The victory of Pilsen over Ostrava was also determined by the timing of the project implementations

Plzeň - In the battle for the title of European Capital of Culture for the year 2015 between Plzeň and Ostrava, among other things, the realism and feasibility of the projects of both cities within four years, that is, by the beginning of 2015, played a decisive role. The contribution of the respective city to Europe was also important. According to the committee that selected Plzeň as the winner on September 8, the project of the West Bohemian metropolis was better in this context. This conclusion comes from the now-published report of the evaluation team. Denisa Haubertová, the manager of the Plzeň project, informed ČTK about this.
According to the report, both cities chose very different approaches, but both were deemed interesting by the commissioners. "According to the committee, Plzeň has achieved an excellent balance between the cultural projects planned for 2015 and the regeneration of the city, while the project of Ostrava was more focused on long-term urbanistic and architectural ambitions," said Haubertová based on the report.
Both cities have planned the construction of new cultural centers. Plzeň proposed a new theater, the West Bohemian Gallery, a cultural center in the area of the former brewery, and a sports-cultural center in Štruncovy sady. Ostrava prepared an even more ambitious project based on transforming Černá louka into a new district that connects cultural and educational institutions with housing. Both cities promised that they would try to realize the projects even without victory.
According to the committee, Plzeň also benefited from the support of the project across the political spectrum, a clear and realistic budget, and the transparency of the project's strategy when gaining the title. Well-established European ties and contacts also played a role, as did the involvement of people with "clear leadership skills" in the team. The committee emphasized the great importance of investment projects such as the theater, Světovar, and Techmania in its evaluation.
However, the commissioners stated that the city must engage the private sector more, gain the support of more businesses, and also increase the budget for marketing and communication to ensure that the project has a truly European impact. "The committee is not convinced that the current budget will be sufficient," the report states. The project management must also collaborate with the city management. The committee recommended collaboration between Plzeň and Ostrava as well.
"We greatly value the title; the city council unanimously approved the establishment of a non-profit organization Plzeň 2015 right in September," said Marcela Krejsová, the deputy mayor. This new organization will ensure the implementation of the project with which Plzeň won. Plzeň has set the project budget for the period from 2011 to 2016 at 2.59 billion CZK. Of that, 1.72 billion is designated for investment projects, 630 million for program activities, and 246 million for other costs, including PR and marketing. The funds are expected to come from multiple sources, not only from the city, region, and state but also from the business sector and EU funds. However, the largest portion is to be provided by the city.