People can provide comments on the draft urban plan of Brno until June 29

Brno – The Office of the Architect of the City of Brno (KAM) published an adjusted draft of the new zoning plan on Friday. The citizens of Brno can submit their comments until June 29, with public hearings scheduled for June 21 and 22 at the Brno Exhibition Centre, which can also be followed online. After the first public hearing last June, over 8,000 submissions were received, totaling over 36,000 individual objections and comments that KAM has been addressing for almost a year. Compared to the first hearing, the new zoning plan now offers greater protection for greenery, said city councilor Filip Chvátal (KDU-ČSL) to reporters today.

"We discussed the individual objections and comments in accordance with the building act with city districts, representatives of the public, and civic associations. We also consulted with experts on blue-green infrastructure (a network of elements built in harmony with nature), cycling, including the Institute of Global Climate Change Research, representatives of universities, and non-profit organizations that requested greater emphasis on greenery and ecological solutions. We strengthened the protection of mature greenery, its representation, tree lines, and tree protection in the context of network installations. We also focused on green roofs, water retention, and the protection of cycling infrastructure," Chvátal stated.

Several of the most discussed topics emerged from last year’s hearings, such as greenery and gardens, the city's adaptation to climate change, flood protection measures, and building heights. "We started with round tables where we expressed our views. It took us a while to explain to the active public that we have the same intention. For example, we increased the required representation of greenery to at least 30 percent in stabilized and development areas, of which at least a third must be trees. For commercial areas, the requirement is 20 percent. In such a large city as Brno, there will be disagreements over the zoning plan, but I think we’ve tried to find the best solution," said KAM director Michal Sedláček.

The new zoning plan includes a new city hospital on the campus of the Brno University of Technology at Kraví hora. Local gardeners are unhappy with this, as they have long been discussing with the office that existing gardens will give way to a public park. According to Sedláček, there is no other suitable location for the hospital.

"During the coronavirus pandemic, it was shown how important healthcare facilities are. We have two city hospitals, and neither is in good condition. We received instructions from the health department to find a site for a hospital, but there aren’t many city-owned lands available. After a long search, we found a location at Kraví hora, which, however, is not owned by the city, and the hospital won’t be built perhaps for ten years; the zoning plan is a plan for the future. I understand that this is controversial, but we didn’t find a location anywhere else in Brno," noted Sedláček. Chvátal added that new gardening colonies could emerge, for example, in Tuřany.

Unlike last year's public hearing, the proposal will be discussed only in the areas that have been amended. After the repeated public hearing, the process of handling objections and comments will follow again. The revised proposal will be submitted for approval to the city councilors. The new zoning plan will be issued by the end of 2022, when the current plan from 1994 expires.