Geografie 2016, 121, 463-492
Semantic map: the case of Ústí nad Orlicí
The paper presents a method of creating a semantic map which follows up the tradition of mental mapping. The first step in the construction of a semantic map is a spatial definition of the shared image of a place/town. The second step is selection of the words and phrases that fit the shared meaning of a place/town. The third step then is their localization in the “underlying map”. The size of individual expressions indicates the frequency with which the place was named so or to what extent the designation was shared among the respondents. Then the final step is “regionalization” of the space based on semantic proximity of the words used to describe individual locations. The semantic map method is presented using the example of the town of Ústí nad Orlicí. The empirical material is based on 21 interviews conducted in the town of Ústí nad Orlicí between January and September 2013.
