Praha will not allow the development of Dívčí hrady or Vidoule park

Prague - The Department of Development of the Capital City, which is involved in preparing the concept of a new territorial plan, will not permit the construction on such green areas as Dívčí hrady or Vidoule Park. The director of the department, Bořek Votava, informed ČTK about this today. Prague's city districts have sent their proposals for the new territorial plan to the magistrate in the past months, some of which, despite the opposition of residents, suggest changing greenery into residential areas.
    Last week, these plans were criticized by the Environmental Committee of the Czech Academy of Sciences, which stated that extensive construction at the expense of greenery could increase the morbidity of Prague's children and the mortality of adults due to cardiovascular diseases in the future.
    Votava noted that some proposals sent by the city districts are in conflict with the concept of the territorial plan. "In many proposals, there are attempts at insensitive construction on significant Prague green areas, which have so far been protected as reserves for the expansion of greenery," Votava stated.
    According to Votava, developers' plans are very ambitious, but it is already clear that the department will not approve the majority of these proposals. "I cannot imagine that we would allow, for example, the construction of Dívčí hrady or Vidoule Park, as proposed by the district council of Prague 5," added the director of the development department. Votava added that intervention in the natural park area of Šárecké údolí, as proposed by Prague 6, is also not permissible.
    The proposal to change the territorial plan in the green area of Kavčí hory was rejected two weeks ago by the Territorial Development Committee, and the meanders of Botič in the so-called Trojmezí should also remain untouched.
    On the contrary, the Department of Development plans to include areas in the new territorial plan that should become part of the so-called green belt around Prague in the future. In total, it concerns 1,777 hectares around Prague. The green belt should link the city with the surrounding landscape, protect existing greenery, and convert arable land into meadows, orchards, pastures, wetlands, and water bodies. However, the issue of land ownership poses a problem. The principles for creating the green belt were approved by Prague's council today.
    The Department of Development has also prepared a conceptual document for the protection of Prague's nature and landscape, which defines general principles, guarantees the protection and regulation of valuable green areas. These principles will be reflected in the upcoming new territorial plan for Prague, which is expected to take effect from 2010.