Prague will protect the city's skyline, roofs, and support the construction of P+R

Václav Křížek, Prague Roofs, 1959 (GHMP)

Prague - In protecting the historic center, Prague will require adherence to the city's structure and street network, protect the skyline, or prevent the emergence of disproportionately large commercial centers. The protection of the historical core will also be supported by the construction of P+R parking lots, the completion of road rings, or the dispersal of tourism from the center to other parts of Prague. This follows from the so-called Management Plan for the Protection of World Cultural Heritage of the Historic Center. The city commits to its creation and approval as a member of UNESCO. The document includes 38 specific goals and 136 additional measures.

"We must be able to balance the development of a modern city and the protection of monuments. We must also constantly think about what our membership in UNESCO obliges us to and how it should manifest. We are making up for a significant debt in this regard, as Prague committed to the development of a strategic plan back when it joined UNESCO in 1992. With the adoption of this plan, we continue our effort to be a responsible and active partner to UNESCO, genuinely concerned with the protection of monuments," stated councilor Hana Třeštíková (Prague Ours).

According to the plan, Prague will pay attention, among other things, to maintaining typical Prague pavement or prevent the merging of plots that would lead to the construction of excessively large buildings. The structure of roofs, such as the typical red roofs in Malá Strana, should also be protected. The ground level of buildings must not be altered either. To preserve the architectural integrity of the city, the document states that the city hall should consider demolitions to be fundamentally unacceptable and approve them only in exceptional cases. The office will assess the restoration or proposals for new facades taking into account the compositional, stylistic, and scale context of the surroundings.

The historic center will also be protected by the construction of P+R parking lots on the outskirts of the city or the completion of road rings. This will limit excessive traffic load in the center. The document also mentions the need to disperse tourists from the overcrowded center to other parts of the city.

The approved plan is now a binding document for city officials, who will adhere to it in their decision-making. It should also be supported by the relevant city districts or the Institute of Planning and Development (IPR). "Thanks to the Management Plan, we will proceed in a coordinated manner; one hand must know what the other is doing," added Třeštíková.

The historic center of Prague has been on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage list since 1992. UNESCO commissioners, who conduct regular inspections in the capital, have long criticized especially the construction of high-rise buildings, particularly concerning Pankrác.

In addition to the center of Prague, there are 13 other sites in the Czech Republic on the UNESCO list, such as the historic core of Český Krumlov, the National Stud Farm Kladruby nad Labem, or the Brno functionalist Villa Tugendhat. The contracting states of the organization are committed to protecting the sites on the heritage list. Monuments from the list can receive both expert and financial assistance from UNESCO.