Abstract
The article takes a fresh look at the concept of the "optimal" use of urban land. It discusses the procedure for choosing the "optimal" use of land within the context of rational spatial management practices and sets out a model solution for determining "optimal" land use types for given spatial and functional situations. A necessary set of geoinformation for informed decisions on choosing the "optimal" land use type is proposed. The study adds to the available knowledge concerning spatial analyses and simulations of "optimal" zoning processes; in doing so it applies the characteristic matrix method for inducing the optimal use of an area to diagnose the value of urban space and, in this way, to determine the "optimal" use under given circumstances. The article concludes by stating that the algorithm for selecting the "optimal” land use of an area significantly improves the decision-making process when carrying out the transformation of land use - the most important instrument for planning optimisation and organisation.