Prague through the eyes of its residents

The study investigates the attitudes and feelings of Prague's residents toward the metropolis. The research is based on analyses of semi-structured interviews and cognitive maps of the Prague centre. It examines how the citizens perceive and evaluate the oldest part of the city, and seeks to find the factors that influence the formation of the citizens' attitudes toward the material urban environment. The significance of the urban structure is explored from the perspective of K. Lynch's concept of the image of the city. The current appearrance of Prague is largely shaped by tourism. Hence, the study examines how the tourism influence the spatial behaviour of the local residents. The opinion-oriented part of the work focuses on the level of residents' satisfaction with the life in the city centre, and poses a question as to how to increase it