flag ship project; industrial cities; image; Ostrava; Ústí nad Labem

The article focuses on issues accompanying the changing image of industrial cities in the Czech Republic. One of important tools for changing the negative image of industrial cities is considered to be the realisation of so-called flagship projects. The text builds on the basic theoretical outline of the problems associated with flagship projects and brief evaluation of their importance for regeneration of cities, particularly those with a strong industrial tradition. Three specific projects in the cities of Ostrava (the New Karolina project and Vítkovice lower area) and Ústí nad Labem (construction of the Marian Bridge) are introduced in detail. These brief case studies aim to present basic parameters of their implementation and provide primary assessment from the perspective of impact on changes of image in the abovementioned cities.