**3.2 Road square village**

A special case of road municipalities are the so-called road square villages. These are municipalities or settlements, which, although they also originated around the communication route, there was a slight expansion and created a space functioning as a village square in their central part. These villages also do not have to be typically built by gutter terraced houses; the houses are often turned towards the village green and the gable road (a settlement with a long square passing through a long distance or local road). These municipalities often originated around important market routes, where the extended square area often served as a market venue. These villages originated across all periods of village formation. The settlements on the most important market routes originated in the pre-colonization period, while the settlements in most mountainous areas are from the time of the great colonization. These are then typical of the prevailing German population. Public spaces in these municipalities are mostly represented by a large open space, which was used for holding markets or gathering moving merchants. On the contrary, in these municipalities, there is usually no public greenery in public space.

Mountain villages Kvilda (district Prachatice), Nový Svět (district Prachatice) and Horní Vltavice (district Prachatice) were chosen as representatives of this group of municipalities.

The settlement of Kvilda was founded in the sixteenth century as a seat of lumberjacks working in the surrounding forests. The basis of the village is a road

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**Figure 5.**

*The Role of Public Spaces in Small Municipality DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89881*

green spaces in the form of a small park (**Figure 6**).

(except for seasonal cutting of grass edges of roads).

*Historical and contemporary map of Kvilda (Prachatice district).*

and sorting, playgrounds, sports facilities, swimming pools, etc.

grasslands or orchards.

forming the backbone of the entire settlement. Individual wooden buildings, including the church, gradually grew around the road. Part of the village forming the square was extended around the church. According to the map from the beginning of the nineteenth century (**Figure 5**), the municipality as such has virtually no common public space at all in the form of public greenery or common pastures,

The current state of public spaces is largely influenced by the fact that the municipality is very busy. Public spaces thus include rest areas, bicycle stands, benches, etc. At the same time, free parking spaces are left in the open spaces left after the demolished houses of the original German inhabitants. Due to the massive development of tourism and many free areas, the village has also created public

Of course, there are also areas designated for public transport, waste collection

A completely different formation of public spaces can be observed at another elected representative of the linear village with the extension of the village square, Nový Svět. Although it is a village that was also founded quite late as Kvilda in the seventeenth century, public spaces are minimal and poorly maintained. Historically, the village formed similarly, and it was mostly a timber settlement (**Figure 7**). Historically, this village did not have common agricultural land, in the form of grasslands or orchards. Public areas surrounded the church and the nearby cemetery. The village after Second World War was largely destroyed because of the large percentage of inhabitants that were relocated back to Germany. At present, it serves mainly for recreational and tourist purposes. However, unlike Kvilda, the municipality did not adapt its public areas for these purposes. In the centre of the settlement, there are practically only public transport stops, but without shelters, only in the form of signs, and containers for waste sorting. The municipality does not invest or maintain any areas of permanent greenery in other public areas

Another representative of this type of village is Horní Vltavice. This municipality represents a completely different type of settlement. The village was founded along the trade route already in the fourteenth century. Historically, the village had

#### *The Role of Public Spaces in Small Municipality DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89881*

*Sustainability in Urban Planning and Design*

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**3.2 Road square village**

**Figure 3.**

**Figure 4.**

group of municipalities.

A special case of road municipalities are the so-called road square villages. These are municipalities or settlements, which, although they also originated around the communication route, there was a slight expansion and created a space functioning as a village square in their central part. These villages also do not have to be typically built by gutter terraced houses; the houses are often turned towards the village green and the gable road (a settlement with a long square passing through a long distance or local road). These municipalities often originated around important market routes, where the extended square area often served as a market venue. These villages originated across all periods of village formation. The settlements on the most important market routes originated in the pre-colonization period, while the settlements in most mountainous areas are from the time of the great colonization. These are then typical of the prevailing German population. Public spaces in these municipalities are mostly represented by a large open space, which was used for holding markets or gathering moving merchants. On the contrary, in these

*Comparison of the area of the village Dobrá at the beginning of the twentieth century and today.*

Mountain villages Kvilda (district Prachatice), Nový Svět (district Prachatice) and Horní Vltavice (district Prachatice) were chosen as representatives of this

The settlement of Kvilda was founded in the sixteenth century as a seat of lumberjacks working in the surrounding forests. The basis of the village is a road

municipalities, there is usually no public greenery in public space.

*Historical and contemporary map of the village Dobrá (Prachatice district).*

forming the backbone of the entire settlement. Individual wooden buildings, including the church, gradually grew around the road. Part of the village forming the square was extended around the church. According to the map from the beginning of the nineteenth century (**Figure 5**), the municipality as such has virtually no common public space at all in the form of public greenery or common pastures, grasslands or orchards.

The current state of public spaces is largely influenced by the fact that the municipality is very busy. Public spaces thus include rest areas, bicycle stands, benches, etc. At the same time, free parking spaces are left in the open spaces left after the demolished houses of the original German inhabitants. Due to the massive development of tourism and many free areas, the village has also created public green spaces in the form of a small park (**Figure 6**).

Of course, there are also areas designated for public transport, waste collection and sorting, playgrounds, sports facilities, swimming pools, etc.

A completely different formation of public spaces can be observed at another elected representative of the linear village with the extension of the village square, Nový Svět. Although it is a village that was also founded quite late as Kvilda in the seventeenth century, public spaces are minimal and poorly maintained. Historically, the village formed similarly, and it was mostly a timber settlement (**Figure 7**).

Historically, this village did not have common agricultural land, in the form of grasslands or orchards. Public areas surrounded the church and the nearby cemetery. The village after Second World War was largely destroyed because of the large percentage of inhabitants that were relocated back to Germany. At present, it serves mainly for recreational and tourist purposes. However, unlike Kvilda, the municipality did not adapt its public areas for these purposes. In the centre of the settlement, there are practically only public transport stops, but without shelters, only in the form of signs, and containers for waste sorting. The municipality does not invest or maintain any areas of permanent greenery in other public areas (except for seasonal cutting of grass edges of roads).

Another representative of this type of village is Horní Vltavice. This municipality represents a completely different type of settlement. The village was founded along the trade route already in the fourteenth century. Historically, the village had

**Figure 5.** *Historical and contemporary map of Kvilda (Prachatice district).*

#### **Figure 6.**

*Comparison of the area of Kvilda at the beginning of the twentieth century and today.*

#### **Figure 7.** *Historical and contemporary map of Nový Svět (Prachatice district).*

a small village square near the church with a cemetery and inn No. 3 (today No. 10). The extension of the main road also served passengers on one of the branches of the Golden Salt Route (**Figure 8**). The municipality also used meadows in the wider centre of the village as a common public pasture. At present, the key first class road is still going through the village, but the importance of the village no longer corresponds to the historical importance. Public areas of the village are very limited and do not serve their original purpose and do not correspond to their location. The village has created a secondary public area near the ski area from the second half of the last century and near school buildings with a small playground. At the same time, the municipality still uses grassland in the meander of the watercourse as a public space. Today, there are no pastures, but outdoor sports facilities are built this year. The municipality has basically most of public spaces in the form of green grassy areas with sporadically occurring trees in a maintained state corresponding to the importance of the municipality and the number of permanent inhabitants of the municipality.

The quality and facilities of the public areas are not too great and, surprisingly or not, positively influenced by the presence of the ski area and tourism. Of course, in the village, there are public transport stops, but without shelters, and space for containers for sorted waste. It can be stated that the road, which previously brought prosperity to the municipality and increased the quality of public spaces, is today rather harmful and the municipality is burdened with excessive traffic. It can also be an obstacle to greater expansion and improvement of common areas in the village.

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**Figure 8.**

*The Role of Public Spaces in Small Municipality DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89881*

**3.3 Squared village (triangular or rectangular square)**

*Historical and contemporary map of the village Horní Vltavice (Prachatice district).*

as a public space from the beginning (**Figure 9**).

Squared villages are practically the most common type of villages in the Czech Republic, or in the South Bohemian Region. It is mostly an older type of settlement from the pre-colonization and colonization times, i.e. from the tenth to fourteenth centuries. Squared villages are characterized by a more or less closed village square, into which roads converge from the periphery of the village. The green areas were typically public buildings, religious buildings, ponds, common municipal pastures or open public spaces. These were areas important for the economic and social life of the whole community. Squares can have different shapes, mostly regular, and rectangular, triangular or even circular. There are also municipalities with irregular

or otherwise rugged village squares or with several adjoining village areas.

The municipalities of Vyšovatka (Prachatice district) representing the village with a typical rectangular square, Nebahovy (Prachatice district) with a rounded square, Zdenice (Prachatice district) with a triangular square and Ktiš (Prachatice district) with a double square were chosen as representatives of this type of village. The village Vyšovatka is a typical fourteenth century colonization village with a typical German population. The village was designed from the beginning as a village with a large rectangular space in the middle of the village. This space served

A chapel was built here and the rest of the space served as a communal pasture. A peculiarity of the village was the location of small equally large gardens, each belonging to one homestead built around the perimeter of the village square. Since its inception, this municipality has practically not changed in terms of the layout of public spaces. Unlike other similar municipalities, the generous village area has not been built up. At present, there is a maintained grassland with sporadic trees in the village square. In this area, there is also a playground, sports facilities and other areas and facilities for meeting residents of the village near the replica of the original chapel. A major change from the past is the absence of private gardens in the village square. At present, the whole square is used as a public space (**Figure 10**). Another municipality that was analyzed is called Nebahovy in the Prachatice district (**Figure 11**). This is another typical colonization village this time with a rounded village square. However, this village has undergone significant changes

*The Role of Public Spaces in Small Municipality DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89881*

*Sustainability in Urban Planning and Design*

*Comparison of the area of Kvilda at the beginning of the twentieth century and today.*

**Figure 6.**

**Figure 7.**

a small village square near the church with a cemetery and inn No. 3 (today No. 10). The extension of the main road also served passengers on one of the branches of the Golden Salt Route (**Figure 8**). The municipality also used meadows in the wider centre of the village as a common public pasture. At present, the key first class road is still going through the village, but the importance of the village no longer corresponds to the historical importance. Public areas of the village are very limited and do not serve their original purpose and do not correspond to their location. The village has created a secondary public area near the ski area from the second half of the last century and near school buildings with a small playground. At the same time, the municipality still uses grassland in the meander of the watercourse as a public space. Today, there are no pastures, but outdoor sports facilities are built this year. The municipality has basically most of public spaces in the form of green grassy areas with sporadically occurring trees in a maintained state corresponding to the importance of the municipality

The quality and facilities of the public areas are not too great and, surprisingly or not, positively influenced by the presence of the ski area and tourism. Of course, in the village, there are public transport stops, but without shelters, and space for containers for sorted waste. It can be stated that the road, which previously brought prosperity to the municipality and increased the quality of public spaces, is today rather harmful and the municipality is burdened with excessive traffic. It can also be an obstacle to greater expansion and improvement of com-

and the number of permanent inhabitants of the municipality.

*Historical and contemporary map of Nový Svět (Prachatice district).*

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mon areas in the village.

**Figure 8.** *Historical and contemporary map of the village Horní Vltavice (Prachatice district).*

#### **3.3 Squared village (triangular or rectangular square)**

Squared villages are practically the most common type of villages in the Czech Republic, or in the South Bohemian Region. It is mostly an older type of settlement from the pre-colonization and colonization times, i.e. from the tenth to fourteenth centuries. Squared villages are characterized by a more or less closed village square, into which roads converge from the periphery of the village. The green areas were typically public buildings, religious buildings, ponds, common municipal pastures or open public spaces. These were areas important for the economic and social life of the whole community. Squares can have different shapes, mostly regular, and rectangular, triangular or even circular. There are also municipalities with irregular or otherwise rugged village squares or with several adjoining village areas.

The municipalities of Vyšovatka (Prachatice district) representing the village with a typical rectangular square, Nebahovy (Prachatice district) with a rounded square, Zdenice (Prachatice district) with a triangular square and Ktiš (Prachatice district) with a double square were chosen as representatives of this type of village.

The village Vyšovatka is a typical fourteenth century colonization village with a typical German population. The village was designed from the beginning as a village with a large rectangular space in the middle of the village. This space served as a public space from the beginning (**Figure 9**).

A chapel was built here and the rest of the space served as a communal pasture. A peculiarity of the village was the location of small equally large gardens, each belonging to one homestead built around the perimeter of the village square. Since its inception, this municipality has practically not changed in terms of the layout of public spaces. Unlike other similar municipalities, the generous village area has not been built up. At present, there is a maintained grassland with sporadic trees in the village square. In this area, there is also a playground, sports facilities and other areas and facilities for meeting residents of the village near the replica of the original chapel. A major change from the past is the absence of private gardens in the village square. At present, the whole square is used as a public space (**Figure 10**).

Another municipality that was analyzed is called Nebahovy in the Prachatice district (**Figure 11**). This is another typical colonization village this time with a rounded village square. However, this village has undergone significant changes

**Figure 9.** *Historical and contemporary map of village Vyšovatka (Prachatice district).*

#### **Figure 10.**

*Comparison of the area of Vyšovatka in the early twentieth century and today.*

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**Figure 12.**

*The Role of Public Spaces in Small Municipality DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89881*

places for the collection of sorted waste.

minimal and does not even significantly renewed.

*Historical and contemporary map of Zdenice (Prachatice district).*

changed much since that time.

around these ponds.

over time in the formation of public spaces in the central part of the village.

According to the original arrangement, the village had a large vacant village square, in which there were a total of three small water reservoirs originally intended for breeding water poultry. There was also a grassy area for grazing small farm animals

Over the last hundred years, the layout of public spaces and buildings has undergone significant changes. The most significant change was the abolition of all three water areas that occurred on the square and the construction of other buildings either along the perimeter or directly in the square. The most prominent objects are the hospitality building and the village chapel. At present, a significant feature of the public space is also a memorable tree in the form of a linden tree and the village is complemented by other new trees. The municipality also has a public transport stop including a shelter, resting places for residents and also nowadays common

By contrast, the neighboring village Zdenice (**Figure 12**) is a typical representative of the village with a triangular village square. This village also originates from the colonization period, but its square area representing public spaces has not

The last analyzed representative of the squared village group is the village of Ktiš (**Figure 13**). This village differs from the previous not only in the arrangement of the village square, which is divided into two separate parts, but also in size and significance characteristics. Ktiš has always been a centre municipality with a greater importance than in the previous analyzed municipalities. Ktiš is also a village from the beginning of the fourteenth century, i.e. from the time of the great colonization. Atypically, the municipality has two separate green spaces representing virtually the only public space in the municipality, given the fact that the municipality has

The village has an equally shaped triangular square, into which only a village chapel has been added, and during the last century also a shelter for a public transport stop, a tree stands and small furniture. The peculiarity is that even though the village is near the previous village Nebahovy, maintenance of public space is

**Figure 11.** *Historical and contemporary map of Nebahovy (Prachatice district).*

#### *The Role of Public Spaces in Small Municipality DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89881*

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**Figure 11.**

**Figure 10.**

**Figure 9.**

*Comparison of the area of Vyšovatka in the early twentieth century and today.*

*Historical and contemporary map of village Vyšovatka (Prachatice district).*

*Historical and contemporary map of Nebahovy (Prachatice district).*

over time in the formation of public spaces in the central part of the village. According to the original arrangement, the village had a large vacant village square, in which there were a total of three small water reservoirs originally intended for breeding water poultry. There was also a grassy area for grazing small farm animals around these ponds.

Over the last hundred years, the layout of public spaces and buildings has undergone significant changes. The most significant change was the abolition of all three water areas that occurred on the square and the construction of other buildings either along the perimeter or directly in the square. The most prominent objects are the hospitality building and the village chapel. At present, a significant feature of the public space is also a memorable tree in the form of a linden tree and the village is complemented by other new trees. The municipality also has a public transport stop including a shelter, resting places for residents and also nowadays common places for the collection of sorted waste.

By contrast, the neighboring village Zdenice (**Figure 12**) is a typical representative of the village with a triangular village square. This village also originates from the colonization period, but its square area representing public spaces has not changed much since that time.

The village has an equally shaped triangular square, into which only a village chapel has been added, and during the last century also a shelter for a public transport stop, a tree stands and small furniture. The peculiarity is that even though the village is near the previous village Nebahovy, maintenance of public space is minimal and does not even significantly renewed.

The last analyzed representative of the squared village group is the village of Ktiš (**Figure 13**). This village differs from the previous not only in the arrangement of the village square, which is divided into two separate parts, but also in size and significance characteristics. Ktiš has always been a centre municipality with a greater importance than in the previous analyzed municipalities. Ktiš is also a village from the beginning of the fourteenth century, i.e. from the time of the great colonization. Atypically, the municipality has two separate green spaces representing virtually the only public space in the municipality, given the fact that the municipality has

**Figure 12.** *Historical and contemporary map of Zdenice (Prachatice district).*

**Figure 13.** *Historical and contemporary map of Ktiš (Prachatice district).*

**Figure 14.** *Comparison of the area of Ktiš at the beginning of the twentieth century and today.*

virtually no common land in the form of common pastures, grasslands or orchards. Similar to the village of Nebahovy, there was a village pond in the upper part of the village green, which formed the centre of the northern part of the village public areas, while the centre of the southern part was a naturally elevated church with the surrounding cemetery.

Also in this village, public spaces underwent a significant change during the second half of the last century, which included drying the village water reservoir in the northern part of the village square and adding municipal buildings in the close vicinity of the southern part of the village square. In the northern part of the square, the building in the neighborhood of the pond was transformed into a municipal office and a mixed goods store was built on the site of the former water reservoir. In the southern part of the square, there was a cultural house. A new natural centre of public space was the area of public greenery in front of the culture house and church, complemented by a memorial to the victims of the war and a fountain (**Figure 14**).

The municipality also has public areas designated for transport services and for the collection of sorted waste. However, what the village lacks is a larger area for sports and children's enjoyment. Despite its undeniable importance, the municipality does not pay as much attention to its public space as it deserves. The reason may be the low tourist interest in this location, which does not force the municipality to invest more money into the adjustment and expansion of public spaces.

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**Figure 15.**

*The Role of Public Spaces in Small Municipality DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89881*

in their original extent or at least partially.

**4.1 Terraced villages**

axis of the settlement.

**4. Village with free ground plan and compact land**

plots around a characteristic feature such as a stream.

Another historic type of villages are villages with a free ground plan and solid

Terraced villages are the most widespread in this category. These are character-

For the purposes of this publication, the municipalities of Dlouhá Stropnice (district of České Budějovice), Chlupatá Ves (district of České Budějovice) or Jenín (district of Český Krumlov) were analyzed. A typical feature of these municipalities was the absence of a significant public space that would serve as a village square. Most of the municipalities used only common land in the central part, usually formed by the floodplain of the brook or around the local road, which formed the

The village of Dlouhá Stropnice (**Figure 15**) is a typical colonization village from the turn of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Individual farmsteads were built on the first river terrace, which allowed the middle of the river meanders to lead not only communication but also to create a large number of common lands serving as pasture and forage source for farm animals of individual farmers. The village did not

The village has practically no public space, which could be used by more than 60 permanent residents and tourists, for whom the location is increasingly attractive. Of course, as in all other municipalities, waste collection bins, a sheltered public

own any other land in the area and did not create any other public spaces.

*Historical and contemporary map of the village Dlouhá Stropnice (district České Budějovice).*

ized by one or two rows of houses along a path or stream, mostly in mountain terrain, also known as forest field villages or field villages. These villages are typical for the period of great colonization since the thirteenth century and occur mostly in mountain areas in the border areas of the Republic. Unfortunately, very few of these villages have survived to this day, due to extinction in the second half of the last century, mostly after the displacement of the majority German population. However, some typical representatives can be found that have been preserved either
