DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7509-904-4-0057

EXPLORING THE RECREATIONAL POTENTIAL OF URBAN GAPS

Tímea Žolobaničová, Miroslav Čibik, Roberta Štěpánková

In the process of continuous urbanization, planning errors sometimes appear. Urban structures are loosened, and places are created that do not have a clearly defined function. Empty spaces between two elements have several definitions and terms. One of them is vacant lot. Vacant lot, if they are not built up in a short period of time, they become “lost places” that are out of control and out of order and consequently create green chaos in the city. This brings a new diversity to the urban structure and the possibility of recreation near residential buildings. Vacant lots have become part of the city for many decades and many undeveloped plots of land create an oasis of greenery within the urban environment. People have started to visit such places spontaneously and use them for daily recreation. Often it is no longer possible to bring them back into the city system because people have become accustomed to the greenery in their surroundings and do not always want to exchange it for a new building or a parking lot. A gap full of greenery provides a lot of freedom for visitors to recreate, unlike a city park which is strictly regulated. In such places, animals and plants are beginning to appear in addition to people. Many plants and animals have a presence and a safe territory in the space until the gap is of interest to urban planners or developers. At that point, the chaos becomes an asset and conservation becomes a priority for its visitors. In city centres, there is an emergence of recreational potential that needs to be explored and redesigned through low-cost interventions in the urban environment. This reduces the costs of maintenance, and transport for recreation.

Keywords: recreation, urban voids, terrain vague, gap-sites, vacant lot

pages: 57-62, Published: 2023, online: 2023