Differentiation of developmental priorities of different-sized municipalities in the period of acceleration of developmental changes – an example of a mining region

Abstract

The aim of the research was to assess the developmental priorities of municipalitiesas they reflect the current policy objectives of the Czech Republic and the EuropeanUnion, with a focus on the Green Deal and accelerating developmental changes in theexternal environment. To this end, the key priorities of the Just Transition Fund pro-gramme, which is designed for structurally affected regions in the Czech Republic, wereselected. Specifically, these included themes in the areas of energy, waste management,transport, brownfield revitalisation and education. The method for obtaining informationon the attitudes of municipalities was a questionnaire survey in 160 municipalities withinthe Ústí nad Labem Region, which also helped to assess the differences between smalland large municipalities. The research found that municipalities are prioritising develop-ment in energy and waste treatment. At the same time, small municipalities, with under1000 inhabitants, are slower to develop projects than larger municipalities, and largermunicipalities were also more aware of the importance of sustainability issues for futuremunicipal development.