Jihlava wants a better appearance of outdoor spaces, including advertisements

Jihlava – Jihlava wants to improve the appearance of outdoor areas, including advertisements, shop windows, restaurant gardens, or the external doors of electrical cabinets. Problems identified in the past year have been summarized by the city council into a so-called visual smog card file. It is anticipated that the changes for the better will be gradual. First, the city wants to "sweep in front of its own doorstep," meaning it aims to tidy up its own property. This was stated today by Deputy Mayor Vít Zeman (We Live Jihlava!).

According to the deputy, landlords of city buildings should not completely cover shop windows or windows. "Where we will be renewing contracts, we want to point this out," Zeman said. The city will also offer a manual for labeling businesses. The way some shops in the center currently present themselves is, according to the deputy, rather discouraging. "If we show how it can look and how to do it, we believe that many operators will gladly take it up," he stated.

According to the deputy, the city originally planned this year to tie the rental rates for areas for restaurant gardens to their appearance. Due to the current difficult situation faced by restaurateurs caused by the pandemic, such changes are expected to be postponed until next year. However, entrepreneurs should be informed of the new conditions as soon as possible. "So that they don’t invest in equipment they would then want to change," he said.

"It will also be necessary to create a database of permitted advertisements on city property, which will also determine the exact number and location of unauthorized advertisements," Zeman said. The city is no longer renewing contracts under which advertising signs appeared on public lighting poles.

According to the town hall, inappropriate blocks of advertisements can be found in the city, for example, on Havlíčkova Street, where there is a monument-protected grain storage facility. The issue, according to the town hall, is the hanging of advertisements on fences along the roads, often without the owners' knowledge, such as on Pávovská Street.

In the regional city of Jihlava, 50,000 people live, and its center is a city monument reserve.