<translation>Looking back at Architecture Day in Police</translation>

Vojtěch Kaláb: Proposal for the Urban Development Competition between the Municipalities of Police nad Metují and Bukovice

When considering the future development of existing towns, we cannot overlook the problematic aspects of development in the form of the so-called settlement sprawl, which Police nad Metují increasingly resembles. If the town is to maintain and develop its current qualities, such as its harmonious placement in the baroque landscape, a vibrant and cohesive urban core, and an active civic and social life, two steps must be taken. On one hand, it is essential to halt the process of uncontrolled suburban sprawl into the landscape and the adaptation of the town to atomizing car traffic and its demands. On the other hand, it should apply an active approach that supports the town's existing strengths according to these principles:

1. Regulate the town's expansion into the landscape
Establish the town's edge and prevent its overgrowing. At the same time, utilize unused spaces within the already built urban environment.

2. The town's development should resonate with the Polička landscape
To utilize the potential of the surrounding landscape, it is important to take advantage of the view of the table mountain Ostaš. Therefore, it is recommended to propose street and land arrangements that allow for quality views from individual houses. On the other hand, it is necessary to work in cooperation with the Protected Landscape Area and the Heritage Institute to create construction rules that do not disrupt the landscape character.

3. Differentiation of building plots for the sake of democratizing housing and socio-economic diversity
It is recommended to propose diverse sizes of plots and different types of buildings (single-family homes, duplexes, row houses, apartment buildings with services on the ground floor) in order to attract a diverse age and income demographic to the new neighborhood.

4. A quarter of short distances
The new neighborhood must provide basic urban functions so that residents can meet their basic needs on foot or by bike and are not forced to commute longer distances by car.

5. Public space
Create public space that is interesting not only for the youngest children to meet their parents at the playground but also for the older population (café, play elements attractive for older children and adults, such as a slackline setup, etc.)

6. Ensure connectivity to the urban core via cycling and pedestrian pathways
The new neighborhood should not be transit-oriented; therefore, it will be possible to create an alternative urban axis for bicycle traffic on Sibiřská Street parallel to the main vehicular communication.
Localization:
- It is recommended to establish the town edge at the level of Slunečná and Wihanova streets and set measures to prevent encroachment beyond these streets.
- Before the town expands, it should first utilize the unused spaces of the former poultry farm.
- As a future zone, it is recommended to consider the pocket between the municipality of Bukovice and Na Sibiři Street.

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Jana Kočová, Terezie Lokšová: Police is not like Broumov

Our experience of the town reveals a thin red line of contradiction that forms a substantial part of Police's identity. Police versus Broumov – us and them. German Broumov and Czech Police, a contradiction that finds its tangible expression in the rock massif that separates the two towns. Today, Broumov's residents, after post-war displacement, have no "true" relationship to the land, versus Police, where people "love their region," admire the local nature, possess a patriotic spirit, and care for their town.
The Police Monastery stands in contrast to the Broumov Monastery – historically more significant, now being developed through an ambitious project to create a cultural and educational center closely linked to the local business sphere and a grant from the European Union, VERSUS the semi-forgotten monastery in a worse physical state with fragmented current usage. The identity of Police is very authentic and intergenerationally shared, so it is a pity that in this regard, the local community does not strike back against Broumov.

Police and the Monastery
The Police Monastery gave rise to Police, is closely linked to its history, and yet is currently a place that does not attract much attention. The spaces, while partially utilized (church, ZUŠ hall, apartments, funeral hall, Museum of the Town of Police), do not truly emerge from the essence of the place; rather, they represent pragmatic and unconceptualized use of the available spaces.
The monastery was an estate object to which people did not develop a warm relationship, and the place did not become known as "theirs." It is questionable whether the monastery appears on Police's mental map at all – the complex, for example, does not even feature in the results of a 2008 opinion poll in which locals were asked about places they are proud of in the town and its surroundings. There is a category for "monuments," yet for instance, Hvězda has clearly emerged from it.
Aside from the mentioned utilization, the monastery regularly opens its doors during the Night of Churches and for an open day on October 28. Furthermore, a crafts fair, a few lectures, exhibitions, screenings of documentary films, and an accompanying exhibition for the Police theatrical plays are held here every year. An entertaining event for children is organized here once a year.

Proposed Solution
It is debatable whether it makes sense to propose ambitious and costly projects that would involve artificially inventing new functions for which the building should be utilized. We propose a different solution – in Police, we have found good civic amenities, a dense social fabric, significant civic activity, and a relationship with the place where people live. This is a great foundation for further development. The monastery is not standing idle; it is partially utilized for various purposes. Therefore, we would rather develop what already exists in Police, step by step. We don’t need to invent new functions and activities but only expand what people already enjoy doing here in a more diverse way and a bit further. These activities should also realistically respond to the physical condition of the building and respect existing ownership relationships.

Potential
In Police, we cannot rely on a strong investor or entrepreneurs who would significantly financially contribute to regional development, and local companies are also not overly engaged in public affairs. In contrast, there exists an active civic sector, strong cohesion, and interconnectedness among social groups. However, these close relationships can also stabilize the status quo. It is difficult to say with certainty what interest there is from civic associations or interest groups. A multitude of cultural events is organized in Police, and many associations are active here; a keen interest in participating in the local action group for regional development (MAS) speaks in favor of this, yet on the other hand, only a handful of people participated in discussions about proposals for adjusting the square, which were prepared as part of the Petr Parléř Prize competition.
The lands around the monastery are already being taken care of by the civic association Julinka, which claims to aim to "support the development of civil society, create conditions for the development of volunteering, associations, and civic initiatives, tourism, nature conservation, and cultural heritage in the Polička region" and "obtain and realize citizens' suggestions to improve the quality of life in their place of residence and its surroundings, and to obtain financial resources from various sources for organizing educational and informational events and other activities supporting the development of the Polička region." This association has cleaned the garden and plans further implementations, such as considering building a gazebo from financial donations. They also engage students from Bukovice Elementary School in the activities. This is definitely significant potential that is worthwhile to utilize (develop).
The OS has therefore started to open the monastery from the outside, which would be appropriate to support by further physically opening the space by removing the gate and finding some function for the garden – for example, we propose planting an orchard, which has aesthetic and functional potential as well as a community-building one: municipal orchards used to operate such that each family was responsible for specific trees. Nowadays, that does not work as people are not very willing to take on that kind of responsibility; however, it appears that families with children show a great interest in utilizing the orchard. It is essential that someone takes on basic management – following which, the possibility of involving other people is open and non-coercive. This also creates space for involving volunteers or organizing small ecological programs.
There is undoubtedly further potential in the building of the ZUŠ, which is located just across the street. The school already utilizes some spaces in the monastery. For instance, the design of its hallways is excellent for holding exhibitions of ZUŠ students' work, and the building is open, so accessing the works incurs no additional costs.
Additionally, it is possible to build on the reputation of the theater festival and, besides an exhibition, organize performances in the Rajská Zahrada under the banner of the festival as a precursor to the new edition – another way of utilization. The monastery's spaces could also be used for less formal concerts that do not fit into the church or Pelly's house.
The building could also be suitable for certain Christian activities such as youth meetings (a diocesan center could be established here) or seminars and spiritual retreats.

Beyond the Borders of Police
In addition to the gradual colonization of the building by local people, the beautiful monastery building has the potential to attract people from "outside" – utilizing dilapidated structures at the border of town and countryside has recently become a popular tactic that yields interesting results. Broumovsko has experience with outside interventions, particularly with the activities of the association TUŽ se, Broumovsko!. The entire project ended unfavorably primarily due to the leadership's link to the Protected Landscape Area and the attitude that local people perceived as mentoring. A dispute also arose over renting spaces in church buildings in Broumovsko, which could deter the Benedictines from further similar actions in the future.) Therefore, establishing new collaborations with an external entity may be more complex than elsewhere; on the other hand, the location is highly attractive to visitors and possesses not only natural beauty and historical heritage but also the alluring poetry of a "forgotten region." If the incoming entity takes a different approach than TUŽ se and aims to carry out things more "for themselves," with the opportunity, but not the necessity or goal, of involving locals, a beneficial outcome could emerge for all participating parties. People from outside could bring new functions that enhance the region directly (exhibitions, specific events that locals could attend) and indirectly support unconventional tourism. More specifically: a temporary art center offering artists residency programs, workshops (the outcomes of which could then be presented in the spaces), exhibitions, symposia. Intimate cultural events that correspond to the size of the building/rented part.
Moreover, there is potential for international collaboration across borders – for example, utilizing partnerships with Svídnice, which has a significantly richer cultural life due to its size – and bringing performances or events that could be held in Rajská Zahrada.

Summary
Police nad Metují possesses a unique potential that can be developed through small, not necessarily interconnected steps. There is no need to artificially invent functions that could be accommodated in the monastery; it is sufficient to develop step by step what is already happening in the town and has support among the people. At the same time, due to its location and unique genius loci, it is a place that can attract interesting activity from the outside, which could draw new visitors to the town and offer them a unique experience – from which Police would also definitively benefit.
Last but not least, the development of activities concentrated in the monastery and attracting some specific entity closely correlates with the efforts of the Polička microregion (proclaimed in the strategic development plan from 2008) to increase the attractiveness of Police and improve the social and educational structure of the population.
For a long time, the monastery functioned as the administrative center, the brain of Police, and the square pulsed as the heart of the town. The square has maintained its function, but the role of the brain has been taken over by the town hall located also at the square, leaving the monastery empty. Perhaps it is time for it to be filled again.