The massive expansion of Prague in the 1960s led to an acute need for a clear Technical Map of Prague. Later, experts began to work on a digital version and the form of the technical map changed with the dynamic development of computer technology.

The political development after 1948 also affected the creation of a comprehensive map in Prague; the surveyor's office of the city hall was abolished without replacement. The entire territory was covered by a cadastral map completed in 1945, but the new regime did not feel the need to consistently update or record the ownership rights to individual properties.

The documentation of the utilities of the individual administrators was scattered in a series of graphic maps of not very high precision. Therefore, from the beginning of the 1960s, work began on national Technical-Economic Mapping. However, the city management understood that in Prague it is necessary to unify the available documents into a more detailed Technical Map of Prague. It became a major map for several decades. However, the long cycle of paper map production required the involvement of modern computer technology. The creation of the Digital Technical Map (DTM) for the first two cadastral areas was completed in 1989.

Technical Map of Prague

After the Velvet Revolution, a new contributory organization of the city was established in 1991 - the Prague Institute of Metropolitan Informatics (IMIP). The new method of data management including an informative image of the cadastral map led to the transformation of the DTM into the system of the Unified Digital Map of Prague (UDMP). Municipal authorities and organizations equipped their offices with computer technology and the interest of users in digital maps increased. However, the creation of the detailed UDMP did not proceed very quickly (by the end of 1992 it was completed for only 10.5% of Prague). Therefore, the decision was made to quickly create a less accurate and simpler Digital Reference Map of the entire city area to complement the UDMP until its completion.

Unified Digital Map of Prague

Digital Reference Map

The Institute of Metropolitan Informatics was abolished in 2006 and part of its duties were taken over by the Prague Urban Development Unit (UDU), which was transformed into the Prague Institute of Planning and Development in 2013 (IPR Prague) The transition of the technical map administration from IMIP to the UDU was accompanied by a complete change in technology and work organization. Since 2008, the new system of technical map administration has been called the Digital Map of Prague (DMP). The operation of the information system and content updates were subcontracted between 2007-2013.

Digital Map of Prague

With the transformation of UDU to IPR Prague, the updating of technical map data returned to being part of the organization's own activities. The Office of Basic Mapping was established as part of the Spatial Information Section. In 2014, IPR Prague acquired a new data management system and the project returned to its traditional name Digital Technical Map of Prague (DTMP). In connection with the adoption of Act No. 47/2020 Coll., a transition to the Digital Technical Map of the Region has been under preparation since 2022. By mutual agreement of Prague and the Central Bohemian Region, the new system is being built jointly under the name Digital Technical Map of Prague and the Central Bohemian Region (DTM PCB).

The development of technical mapping in Prague is described in more detail in the following publication of IPR Prague: DTM - Historie technické mapy v Praze (History of the Technical Map in Prague) (Václav Čada, Jiří Čtyroký, Patrik Meixner, Jiří Roun, ed. Pavel Fuchs).