The Spatial Delimitation of Agglomerations in the Czech Republic: The Case of Northwestern Bohemia

This contribution has a purpose to introduce a method of spatial delimitation of the agglomerations in the Czech Republic. A model territory was chosen in the borderland territory of northwestern Bohemia, which is, on Czech terms, strongly urbanized. In this area, with five larger cities, a high potential of agglomeration with surrounding settlements is supposed. The data about intercommunal commuting to work, from the Census 2011 were representing the fundamental data complement used for delimitation of agglomerated areas. The algorithm used for defining agglomerations was based on necessity of existence of reciprocal work commuting interactions. It was approached by progressive merging of municipalities with agglomeration, limited by threshold values of preselected relativized commuting criteria. Except the city of DÄ›Ä Ã­n, the only core of agglomeration that does not lay in the coal field, there were quite extensive agglomerated areas defined. They are not only spatialy closed, but they are even neighbors. Except the Ústí agglomeration, delimited agglomerations are reporting low attractivity, in terms off commuting to work. The most significant regional concentration of inhabitants having a high grade of integration are the Ústí and Teplice agglomerations. This finding is in agreement with the regional spatial planning documentation.