Post-Industrial Society and Its Impacts on Changes in Functional Use of Industrial Land in Cities: The Case Study of Brno
Abstract: During the industrial era, cities grew fast and their spatial structure changed dramatically due to the construction of industrial plants and their technical infrastructure and the introduction of rail transport. Core structures in industrial cities were created that have been, however, challenged in the past thirty years in terms of their capacity, efficiency, and utility. Post-industrial society represents a distinctive shift in the way people work, travel, shop, spend their free time, but also behave and think. Members of post-industrial society have found priority in ownership and goods consumption, which has resulted in the change in their values (e.g. popularity on social media) and, subsequently, demands (e.g. Internet access in public spaces). Since it is people who create urban environment, a process of modern transformation of cities has started. To see the depiction of these changes in city structures, a comparative analysis of specific urban areas can provide necessary information. This paper aims at identifying spatial changes in the city of Brno in relation to the trends that have occurred with the coming of the post-industrial society. Based on the literature review, trends and characteristics of post-industrial urban environment were identified. Methods of comparison, synthesis, and observation were used to analyze four areas within the inner city: areas north of Zabrdovicka Street, south of Krenova Street, the junction of Zvonarka and Dornych streets and areas along Herspicka Street. The purpose was to describe processes happening in each area from 2001 to 2021. Desk research and the analysis of both historical and modern resources and maps have shown that there have been significant changes in spatial organization in all four studied areas. The most important changes include commercial development along Herspicka Street and the demolition of the Zbrojovka factory.
