Publication details
Suburban environment and its study by means of mental maps
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2014 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | The process of suburbanization has been researched by social geographers for a long time. The study of suburbanization includes the use of a wide spectrum of methods or analytic instruments falling within the groups of quantitative, qualitative and combined approaches.One of the possibilities to study this process is so-called mental maps that we primarily use as an instrument for understanding and interpretation of subjective perception of physical or social environment by its inhabitants. In the paper we demonstrate concrete examples of mental maps as well as the results of their analysis which represent partial outputs of the research on quality of life in suburban areas of Olomouc. The results of the study point out the complexity of the information that is possible to obtain by means of mental mapping; they give us an overview of the image of the environment in inhabitants’ minds and they may also serve as a practically applicable basis for the strategic planning of local development. In this respect it is necessary to emphasize the importance of strengthening the social cohesion as an elementary condition to sustain quality of life. |