Discourse and construction of new identity of place in locality development: a case study of the Victory Square in Prague

In the cities locality development tends to be the object of conflicts and negotiations of different actors with varied interests, e.g. investors, developers, municipal leaders and citizens' associations. It is possible to find among these participants a wide range of strategies and preferences, often including a visual presentation of the urban projects. This diploma thesis centers on the completion of the Victory Square, which according to the master plan of Prague should be a secondary center and it should be the main square of Prague 6. Currently completion projects for the Victory Square are discussed with a significant amount of opposing debate on their intended use, their purpose and also their design. The aim of this paper is to (1) analyze the present-day role of the unfinished Victory square in the center system in Prague, (2) ascertain who has an interest in the completion of the square and what methods are utilized to present their goals, with particularly emphasis on construction of a new identity of the space, and (3) discuss who has the ability to influence the final result considering the different roles of private investors, municipality and citizens. This thesis will try to identify the role of capital, residents, and discourse as influential actors in the reconstruction process..