Urbanity: Inequality, Adaptation and Urban Space in the Historical Perspective is an interdisciplinary project funded by the Johannes Amos Comenius Programme under the call Social Sciences and Humanities: Man and Humanity in the Global Challenges of Today.
The Urbanity project aims to understand key issues in the development of urban space in the Czech context from the Middle Ages to the present day. By combining historical, sociological, anthropological and geoinformation research, it seeks to offer new perspectives on the complex issues of urban inequality, adaptability to crises and the transformation of public space.
The project draws chiefly on the concept of the “history of the present”, which allows for the exploration of the historical causes and contexts of current challenges, such as climate change, migration, inequality and conflicts related to urban space. The project arises from the assumption that a deeper understanding of the past may provide us with practical models for equitable and inclusive planning of urban space in contemporary democratic society.
The Urbanity project is structured around three main research work packages covering the complex issues of urban development, its historical roots and contemporary challenges. These research work packages were framed so as to complement one another and create synergies across interdisciplinary research work.
The aim of this research work package is to explore public space as a crucial indicator of social change, creativity and conflict. Its goal is to gain an understanding of the historical and current dynamics influencing public space, as well as to propose a possible democratic and inclusive transformation for this public space.
Map development of public spaces from the Middle Ages to the present, with emphasis on their political, social and symbolic roles.
Explore public space as a potential platform for democratization processes, social integration and citizen participation.
Identify the role of public space in encouraging creativity and as a place where social conflicts take place and are resolved.
Propose models of participatory planning for city administrations reflecting historical and current findings.
Within this research work package, the expert team will analyse social and spatial inequalities in cities in both the historical and the current context. The aim is to gain an understanding of the roots of these inequalities, as well as of their impact on the everyday lives of people and on urban planning.
Analyse how historical processes (such as industrialization, migration and urbanization) shaped inequalities in the urban public space.
Explore how social and economic differences are reflected in the spatial organization of cities.
Use geoinformation technology to visualize spatial inequalities and identify inequality “hot spots”.
Formulate recommendations for the mitigation of inequalities by targeted urban planning and public policies.
The aim of this research work package is to explore the way cities adapted historically to threats and crises (e.g. climate, social and political crises) and identify tried and tested strategies which could be used to strengthen the resilience of contemporary cities.
Study historical reactions of cities to threats such as epidemics, natural disasters and war.
Propose strategies based on historical knowledge for coping with current crises, such as climate change, migration and urban planning problems.
Explore the way urban public spaces contribute to building the resilience of cities and communities.
Elaborate practical models to ensure long-term sustainability and urban resilience.
In the long-term, the project has the potential to strengthen the position of Czech science internationally, and also to offer specific models and recommendations for solving current problems of urban life. Its results may be used to inform public policies focused on inclusivity, sustainability and democratization of urban public space.
The project focuses on three main research areas (urban public space, inequality, and threats and resilience), the results of which will be published in expert studies. These research work packages will contribute to deeper understanding of the dynamics in the development of Czech cities and offer practical recommendations for the administration of urban public space.
The project involves more than 45 experts across different fields and institutions. Each research work package brings together expert researchers with international experience, junior researchers and students. This leads to interdisciplinary and intergenerational cooperation.
The project seeks to establish intensive cooperation with foreign research institutions and researchers. This cooperation includes joint conferences, workshops, the exchange of knowledge, the involvement of foreign researchers and the submission of international grant applications.
The project emphasizes the effective communication of research results to a broader public through publications, lectures, interactive workshops and cooperation with city administrations. In this way it aims to promote participatory urban planning and increase awareness of the importance of historical context in the current urban public space.
The project includes the purchase of high-end technological equipment, such as handheld laser scanners and graphic work stations, which will enable a detailed 3D digitalization of urban localities and the analysis of historical structures.
In cooperation with all institutions involved, plans have been made to establish a new postgraduate programme focusing on urban interdisciplinary research. This will allow for the training of a new generation of expert researchers in this field.
The project is being carried out in cooperation with three institutions: the Institute for Contemporary History of the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Faculty of Arts of Palacký University in Olomouc, and the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences. These institutions bring together researchers from various fields, ensuring an interdisciplinary approach and the highest quality of research.
This result was financially supported by the The Johannes Amos Comenius Programme and is part of the research project "Urbanity: inequality, adaptation and urban public space in historical perspective", registration number: CZ.02 .01.01/00/23_025/0008735.
© 2026 urbanita.cz
Website created by: www.rinovo.cz