Analysis of Rural Settlement in the Czech Republic: A Case Study of Dolní Kounice

[EN] The study of settlement development, its components, and activities within rural space is one of the basic objectives of the Association for the Renewal of the Village and the Small Town (SOVAMM). This Association was founded in 1990 as a network of professionals and enthusiasts of vernacular architecture. The results of this research are summarized in a recent publication offering an overview of village and field pattern development, including a systematic analysis of farmstead and field plot modules.  A key resource for this analysis is the Franciscan (also known as the ‘Stable’) Cadastre from the second quarter of the 19th century, alongside other historical sources. This paper also outlines the evolution of methodological approaches rural settlement studies, tracing their development from the beginnings in the 19th century. It presents the current analysis method used to examine the evolution of the spatial structure of rural settlement and illustrates its application in heritage preservation and spatial planning using the example of the small South Moravian market town of Dolní Kounice.