Karlovy Vary wants to establish a City Architect's Office

Karlovy Vary - Karlovy Vary want to create the position of city architect. It will be a contribution organization that will coordinate the preparation and implementation of all the city's development activities. The city architect is expected to start functioning this year, said the city mayor Petr Kulhánek (KOA) to ČTK.

"From my perspective, there is a strong justification for coordination and control of all spatial planning documents, strategies, city architecture, urbanism, and public space management. This element has been lacking here for a long time. Following the example of Brno, which appointed a city architect last year, we have followed suit," Kulhánek stated.

The contribution organization Office of the City Architect is expected to have a director and four other employees. For this year, Karlovy Vary has allocated four million crowns for the office's activities, and in the following years, according to the mayor, the costs should fit within eight million crowns annually.

The city architect should not only be an advisory body, but the self-government should respect its opinions according to the city's vision. The architect should perform both a supervisory function and initiate changes or new ideas.

According to the plan, after approval by the council and subsequently by the assembly, there should be a selection procedure for the director of the Office of the City Architect. According to Kulhánek, it will not be decisive whether it is a local person or an expert from elsewhere.