Re-use of brownfields in Karvina: The challenge for local urban development

The contribution focuses on the study of consequences of location of brownfields and urban development. As the case study area the city of Karvina (Czech Republic) has been selected due to its massive occurrence of this phenomena in its spatial structure. On the basis of a detailed study of brownfields databases available to us (on the national, regional and local levels) several remarkable examples of these sites were selected and analysed (Vagonka, Kovona, Larisch stables, Janecek mill, former Gabriela Mine, former Barbora Mine, an area in the neighbourhood of the former Barbora Mine) to define its positives, negatives, future prospects, experience and historical assumptions of regeneration of these sites. It was found out that public administration bodies play a crucial role when preparing brownfields regeneration projects, coordinating the efforts of individual stakeholders and mediating individual interest among various parties involved. In the first part of the paper theoretical concepts related to the regeneration of brownfields are discussed, while the second part deals with comparison of selected brownfields. In the concluding part future possible uses of the studied brownfields are proposed with respect to the specifics of individual brownfields, their location within the city and their usefulness for the local population.