NUMERI PRAGENSES

Characteristics of the City of Prague

The Capital City of Prague is the largest city of the Czech Republic. Its area is 496 sq km, which is only 0.6% of the CR’s territory, but with the population of 1,165,581 inhabitants as at 31 December 2003 it represents 11.4% of the country and is more than three times bigger than the population of the second largest city, Brno.

The area of the city lies in the central parts of Česká vysočina (the Bohemian Highlands), predominantly in the area of Poberounská soustava (the Berounka River Formations). Rather a small part situated in the northeast is included in Česká tabule (the Bohemian Plate). Erosion and accumulation processes of the Vltava River along both the sides of which the city is situated influenced the current relief of the city in the first place. As for geomorphology, there is the flat relief of the high-raised areas on one hand, contrasting with the sharp valleys of the Vltava River and its tributaries on the other hand. The most broken topography originated on the left bank of the river. The highest point is the flattened landscape southwest of the Zličín town part (399 m above sea level), while the lowest point is the surface of the Vltava River at the north edge of the city in the Suchdol town part where the River leaves the territory of Prague (177 m above sea level). Therefore, the maximum altitude difference exceeds 200 m within rather a small area.

From geographical point of view, Prague can be considered a centre of Europe. It lies almost in the centre of the Continent, approximately the same straight-line distance away from three seas: the Baltic Sea (365 km), the North Sea (495 km) and the Adriatic Sea (490 km).

The current area of the city is a result of natural historical development and a long-term territorial growth. The beginnings of Prague could be put in the second half of the 9th century when the Prague Castle was founded and independent settlements began to develop under its protection in the surrounding area. These settlements grew to constituent independent towns of Prague: Staré Město (the Old Town) called the Head (caput regni), i.e. the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia, as early as before 1280, Malá Strana (the Lesser or Little Quarter), Nové Město (the New Town), and Hradčany (the castle district). Milestones in the development of Prague so far include the year of 1784 when the four still independent towns were joined into the town of Prague, then the years of 1850, 1883, 1884 and 1901 when other four towns were attached, respectively. The Act of 6 February 1920 established the Great Prague when other 39 nearby municipalities joined to the existing eight Prague neighbourhoods. Further territorial growth took place in 1960 (attachment of three municipalities and two cadastral areas), in 1968 (attachment of 21 municipalities of the former Středočeský Region, in 1970 (modification of the territorial borders of Prague, particularly in relation to the surroundings of the Prague-Ruzyně airport) and finally in 1974 when other 30 municipalities of the former Středočeský Region were attached to Prague.

Population of Prague had been increasing already from half of the 17th century. It culminated in 1991; according to the 1991 Population and Housing Census results it had the historically biggest number of inhabitants, namely 1,214,174.

When we look at the results of periodic censuses that were carried out regularly every ten years (with the exception of the Second World War), we can see that Prague’s population increased 4.5 times from the first census (1869) to 1991 Census in which the biggest number of Praguers was counted (all that calculated for the same territory). From 1991 to 2001 Census Prague’s population decreased for the very first time of censuses taking place. According to the 2001 Population and Housing Census, the number of inhabitants was even lower than the number in 1980, namely 1,169,106 persons. During the last three years, Prague’s population has been yearly slightly increasing again. The increments result from migration, namely persons in productive age, who move to Prague especially due to ample opportunity to find a job on the labour market.
When we judge Prague as such, in its historical context, its population grew very noticeably. From the end of the 18th century to the beginning of 21st century population of Prague grew almost eight times on the territory that belonged to Prague at that time; the amount of 1 million was exceeded in the 1961 census.

Quality of the environment in Prague is, despite major improvement in the 1990s, generally evaluated as unsatisfactory. Prague still ranks among the most polluted regions of the CR together with the Moravskoslezský Region and the Ústecký Region.

Air quality in Prague’s centre and some areas of the mid-distance settlements is still very bad. Although in this area many indicators has also markedly improved in that sense during the last years, the unfavourable situation still persists. The levels of sulphur dioxide pollution distinctively decreased over the last decade and the limits were no longer exceeded. The airborne dust pollution remains one of the main problems of air quality as for requirements and terms of new legal regulations and relevant directive of the EU. The level of nitrogen oxides pollution, exceeding limits in force for the area of the city in all indicators, is the highest in the centre of Prague, along the main road traffic routes and, unlike the levels of dust and sulphur dioxide concentrations, reports an increasing trend in the long term. The level of airborne lead pollution is decreasing in the long term. Along with the increase in road traffic during the summer months, the level of ozone concentration increases as well, though not dramatically. The most serious of the physical factors having impact on the environment is noise pollution.

On the territory of the City of Prague there are 88 special protected areas, which total together more than 2,100 hectares, of which 7 belong to National Nature Monuments (Barrandovské skály, Cikánka I., Dalejský profil, Lochkovský profil, Požáry, U Nového mlýna and part of the territory of the Černá rokle National Nature Monument the biggest part of which lies in the Středočeský Region), 15 nature reserves and 66 nature monuments. However, Prague’s centre has not much lawn and planting (public parks) of good quality. After fortification wall had been demolished (in 1871-1888) the space that was made available has been built up unlike many European cities have done it. Nevertheless, the state of urban and suburban greenery, which used to be previously pretty neglected, has improved recently.

In accordance with the importance, location and role of Prague, a wide range of transport links has developed over time. Mutual regional links with the surrounding Středočeský Region are the closest ones, predominated by incoming travel as far as commuting, shopping and cultural activities are concerned, while the surrounding region serves Prague population as the place of recreation. People are coming to Prague (as it is the capital) from the entire Czech Republic. On the other hand, Prague population goes for recreation not only to its nearest surroundings but also all over the CR.

Thanks to its highly central location both within the CR and Europe, Prague is determined to play the role of a transport crossroads as well as a target destination of goods and persons movement. Traditionally, Prague is the largest centre of international transport in the country, both in the west-east and north-south directions, as well as the largest transport node interconnecting the individual regions of the country.

Prague is a central point of all highway routes. Before the split-up of the former Czechoslovakia the first highway D 1 linking Prague, Brno and Bratislava was developed. The construction of another highway, D 5, to interconnect Prague and Nuremberg, has been commenced and the highway D 8 to lead from Prague via Dresden to Berlin is under construction. Other highway connections have been planned. However, highways on the territory of the city are only 11 km long and other fast routes are linked to them (23 km). The total length of road network in Prague is 3,520 km. More and more painful becomes especially absence of alternate routes around Prague and, most of all, around the inner city. Up to now, only partial segments were built out of two rounds planned.

Prague is an important international railway node, too. Stress is being put on the development of railway transport on the European basis (e.g. Eurocity trains) along with the current phase-out on the less travelled tracks. What is under preparation is the reconstruction of key railway routes to fit express traffic. The reconstruction will contribute to high comfort of travel on long-distance routes, especially international ones.

The Vltava River flowing through Prague is used for waterway transport of goods as well as passengers (passenger transport is operated within the 30.5-km long course between the villages of Zbraslav and Sedlec). There are three ports on the territory of Prague: Holešovice, Smíchov and Radotín. They serve for reloading of various types of freight. Passenger transport is operated by several companies. Some operators specialize on various types of round trips through Prague, but also on cruises from Prague to Slapy, Trója or Mělník.

Air transport of freight as well as passengers is provided particularly by the Prague-Ruzyně airport. In 2004, 50 airlines were providing there regular service and 346 entities were operating charter flights. Regular service to various parts of the world expanded; thus, the overall number of destinations both in Europe as well as other continents reached 108 this year. The highest capacity of passengers was checked-in for European destinations: London, Paris, Frankfurt on the Main, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Moscow, Manchester and Zurich. In 2004, the Prague-Ruzyně airport checked-in 9,696.4 thousand passengers. In cargo transport, 46,884.7 tonnes of cargo and 5,201.3 tonnes of airmail items were checked-in. Thus, the total cargo carried reached 52,086 tonnes.

Prague has relatively well functioning public transport with a backbone system of the metro (54 km long) and networks of tram railways (141 km long). Annually, more than 1 billion passengers use public transport vehicles and 150 million km are driven. Urgent need to make the public transport more attractive helped gradual origination of the system of Prague integrated transport. Now, it is operated up to 35 km far from Prague and thus it includes also an important part of the Středočeský Region (about 240 municipalities).

Even though important investments were completed (such as the Mrázovka tunnel or tramline to Barrandov) building of transport infrastructure in order to help the city centre suffering from traffic jams remains to be a priority in Prague.

It is traditionally characteristic for population situation in Prague that there is an increased share of population in productive age and relatively low share of children. Related to that is also the tendency of natural population change. Each year, Prague reports higher numbers of deaths than births and thus population decreases as a result of natural population change. Already since 1979, any increases in Prague’s population have been related solely to net migration. Net migration was always so high in Prague that it compensated population losses due to natural population changes. In 1994, Prague recorded for the first time a total annual decrement of population; the net migration was so low that it did not cover all the time increasing population loss due to natural change. Since that year, Prague’s population has been decreasing every year. Unfavourable population situation of the entire CR due to age structure of population is reflected there again with bigger intensity and a new migration tendency comes on top of that consisting in outflow of Prague inhabitants to the outskirts of the city. The Středočeský Region has changed from the source to target of migration. From 1998 to 2001, population was even decreasing due to migration. From 2002, the net migration of Prague was positive again; this turn was caused, however, especially by the fact that also foreigners with long-term residence were included in the total population since the 2001 Population and Housing Census. Considerable mobility of foreign nationals moving for work leads to high gross migration in Prague. Thus, it is an important matter of fact that most migrants are citizens with foreign nationality. Resulting from migration for work is thus both an increase in the number of foreign nationals in Prague’s population and also shifts in the population structure. All the time increasing share of population in productive age and traditionally high share of the oldest age cohorts results also in the fact that the average age was increasing in Prague and was the very highest among all regions of the CR. Also some shifts in distribution of inhabitants of the three main age groups (0-14, 15-59, and 60+) are to a certain extent related to the situation on the Prague labour market. Permanently increasing is share of inhabitants in the age of 15-59, who find their job in Prague. On the contrary, share of children under 15 is decreasing as well as number of inhabitants over 65. Older inhabitants were more often moving out of Prague to villages during the last years to find cheaper and healthier living. Living in Prague’s surroundings becomes attractive also for young families with children. What is a clearly positive feature of demographic development for the last decades is improving of life expectancy. Prague’s inhabitants live to the oldest age when compared to all regions of the CR. In the average of years 2003-2004, life expectancy for females in Prague was 79.6 and for males 74.1 years (national average was 79.0 and 72.6, respectively). High values of life expectancy in Prague are attributed to better availability of medical care, but also to some favourable tendencies in the regimen even despite worse parameters of the environment. Also infant mortality is very low in Prague (3.1 per mille versus 3.7 nationwide in 2004).

As for performance of economy, the Capital City of Prague has a unique position within the Czech Republic. The Region permanently generates about a quarter of nationwide GDP (in 2003 it was 25.7%). GDP per capita in 2003 (with the CR = 100) was 225.4 in Prague. At the same time, it highly exceeds averages for the entire EU, namely even when grossed up to the EU 15 (in 2003 it was by 50.4%); for today’s EU 25 the GDP per capita in 2003 was higher by 63.8% in Prague. High level of this indicator is typical for metropolises; it is influenced by many factors: high level of wages, location and registration of headquarters of economic entities in town, concentration of central bodies of public and private sector. Prague is a place, in which the number of job positions exceeds the population by 60% and related to that is also the influence of commute to work as well as for services. Also other economic indicators prove that Prague is a centre of economy not only for its surroundings, but also for the entire country.

Basic structural reconstruction was reflected in changes of industrial structure of Prague economy. Characteristic features of the development of Prague economic basis are strengthening of the sphere of services and decrease of share of production industries. Tertiary industries represent now in Prague more than 80% of value added (in 2003 it was 83.8%). Also employment rate in this sphere is much higher in Prague than in the CR in total. In 2001, 72% of all employed in Prague worked in services and in 2004 it was already 84%. The biggest share is in transport and public administration.

On the contrary, the share of industrial sector in creation of value added and Prague’s employment is much lower than national average. Especially employment rate in industry is lower in Prague and the problem with restructuring of industry had to be solved. Industry as a branch does not have such an important position in Prague as in other regions of the CR; however, namely manufacturing remained even there to be a rather powerful branch as for economy and its importance is increasing in Prague, too. Number of enterprises in manufacturing is permanently increasing. Wages in industry were growing during the last five years more markedly than wages in Prague’s enterprises in total, namely in the manufacturing. The biggest increase was recorded in production of office machinery and computers, in which wages increased almost by 80% year-on-year. As for production of radio, TV and communication equipment – the average wage in 2004 there was at the same level as in financial intermediation (CZK 38 000), in which wages are permanently the highest.

In construction, improvement of most parameters has been observable in recent years. A rather dynamic growth of the volume of construction work has been recorded together with a slight increase in the number of employees and wages. Building permits are issued for more important constructions as for volume and also the share of building permits for residential buildings increased. What has also increased is the number of big construction enterprises. On the territory of Prague, 341 construction enterprises with 20+ employees were active in 2004 (it applies to enterprises having their seat in the Region). Construction work according to delivery contracts of those enterprises in 2004 exceeded 100 billion CZK (in current prices); in comparison to the year 2000 the volume of works increased by a half.
Housing construction is higher in volume only in the Středočeský Region that is in this sense closely related to Prague.

An important branch for Prague’s economy is tourism. Its economic force can be evaluated by gross value added in ‘hotels and restaurants’. The share of gross value added in the branch in 2002 was 3.1% of the total gross value added of the City. Though the amount might be seen as small, it is 34.4% of the total gross value added in that branch in the entire Czech Republic. Tourism starts to develop again very dynamically after the terrorist attacks in 2001 (in the USA) and the floods in 2002. Prague is the most often target of tourists from abroad as well as domestic business trips and it is an important centre of congress tourism.

Prague noticeably enlarged and reconstructed its accommodation capacities; however, the problem is in their structure: capacities in higher categories are still missing (in 2004 only 11.2% of all beds in collective accommodation establishments were in 5* hotels). The number of overnight stays reached in 2004 its historical maximum, 10,666,629. This figure is higher by 3,640,674 (34.1%) than in the year of 2002, when Prague was stricken by flood just in the middle of the tourist summer season.

As air transport gets cheaper, popularity of weekend tours increases. Tourist season in Prague is not limited in time, in Prague’s centre a cosmopolitan character of the city got restored. However, they say that Prague will have to push itself more in the network of European metropolises.

Directly related to the performance of economy is the situation on the labour market. Prague is the biggest regional labour market in the Czech Republic. Characteristic features of the development so far are high attractiveness of jobs on the Prague labour market on one hand and the ability of the market to meet great demand on the other hand. This is explainable by considerable mobility of inner resources as well as rapidly enlarging resources of foreign workers. Registered number of employees of companies having their seat on the territory of Prague represents 28% of national employment. Prague work force has distinctively higher qualification in comparison with other regions. More than a quarter of all employed are persons with university education and their number has been regularly increasing during the last years. Also average wages in Prague reach much higher values than in other regions. Another characteristic feature of Prague labour market is also under-average unemployment rate. Prague labour market thanks to the wide scope of professions was able to absorb almost all labour force released in the transformation process as well as newcomers. During the last years, the development of unemployment rate in Prague has been analogous to the national average; however, in total it is around its half-value.

As for other parts of social life, Prague has a significant position also in education, health and culture. It can be said that it is a national centre of education. Already from the secondary level of education upwards there is an increased concentration of schools. Prague has the highest number of grammar schools and secondary technical schools of all the regions. In university education, Prague’s position is absolutely unique. There are 8 universities with 36 faculties at which 79.6 thousand of students were studying (2002/2003). Moreover, there were 10.4 thousand students in doctoral studies. During the last few years, demographical development has been reflected also in shifts in school establishments. Number of nurseries and basic schools as well as their pupils is slightly decreasing. Numbers of students at secondary schools are more or less stagnating and number of university students has slightly increased.

Also health establishments are concentrated on the territory of the City. They are mainly specialized and often also research establishments, which, however, serve to patients from all over the Czech Republic. Almost one fifth of all physicians working in the CR are employed there. Relative indicators from health grossed up to 1,000 population are permanently the highest of all regions and are markedly above the national average, because all Prague’s health establishments serve also to the surroundings of Prague and basically to population of the entire CR as well. While in other regions (after transfer of health establishments to the competence of regions) there are more and more non-state establishments, this does not apply to Prague, in which still almost a half of all physicians work in state health establishments. It is a phenomenon, which is characteristic for Prague. Statistical data on the number of establishments, beds and workers in health sector cannot show changes of quality in the care. A long-term increase in health care quality is reflected rather in demographic indicators such as life expectancy or deaths by cause of death.

Prague is of extraordinary importance also for culture. Majority of cultural institutions of nationwide importance are placed there as well as a dense network of other cultural facilities (Prague has 13% of all galleries and 28% of theatres).

Prague ranks among important and developed regions even within the entire EU. This position of Prague is given by its long-term historical development and also its geographical location contributes to that. Recently, a very fast transformation in a wide range of socio-economic areas has taken place in Prague. The City has very rapidly recovered its prestige; it is permanently an attractive territory for investors especially from among foreign economic entities, for which it is a question of good reputation to acquire residencies on Prague’s territory. What has substantially improved is the quality of connection of Prague to European and worldwide communication network. There is a stable and manifold labour market and potential of labour force with qualification that is above the average. Quality background of educational, scientific and research institutions plays an important role, too.

However, what cannot be forgotten are weaknesses: mounting crime, bad environment, overloaded transport, and increased costs of living for the population.

Pursuant to the Act of the Czech National Council on the Capital City of Prague, the city is a statutory town. It is administered by the bodies of the Capital City: the Assembly of the City of Prague, the Council of the City of Prague and the Prague City Hall. For execution of the state administration, Prague is from 2001 divided to 22 administration districts, from the point of view of self-government it consists of 57 autonomous City Districts with own elected bodies. These City Districts are significantly different. There are City Districts of distinct character of urban centre, City Districts of prevalent residential area with houses dating back to the 1920´s and 1930´s, City Districts of chiefly industrial nature, neighbourhoods of high-rise houses, and suburban areas many of which originated by gradual connection of surrounding municipalities of rural type. They differ in the level of urbanisation, population density, quality of technical infrastructure and socio-economic conditions of life of their inhabitants. As for the number of inhabitants these City Districts are also very different. While population of two City Districts account for more than 100,000 each, 18 City Districts comprise less than 2,000 inhabitants each, of which four have less than 500 inhabitants each.