Public space - the place, where we live?

This thesis focuses on the concept of public space as a construct which is formed at time and is a subject to the contemporary social conditions. The first part maps the historical evolution of this construct. The changes of content of terms that have been used at different times in the sense which today is understood as a public space are described. This part presents contemporary theoretical basis, their reflections in the society and also their reflection in the lived reality. It describes the key influences that shaped today's "modus vivendi" of public space. Apart from the ancient agora the work focuses on the Czech environment from the 19th century to the present. The second part, the research work describes how the current discourse of public space, represented by the Via Foundation (Nadace Via) and its program The place, where we live (Místo, kde žijeme), transcribed into the social structure of the three Czech villages. In the context of three case studies we focus on how the public space of these villages have changed and which elements from the past survived in this structure