How much do you love the city you live in? Enough to write about it and publish a map? This is precisely what a group of enthusiasts from Zlín did, thus contributing significantly to the creation of the second edition of the unique USE-IT map. Graduates, employees and students of Tomas Bata University voluntarily participated in the creation of the map.
A USE-IT map – what is it? A special city guide for young travellers. For travellers who want to get to know the cities through the eyes of locals. Explore local underground clubs and bars, taste local food, understand people speaking in local dialects, simply experience living like locals.
This unique map, which will show you Zlín through the eyes of locals, has been published in the Czech and English version and is available online and offline. You can get a map free of charge in the Tourism Information Centre in Zlín or in the G18 University Gallery.
In the Czech Republic, only 4 cities can boast a map this year: Prague, Brno, Ostrava, and, as we said above, Zlín. And who is responsible for creating this original travel guide? “The map is a result of work done by a whole team of volunteers who have a special relationship with Zlín. Each of us is a little bit different type of inhabitant of Zlín, and is doing and looking for something different in the city. The author of the graphics, which accurately reflect the specific features of the city, is Matej Vázal, a designer and PhD student of the degree course in Multimedia and Design. In fact, we just happen to have many current and past students and employees of the University joining us as members of our team, no matter whether from the creative Faculty of Multimedia Communications or from the science-oriented Faculty of Technology. But it is not just a university project - we have a doctor from Tomas Bata Regional Hospital on the team. We complement each other well, and that’s why everyone will find their point of interest on the map,” replies Šárka Michalíková, a student of Arts Management, on behalf of the creators.
Inside the map, you will find a list of locations where locals feel the best as well as an overview of major events and festivals taking place in the city. “We have chosen especially such places and events that we like to visit ourselves because this is the main goal of the whole map – to make travellers feel like they are living like locals as much as possible.”
The USE-IT concept, which can be found in various cities across Europe since 2005, has a subtitle Made by locals for young travellers and is inspired precisely by young travellers and by their requirements. How to get tickets to concerts? What kind of beer do you drink here? What souvenir should I buy? Where do locals party? Do you have any catchphrases? Answers to not only such questions and a comprehensive overview of interesting bars, clubs and hidden places in nature intended not only for tourists but also for residents of Zlín, who have often failed to explore some of the locations, can be found in a USE-IT map.
“The unique feature of the map is also the commitment to updating it. All maps must be updated once every 12-18 months and published in the up-to-date version in order to reflect current trends,” adds Eva Gartnerová, an academic from the FMC.
If you love Zlín and its nooks and crannies as well, be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook @useitzlin and, maybe, your information will be the one to be included on the next map. An online guide to Oslo, Ljubljana, Graz and other big and small European cities as well as more information about the idea of the whole project can be found on www.use-it.travel. The creation of the map was supported by DICE Association and by the Creative Cluster. Funding was provided by the Municipality of Zlín and by Tomas Bata University in Zlín.