Architects: Prague lacks a concept for further development

Prague - Prague lacks a concept for its further development, with the current growth being driven mainly by short-term and individual interests of the political representation. This is claimed by architects, architectural historians, and urban planners who have organized an initiative called For a New Prague. They sent a letter with their opinions today to all representatives of the capital city. This was stated at a press conference by one of the founders of the initiative, art historian Dan Merta.
According to another member and architect Miroslav Masák, the goal of the initiative is to revive and provoke a debate, a dialogue between the city’s representatives and citizens about the further development of the metropolis. "This has been lacking here for twenty years," said Masák. "We have failed to define Prague's position in European society," he added.
According to members of the initiative, the current development of the capital is accompanied by uncertainties regarding the preparation of a new zoning plan, the announcement of development and architectural competitions, and decisions about changes in the use of large development areas.
"The absence of clearly and understandably defined rules creates a feeling among Prague residents that everything is possible and simultaneously nothing. Suspected or actual clientelism and possible corrupt practices then lead to lethargy and distrust or even a principled opposition from citizens towards the city's development plans," the members state in their letter to the representatives. They claim that the result is instead of a modern and pulsating city, an unhealthy organism, a city not very friendly to its residents.
The initiative proposes, among other things, to describe the most problematic decisions from the years 1990 to 2010 in discussions with both experts and the general public, and to organize workshops and discussions about the city's development strategy with the participation of representatives from successfully developing European cities. According to the initiative, an independent advisory board should be established to assess all significant urban-architectural plans and to provide professional opposition to conceptual documents. Architects also want political appointees not to hold positions in city organizations responsible for development, but respected professionals.
The initiative has been joined by architects Adam Gebrian, Jakub Fišer, Radek Kolařík, Martin Peterka, Eva Jiřičná, Alena Šrámková, and Yvette Vašourková, architect and former Prague mayor Jan Kasl, architectural historian Zdeněk Lukeš, the managing director of the Club for Old Prague Richard Biegel, sociologist Jiří Musil, designer Maxim Velčovský, dean of the Faculty of Architecture at CTU Zdeněk Zavřel, traffic engineer Antonín Žižkovský, and singer Hana Hegerová.