The city of Zlín announced an urban planning competition for the new center of the Jižní Svahy residential area

Zlín – The city of Zlín today announced an urban competition titled Fragment of Zlín – New ♥ of the Southern Slopes for the development of the central part of the Southern Slopes housing estate. The aim of the two-round competition is to find a quality and long-term sustainable solution for an area of approximately seven hectares, which has been designated for development since the initial concepts from the early 1980s, announced Jaroslav Chudara, a representative of the city hall, to ČTK today.

The city wants to supplement missing services, shops, and civic amenities in the largest housing estate in Zlín. The competition should also address the design of a multipurpose sports and cultural hall, social care facilities, and adjust the adjacent public spaces.

Since the late 1980s, there has been a so-called fragment on the site, a concrete structure that was intended to serve as a department store but was never completed and fell into disrepair. The city has repeatedly tried to purchase it, successfully acquiring the building and adjacent land for 53 million korunas in 2014. The demolition of the fragment began in 2016, and the area was officially opened to the public in 2018. It partially serves as a parking lot and a sports area. The housing estate in the Southern Slopes is the largest in the regional city, with an estimated population of about 25,000 people, which is one-third of Zlín's inhabitants.

"The area in question has been a symbol of unfinished development in the Southern Slopes for decades. We want it to now become their natural center – a place for gatherings, services, sports, and community life. The urban competition is a crucial step toward creating a quality and sustainable neighborhood for local residents,” stated Mayor Jiří Korec (ANO).

The urban competition was prepared by the Office of the Architect of Zlín. The competition has two rounds, with the first round being open and anonymous, and five selected proposals advancing to the second round. A total of 1.4 million korunas will be distributed among the participants as prizes, with 600,000 korunas for the first place.

"This area has been considered a place where one of the main centers of the Southern Slopes should be developed since the commencement of the housing estate's construction. Originally, it was supposed to house a department store. The current urban competition aims to ensure that a local center for the housing estate is actually created here, allowing the Southern Slopes to supplement missing civic amenities, commercial and sports infrastructure, and create functional public spaces for residents,” stated Deputy Mayor Pavel Brada (ANO).