Suburban Autonomy? The Case of Inter-Suburban Commuting Outside Prague

Abstract

This paper aims to map daily mobility to work and services within the suburban zone of Prague and to explain temporal changes in the structuration of the suburban zone during the day. This involves the identification of local centres outside Prague's administrative boundaries, defining their catchment areas, and exploring the temporal variability of daily mobility. Using mobile phone data, the paper identifies the main flows of commuting to work and mobility for services or leisure activities. The focus on two distinct timeframes presented in two synthetic maps compares the mobility patterns of these activities. Empirical findings identify 53 local centres of inter-suburban mobility and delimitate their commuting areas. Noticeable variation in mobility patterns throughout the day was observed. Beyond empirical insights relevant to Prague and similar Central and Eastern European cities, the paper contributes to theoretical knowledge by introducing a hierarchical classification of mobility relationships within metropolitan areas.