The adjustments to the boulevard will be proposed by the urban planner Gehl by June 2017

Prague - Danish urban planner Jan Gehl will propose modifications to the north-south highway by June 2017. He will work on the project for three to four months, and his team will visit Prague three times. The team from the Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) will make one trip to the headquarters of his firm in Copenhagen. Today, Prague's council approved the development of the concept by Gehl Architects.

According to a document available to ČTK, the city is to pay 74,000 euros for the project, which is approximately 1.99 million crowns. An action plan for the coming years will be attached to the project. "The contract will ensure that the capital city benefits from its know-how and experience in humanizing the highway," said Deputy Mayor for Urban Development Petra Kolínská (SZ/Trojkoalice) to reporters. According to her, it should also ensure that the process has a broader agreement than just coalition consensus and that a larger portion of the council members identifies with it.

"The current highway is designed and managed as a motorway corridor, but in the future, it needs to be thought of as an urban boulevard with a focus on being more friendly and accessible for people," the document states.

Gehl is primarily known as an expert on public space. He advises metropolises around the world on how to create pleasant urban spaces for people. Cities like London, Vienna, Copenhagen, Oslo, Moscow, and New York have utilized his services. He is expected to help Prague calm the north-south highway. According to his previous statements, it will be one of the most challenging tasks he has ever faced.

Gehl has formulated the principles of his approach to shaping urban spaces in various publications, including "Life Between Buildings," "New Urban Spaces," and especially "Cities for People," which have been translated into Czech. He visited Prague this March to give a lecture at the international conference Habitat.