Nádražní – Stage I. pedestrian zone

The arch of the tree crowns slowly provides shade. There are already places to sit, things to look at, and one can also think. Perhaps about what was, what could be, and what will happen next.

Nádražní Street began to form in the urban structure of Žďár at the beginning of the 20th century, serving as a connection between today's Republic Square and the train station building. In the 1950s, the station was moved approximately 450 meters to the south. However, this did not change the importance of the street; it only resulted in the extension of the street to the new building, which became an impulse for the creation of a new, already modernist urban structure (2nd half of the 20th century).

The pedestrian zone is the second implemented part of a broader project for the revitalization of this significant urban street. The concept of the design is based on creating a strong pedestrian axis/promenade between these main urban parts.

The new form of the Pedestrian Zone is designed as a single-level space with a material-defined central strip for easier movement of cyclists and deliveries. A fundamental change compared to the previous state was the reduction of the roadway width from 9 to 5 meters. Thus, more space was allowed for the sidewalks along the building facades, and valuable space was offered for the expansion of café patios, refreshments, small services, and facilities. The street space is complemented by a one-sided row of trees that create shaded areas.

Material solution follows the already completed surface modifications of Republic Square. The sidewalks are designed with large-format stone paving identical to the sidewalks in the square. The paving of the traffic lane connects to the new surface modifications of the intersection around the main post office, where small granite cobblestones are used. The granite curbs are 25 cm wide with a 2 cm base. The entire space is barrier-free. The street furniture and public lighting, through their selection and detail execution, connect to the part of Nádražní Street completed in 2020.

Trees are planted in a reinforced area. The tree bed is protected by a grid. Each tree is provided with a rootable space with sufficient soil air and using a structural substrate that allows root growth even after compaction. The rootable volume is approximately 25 m³ for one tree. The individual planting spots are mutually connected by a trench (so-called root bridge), which allows for the linking of individual areas into a system useful for water retention and mutual communication among individual trees in the root zone.

Stormwater management was a priority in the design and implementation. The construction of rootable spaces allows for increased infiltration and retention of rainwater, even during intense downpours. The structural substrate exhibits good retention capabilities. The system accounts for collection areas from roads adjacent to the tree row. Surface water is directed to the lowest line of the road, where it is drained into the tree's rootable space via street inlets. The use of street inlets with a cleaning basket and sedimentation chamber allows for coarse pre-treatment of rainwater. To regulate the outflow of excess water and the emptying time of the retention trench in the rootable space, chambers with a safety overflow and controlled drainage into the storm sewer are located at two places.