Brno has published a draft of the new spatial plan

Brno - Brno today published a proposal for a new zoning plan that is set to come into effect in 2022. Objections can be submitted until May 13. A public discussion is planned for May 6 in the council hall of the New Town Hall. Due to quarantine measures, the presentation of the proposal in individual parts of Brno has been canceled, stated Michal Sedláček, director of the Office of the Architect of the City of Brno, which developed the proposal.

"As soon as the situation allows, we will look for alternative dates. Presenting the proposal for the new zoning plan to the people of Brno is a crucial matter for us. We want it to have their support,” said Sedláček. The proposal is available electronically on the city’s urban planning portal at www.upmb.brno.cz in the section Draft Urban Plan of the City of Brno/Proposal. Furthermore, interested parties will soon find an online presentation or video clips there that will introduce the preparation of the zoning plan and the next steps in this matter. "In original size and printed form, everyone can view it on the outdoor terrace of the magistrate building at Kounicova 67 on official days, namely on Mondays and Wednesdays. It will be near the Department of Urban Planning, which will be available for any questions,” said the councilor for urban planning Filip Chvátal (KDU-ČSL).

Petr Firbas has raised objections against the decree under which the city published the proposal. He has been an active commentator on both the zoning plan and the regional principles of spatial development for many years and represents a portion of the public in commenting on urban planning documents as required by the building law. "In the Czech Republic, a state of emergency has been declared, movement is restricted and Brno asks people to come to the magistrate to look at the proposal for the zoning plan. Thousands of people are in quarantine. The conditions for people to familiarize themselves with the proposal are definitely not in place,” Firbas stated in a message sent to the media and some constitutional officials. According to him, it is outrageous that the city did not postpone the public discussion by several weeks. He also noted that it is currently practically impossible for him to gather 200 signatures that would allow him to represent the public. "I believe that if the leadership of the City of Brno does not respond immediately, responsible authorities including the Central Crisis Staff will look into the matter,” Firbas added.

The current plan has been in effect since 1994 with various updates and no longer meets the needs of the city’s development. One of the fundamental changes in the new plan is the replacement of the floor area ratio with height limits for buildings in specific areas. Both the city and developers have high hopes for the new plan, as it will allow for the construction of much-needed residential units in previously blocked locations.