Strategic Plan for Prague
by Milan Turba
Key words: changes, strategic plan, priorities,
implementation, partnership.
Abstract
1. Changing city
In the Czech Republic and its capital Prague, the
political system, the administration of the state and city and the
local government have completely changed, as well as ownership
relations. The market economy has emerged, modifying the social
structure and lifestyle of Prague's population. The world has
rediscovered Prague after a half-century of isolation and the city is
flooded with a wave of tourists. Prague has a very good rating, a very
low level of unemployment and attracts not only businessmen and
investors but also dynamic young people from East and West alike. It
is an interesting partner for all who wish to develop their activities
in a city of extraordinary beauty, capable and educated population and
new opportunities.
On the other hand, Prague keeps suffering more and
more from rapidly growing car traffic, obsolete infrastructure, street
crime, rigid and still relatively inefficient administration. The city
does not always effectively manage its assets and lacks finance for
main infrastructural projects. The historical core of Prague resists
commercial pressure and the rush of tourists and cars.
2. Strategic vision, aims and policies
Rebirth of democracy and transition from centrally
planned to a free market economy has also demanded a new approach in
planning and management of development of the city. Similar to other
European cities, Prague also needs, besides a newly conceived land-use
plan (adopted by Municipal Assembly in September 1999), a long-term
programme document forming comprehensive, yet real conception of its
future economic, social and spatial development under the new
conditions - strategic plan. During last five years, the city was
preparing a document of such type with considerable support of the
British Know How Fund.
Prague Strategic Plan is an intercepting point of
various views and interests. It arises out of dialogue of politicians,
experts and the public and has a good chance to become an important
instrument of city management, which formulates the aims of
development of the city, determines policies in individual fields of
its life and stipulates priorities and development programmes,
necessary for its implementation.
Prague Strategic Plan is based upon the city’s
strengths, especially its unique character, spiritual, intellectual
and cultural tradition, quite exceptional natural and urban values,
its economic and human potential, advantageous position in the heart
of Europe, its good reputation and attraction it has for foreign
visitors.
The vision of future Prague is a successful,
prosperous and internationally recognised city, creative, friendly and
safe, a city of equal opportunities and active citizens, a city of
harmonious natural and urban environment, and a functioning city in
view of having good quality and reliable transport and technical
infrastructure as well as having efficient and helpful management of
the city.
The strategic plan for Prague therefore focuses on
five main topic areas - The city's economy, The quality of life, The
quality of the environment, Transport and technical infrastructure and
Management and administration - containing a system of mutually linked
strategic directions, aims and policies.
The New City Council of Prague has chosen the
concept of Prague’s Strategic Plan as the basis of their Programme
Declaration for the electoral term from 1998 to 2002. In June 1999,
Prague Municipal Assembly adopted the proposal of Prague’s strategic
priorities, programs and projects for the years 1999 to 2006, charging
all city authorities with further development and step-by-step
implementation of the programme.
3. Priorities and implementation
These are Prague’s key strategic priorities:
- A reliable transport friendly to municipal environment
- Sustainable management of energy, water supply and other
resources
- Prague - the centre of innovation and skilled labour
- Promotion of housing market and easy access to housing
- Transition from monocentric to a polycentric city
- Improved quality of city administration
- Integration of Prague into the European structures
Prague’s Strategic Plan is not just a political
proclamation, it is gradually becoming an important instrument of
municipal management. It has become the basis for the Regional
Operational Programme, based on which Prague will strive to gain
support of its projects from the European Union funds. Prague’s
strategic priorities were also considered in preparing of the city
budget and capital investments for the year 2000.
The Prague community is entering the third
millennium with a programme, which has been jointly prepared and
adopted, by the city political representation, experts, private
businesses and citizens.
Ph Dr. Milan Turba
Director for Strategic Planning
City Development Authority Prague
Hradčanské nám. 8
118 54 Praha 1
CZECH REPUBLIC
Tel. / Fax: + 420 2 2051 4642
E-mail: turba@urm.mepnet.cz
Strategic Plan for Prague
1. Changing
city
Six month ago, it was exactly ten years since the
Velvet Revolution started in Prague with Police brutal action against
peacefully marching students. That was the commencement of a process
of essential political and social changes in former Czechoslovakia.
Since the time when hundreds of thousands of Prague citizens on the
Wenceslas Square tolled the end of communist regime by ringing keys in
their lifted hands, many things have changed in the world around us
and in Prague itself.
The global political and economic order has changed
and after the break up of the communist block, a number of new
democratic countries with market economies were established in Europe.
The internationalisation of economic activities took place, new
technologies were developed and the access to information has been
improved with an unprecedented speed. In view of the continuing
devastation of nature and the depletion of resources, an
internationally shared necessity has been established to increase the
responsibility of our generation to preserve the natural resources and
the environment for future generations and it is expressed in the
principles of sustainable development.
In the Czech Republic and its capital Prague, the
political system, the administration of the state and city and the
local government have completely changed, as well as ownership
relations. The market economy has emerged, modifying the social
structure and lifestyle of Prague's population. Under the influence of
these changes, the picture of the city is changing quickly. At
attractive locations, new office and commercial buildings, hotels and
shopping centres are growing; old shops and restaurants reappeared in
the downtown, plenty of new were opened. The world has rediscovered
Prague after a half-century of isolation and the city is flooded with
a wave of tourists admiring Prague's historical monuments and its
unique atmosphere. Prague has a good rating, a very low level of
unemployment and attracts not only businessmen and investors but also
dynamic young people from East and West alike. It is an interesting
partner for all who wish to develop their activities in a city of
extraordinary beauty, capable and educated population and new
opportunities.
On the other hand, Prague keeps suffering more and
more from rapidly growing car traffic, obsolete infrastructure, street
crime, rigid and still relatively inefficient administration. The city
does not always effectively manage its assets and lacks finance for
main infrastructural projects. The historical core of Prague resists
commercial pressure and the rush of tourists and cars.
2. strategy
for 21st century - Vision, aims and policies
Rebirth of democracy and transition from central
planning to a free market economy has also demanded a new approach in
planning and management of development of the city. Similar to other
European cities, Prague also needs, besides a newly conceived land-use
plan (adopted by Municipal Assembly in September 1999), a long-term
programme document forming comprehensive, yet real conception of its
future economic, social and spatial development under the new
conditions - strategic plan. During last five years, the city was
preparing a document of such type with considerable support of the
British Know How Fund.
Prague Strategic Plan is an intercepting point of
various views and interests. It arises out of dialogue of politicians,
experts and the public and has a good chance to become an important
instrument of city management, which formulates the aims of
development of the city, determines policies in individual fields of
its life and stipulates priorities and development programmes,
necessary for its implementation.
Prague Strategic Plan is based upon the city’s
strengths, especially its unique character, spiritual, intellectual
and cultural tradition, quite exceptional natural and urban values,
its economic and human potential, advantageous position in the heart
of Europe, its good reputation and attraction it has for foreign
visitors.
The vision of future Prague is a successful,
prosperous and internationally recognised city, creative, friendly and
safe, a city of equal opportunities and active citizens, a city of
harmonious natural and urban environment, and a functioning city in
view of having good quality and reliable transport and technical
infrastructure as well as having efficient and helpful management of
the city.
The strategic plan for Prague therefore focuses on
five main topic areas - The city's economy, The quality of life, The
quality of the environment, Transport and technical infrastructure and
Management and administration - containing a system of mutually linked
strategic directions, aims and policies.
We are well aware that even the best programming
document would turn into an empty gesture if it were not implemented.
This is why the New City Council of Prague has chosen the concept of
Prague’s Strategic Plan as the basis of their Programme Declaration
for the electoral term from 1998 to 2002. In June 1999, Prague
Municipal Assembly adopted the proposal of Prague’s strategic
priorities, programs and projects for the years 1999 to 2006, charging
all city authorities with further development and step-by-step
implementation of the programme.
3. strategic
priorities
These are Prague’s key strategic priorities:
- A reliable transport friendly to municipal environment
- Expedient and sustainable management of energy, water supply and
other resources
- Prague - the centre of innovation and skilled labour
- Promotion of housing market and easy access to housing
- Transition from monocentric to a polycentric city
- Improved quality of city administration
- Integration of Prague into the European structures
Transport itself, especially individual car
transport, is one of the most serious and complicated problems Prague
has been facing. In the situation when there is a radical increase in
passenger cars in Prague (1993 - 1994 by 29 %) and thus also in the
areas polluted by private transport it is necessary to mobilise all
the means to support the mass transport. It is necessary to develop an
attractive integrated transport system, based especially on the Metro
and tram network, including regional rail. On the other hand, Prague
requires the progressive restriction of individual car transport in
the direction toward the centre, combined with the offer of two - city
and express - rings, and with the „park and ride" system. There
is, however, a negative influence of the fact that most Prague
inhabitants own a car and want to use it but no city part cares for
the construction of Prague express ring without which the overburdened
City Centre cannot be relieved. (According to the slogan "Not in
my backyard".)
Transport and technical infrastructure is
the basis for a 'reliably functioning city', which has a significant
influence on the achievement of other strategic aims, e.g. 'clean and
healthy city' or 'safe' or 'prosperous city'. Prague in the majority
of cases is dependent on the regional, national as well as European
infrastructure sources and systems. There is a growing demand to
complete and modernise the infrastructure in commercially attractive
locations. Concerning Prague’s technical infrastructure, most of its
systems have become obsolete. Mainly the area of drainage – despite
the existing improvement efforts – corresponds neither to the Czech
Republic legislation, nor to that of the European Union. That is why
Prague has launched the implementation of a programme called „Reconstruction
and Development of Water Supply and Sewage Networks". Thus,
extreme losses of produced drinking water (almost 40%!) will be
substantially diminished. Reconstruction of the old and construction
of a new central sewage treatment plant is under preparation. This
will lead to an improved quality of water in the Vltava and Elbe
rivers, and, in fact contribute to a cleaner North Sea. Emissions in
the air in Prague should be reduced thanks to the programme of reduced
solid fuel consumption and transition to higher quality fuel including
so-called alternative resources. Introducing panel housing thermal
insulation can further reduce high level of energy consumption in the
city.
Human resources development and support of
non-material factors of competitiveness constitute third Prague’s
priority. Prague has an opportunity to economically exploit its „human
capital" - the educated, qualified, flexible, and relatively
cheap work force - as well as the outstanding value of the city
setting. To be competitive with other cities it has to create
favourable conditions for the development of desirable investments,
simplify and speed up the process of decision-making, and to build the
system of guarantees. The City of Prague is going to support the
development of small and medium-sized businesses, creating of
integrated scientific and technological workplaces, stimulation of
lifelong educational programmes, provisions for retraining and return
to society for those threatened by social exclusion.
In the Czech Republic, housing sector is the
last component of the national economy in which market principles have
not yet been fully applied. Neither the restitution of apartment
buildings nor the privatisation of the former state and co-operative
housing stock has been finished. Moreover, apartments or family houses
became practically inaccessible for the majority of population. All of
this manifested itself in the radical decrease in the housing
construction in the city. Housing policy in Prague, therefore,
emphasised deregulation of rent, while preserving necessary social
security as an essential precondition for the development of the
functional housing market. Simultaneously, it is necessary to create
such legislative and economic conditions (loans, mortgages and further
fiscal innovations) to make the satisfying of the housing needs
available for the wide spectrum of inhabitants, not only for the
narrow layer with the highest incomes. To provide for the housing
needs, which will not be satisfied even by the free market, primarily
for those for social housing, at least one fifth of the whole housing
stock in Prague remains under the control of the city administration.
The outcome of Prague’s past development has
been, among other things, a monocentric structure of the city,
characterised by high concentration of all activities in Prague’s
historical core, and by the ring of mainly housing estates without
possibilities of employment at its outskirts. The exceptionally
valuable historical core of Prague (under UNESCO protection since
1992) is the main tourist attraction of the city. It fulfils all
functionalities of a city centre. One third of all jobs available in
Prague are concentrated here, especially in the sphere of
administration, commerce and services. Majority of Prague’s
department stores, cultural institutions and universities are seated
here. An enormous pressure of investors challenges this territory and
plots available for construction are rare. A number of serious
problems ensue from Prague’s monocentric structure, mainly in the
area of transport. This is why the transition from monocentric to
polycentric Prague has been one of Prague’s strategic priorities. A
number of programmes have been designed for this purpose and
implementation of some has already begun. It is the objective of these
programmes to reduce the burden of current city centre, to more evenly
utilise the overall city area, and to offer to citizens of various
parts of Prague and regional hinterland comparable benefits from
public investment, especially the accessibility of the centres, public
amenities and quality of the environment.
The Czech Republic concentrates its efforts on the
full integration into the present international structures
(European Union, NATO and others). This relates to our endeavour to
participate in the creation of a politically stable and economically
integrated Europe, which will ensure the maximum free movement of
people, capital, labour, goods and information. Prague, as the natural
political, economic, administrative and social centre of the state,
has an important role in this process. A contribution to meeting this
strategic priority might be the programme called „Attractive Address
Prague", also a better presentation of the city abroad as well as
co-operation and co-ordination of developmental plans with those of
major cities of Central Europe, especially Berlin, Vienna, Budapest
and Munich.
4. implementation
and partnership
Prague’s Strategic Plan is not just a political
proclamation; it is gradually becoming an important instrument of
municipal management. It has become the basis for the Regional
Operational Programme, based on which Prague will strive to gain
support of its projects from the European Union funds. Prague’s
strategic priorities were also considered in preparing of the city
budget and capital investments for the year 2000.
Today, ten years after the „Velvet
Revolution", we do already know that the way from the strategic
ideas toward their implementation is going to be far more difficult
and time consuming than it might have seemed in the early nineties
during the post-revolutionary euphoria. After half of a century of
centrally planned economy, there is still suspicion felt toward
anything that might be called a „plan". Until today, many
politicians prefer short-term effects to real strategic
decision-making and efforts of long-term stability. A civil society is
only slowly being born in the Czech Republic.
However, the Prague community is entering the third
millennium with a programme, which has been jointly adopted, by the
city political representation, experts, private businesses and
citizens.
( Incl: Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation – 27 diagrams, schemes
and pictures)
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Sociologist, Director for Strategic Planning, City Development
Authority, Prague
- 1942 - born in Bielsko-Biala, Poland
- 1964 - 1970 - editor in the Czechoslovak Radio in Brno
- 1973 - graduated from the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk’s
University in Brno
- 1983 - postgraduate in "Scientific and technical
development and the management of investment processes",
School of Economics in Prague
- 1983 - PhDr. in sociology, Masaryk's University in Brno
- 1993 - 62nd regular training course "Urban Land
Development, Management and Finance", Land Reform Training
Institute, Taoyuan, Taiwan R.O.C.
Since the seventies, he has been working in the former Office of
the Chief Architect of Prague, first, in the team concerned with a
conception of housing in the capital city, then, in the eighties as
the head of the department co-ordinating specialists in sociology,
demography, urban economics, ecology, and information science.
He participated in the preparation of three Prague master plans
(1976, 1986, 1999) and in developing the urban prognosis of the city
after 2000 (1989). At the end of the seventies he developed a
comprehensive city housing stock evaluation method based on
statistical data, and he applied it to census returns of 1970 a 1980.
In the middle of the 80ties, he was in charge of the study on the
social conditions and needs of Prague population and its various
social groups. In 1993, in his research study "The physical,
ecological, economic, demographic and social barriers to the future
development and growth of Prague", he attempted to evaluate the
changes taking place in the Czech society and the capital of Prague
after 1989. He tried to identify barriers and desirable trends of
further city development.
Since 1994, he has been the head of the team, which prepares the
Strategic plan of Prague along with the top political representatives
of the city, professionals, entrepreneurs, citizens and British Know
How Fund experts.
He wrote a number of professional articles and popularisations, and
gave a number of lectures promoting the idea of strategic planning in
terms of a new approach to planning and management of the city and
regions development in the Czech Republic.
PhDr. Milan Turba
Director for Strategic Planning
City Development Authority Prague
E-mail: turba@urm.mepnet.cz
27 March 2000
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