DEVELOPING AND EVALUATING A RESIDENTIAL ZONING SYSTEM FOR RURAL AREAS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Landscape habitability is currently a relevant and important topic in discussions of rational utilisation and planning of rural areas. This layer of landscape planning is one of the essential tools for sustainability, improvement of rural life, and conservation of rural landscapes. This paper defines the basic principles and opportunities for residential use of rural country and proposes a method enabling application in territorial development strategies as well as specific landscape designs. First of all, means of residential experience – preconditions for dwelling – are defined. The most significant indicators, or characteristics, of habitability include water elements, forest, natural environment, economic activity in the rural country, anthropogenic elements, and the road network. A model set of background data was compiled, in order to evaluate landscape habitability. Research in a chosen model area was supplemented with a sociological survey which enabled the mapping of preferential attitudes of both rural and urban dwellers. The dwelling potential – the specific dwelling supply of the area – was then determined in a GIS environment. The resulting tool for planning landscape habitability is a residential zoning layer. This layer translates dwelling potential into a specific design using four basic component layers. It is a system for an approach to planning and developing the dwelling values of rural country. A test of the methodology was conducted by zoning a model area at three levels of working detail. A comprehensive approach to designing and optimising the residential use of rural country is thus proposed