Rural Areas - Living Space: Regional Differences in the Perceptions of Representatives of Rural Municipalities in Czechia Regarding Rural Areas
Abstract
This article seeks to contribute to discussion concerning the concept of countryside in geo-graphical sciences. In the firstsectionitdiscussesselectedapproachesforassessingruralareas and presents key stimulants from the new regional and cultural geography (rural areas as a socio-spatial process and as living space).
The second section presents exam-ples of empirical findingsfromafieldsurvey,therespondentstowhichweremayorsofrural municipalities - with up to 3,000 inhabitants - in Czechia. We empirically explore the truthfulness of a thesis concerning the existence of several distinct types of rural areas in Czechia: rural areas with differing development potential and diverse problems, calling for the use of different instruments in overcoming the problems in question.
The results of the survey make it possible to assess the territorial differences of so-called soft factors of rural-municipality development (perceptions regarding rural areas, inhabitants' relationship to the territory of their municipality, local pride, the conditions and indicators of a successful municipality).