Cultural aspects of individual automobile transport regulation in public space

The inner morphological structure of Prague, similarly to many other European cities, has remained largely unchanged since its medieval construction. The advent of the automobile during the 20th century has led to a decline in the quality of public spaces, affecting pedestrians' ability to utilise them for social and other non-utilitarian activities. The thesis explores how the historical city of Prague navigates the need for regulatory measures managing the over-reliance of its citizens on individual automobile transport and compares it with similar recent initiatives in other European capitals. It frames the notion of “public space” within its architectural and social contexts, contrasts it with the private nature of the automobile and examines their coexistence. It then delves into the strategies and regulatory tools the capital has at its disposal to meet its proclaimed goal of providing its citizens with quality public spaces and compares them with those of Paris and London. Based on semi-structured interviews with local public stakeholders and a comparative analysis of the historical and legal contexts of urban governance, this work identifies the opportunities, limits and obstacles to effective public space management.