In Brno, proposals for improving public spaces in the city are on display

Brno - Proposals for improving and modifying public space have filled the exhibition halls of the House of Lords from Kunštát in Brno. Some are grand, and their realization would take years, such as the case of a park, a paradise for pedestrians and cyclists, traversing all of Brno along the Svratka River. Others, like birdhouses, require little money or effort to bring to life.

The proposals are the work of architects, students, associations, and individuals without architectural education. They were created in response to the City Interventions call published in April 2016. The exhibition showcases them in the form of models, visualizations, and videos. Some are professionally made, while others reflect the enthusiasm and intuition of amateurs - for example, a figurine of a one-legged zebra demonstrates the missing crosswalk at the Údolní and Úvoz intersection.

The aim of the City Interventions is not to create specific technical solutions but to highlight problems and bring new ideas and suggestions, said curator and organizer Jakub Kořínek to journalists today. Visitors can assess individual interventions, and the results will be sent to the Office of the Architect of the City of Brno.

Common themes of the proposals include new squares, relaxation zones, and expanded spaces for pedestrians or cyclists. Authors have addressed areas such as the space in front of the station, Konečné Square, the staircase at Nové Sady, the use of the Svitava riverbank, or minor improvements in Benešova, Dvořákova, Česká, and Jánská streets.

These are architectural and urban planning proposals that are not created on commission but stem from the internal or professional needs of the authors. "It's an opportunity to point out what doesn't work in the urban space and offer solutions for how it could work. Many places we pass by daily without noticing them hold great potential," Kořínek stated.

The idea of City Interventions was born in Bratislava in 2007 and has spread to other cities. In Brno, the event took place for the first time in 2011, with an exhibition of proposals held in the correctional facility on Cejl. None of the proposals were realized at that time. Interestingly, one of the current proposals has already become a reality: the metrobus, which is an express bus line of public transport.