužánky Park, to be the centre of Brno and the beating heart of the city’s life, with secondary centres also mentioned including náměstí Míru on Kraví hora, Slovanské náměstí in Královo Pole or Přemyslovo náměstí in Slatina.

The results also highlight areas for future development: “These areas are the so-called Southern Center and Zábrdovice. People also identified other sites of interest with great development potential, including the former Zbrojovka complex, the area around Vaclavská and Mendlovo náměstí, and places further outside the centre such as the area behind the Zetor complex in Líšen,” added Koláčný.

These results will now be passed on to Brno City Council and the councils of the city’s districts, and used as the basis for preparations for the city’s new Action Plan, #Brno2050, to be completed in 2020. A detailed breakdown of the map and its results can be viewed here.

Comments: What is missing in the city, and where? Source: MMB.

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