Geografie 2026, 131, 77-96
Transformations of the sense of place in the Podprůhon workers’ colony in Kladno (Central Bohemia)
, Pavel Chromý
Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Social Geography and Regional Development, Prague, Czechia
Received September 2025
Accepted March 2026
Sense of place in geography describes the relationship between people and their environment. This relationship undergoes significant changes in post-industrial landscapes with industrial heritage, as the original purpose of these areas no longer exists. This research focuses on changes in the sense of place in the Podprůhon workers’ colony in Kladno, Central Bohemia, from the 1960s to the present. The main question is how the sense of place has evolved and what influenced the changes. The methodology combines visual and narrative analysis. Visual analysis of archival and current maps and photographs provides a temporal anchor. Narrative analysis captures subjective perceptions of the place based on interviews with residents. The results show that the sense of place is dynamic. In Podprůhon, the sense of place weakened with physical degradation and was later reinforced by renovation and community initiatives. The research confirms that physical and social changes have a fundamental impact on the formation and renewal of the identity of a place.
Keywords
sense of place, place identity, workers’ housing colony, community participation, social change, post-industrial milieu, post-industrial landscape, Kladno, Czechia.
