Unlocking the potential of intermediary cities for regional development in Most, Czechia

Intermediary cities can be powerful drivers of smart, inclusive, and sustainable regional development. Located outside major metropolitan areas, these small and medium-sized hubs play an “intermediary” role by structuring the flows of people, goods, capital, and knowledge across surrounding urban and rural areas. This study, conducted as part of the OECD-EU project “Unlocking the Potential of Intermediary Cities for Regional Development ”, focuses on Most, the second largest city in the former coal mining region of Ústí in Czechia. Applying the project’s analytical framework, the study examines Most’s functions as an intermediary city. It explores the city’s role within a polycentric regional context and the broader national urban system, highlighting both challenges and opportunities. The study provides policy guidance to support the city’s green energy transition and the broader region’s transformation harnessing its “landscape of lakes” for tourism potential.