Jablonec nad Nisou announced an urban planning competition for the redevelopment of the lower center

Jablonec nad Nisou - Jablonec nad Nisou announced an urban planning competition for the proposal of a comprehensive solution for the lower center focusing on the area of the current bus station. The territorial study will serve as a basis for changes to the land use plan, said city hall spokeswoman Jana Fričová today in a statement to ČTK. Applications for participation can be submitted until May 14, and selected teams will have time to prepare their proposals until August 19.

"The aim of the competition is to find the most suitable proposal for the development of the area. Based on the findings from the competition, we want to formulate the assignment for the follow-up territorial study and select a partner for its processing and further cooperation," added Deputy Mayor Jakub Chuchlík (Pirates). According to him, the area under consideration includes the current bus station, which will be vacated after the completion of the new transport terminal, as well as the banks of the Lužická Nisa and the unused areas along 5. května Street.

"The current state of the defined area and its low utilization is uneconomical given the existing infrastructure and public administration and leads to a number of socially problematic phenomena. Therefore, the city wants to heal these urban wounds, develop their potential, link them well with the surrounding structure, and inject new energy into the organism of the city," Chuchlík said. The city hall would like to revitalize the area, offer quality housing, and cultivate the surrounding river area, which would thereby provide space for recreation and a piece of nature in the city.

The transformation of this part of the city is expected to begin this year with demolitions and the subsequent construction of the new transport terminal, which will connect bus and rail transport. The design of the terminal is the work of the Prague studio DOMYJINAK architects, which won an open urban planning-architectural competition in 2018. The construction is the largest project in the modern history of the city, with costs estimated at 450 million crowns.

In the future, the new transport terminal should be the terminus for the tram line from Liberec, which currently ends at Tyršovy sady. Approximately 800 meters of tracks will need to be constructed along Soukenná Street across Dolní náměstí to connect to the terminal. Costs are estimated at 280 million crowns, and work is unlikely to begin before 2026. According to Chuchlík, the city would also like to improve the area of Dolní náměstí at the same time as the completion of the line to make it more hospitable for visitors, and greenery should also be added there.